METHOD, APPARATUS AND PROGRAM TO MAKE PAYMENT IN ANY CURRENCIES THROUGH A COMMUNICATION NETWORK SYSTEM USING PRE-PAID CARDS
First Claim
1. A method to enable customers/purchasers to obtain fixed amount of stored monetary value in local currency in pre-paid cards from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and to use these pre-paid cards to conduct bill payments activities for both local and international transactions in their respective currencies through a payment service network using a World Wide Web server page connectable to a transaction processor or a tone telephone connectable to a call processor such as Interactive Voice Response Systems located at a remote host computer, the method comprising:
- a World Wide Web server page connected to a transaction processor coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts, user accounts including service provider accounts and to the Internet network, the web page receiving, from a data terminal, access information used to identify the particular pre-paid card account and user account to establish a payment transaction using the internet network, the transaction processor further reduce the amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in correspondence with the payment transaction requested and authorised by the user;
a call processor coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts, user accounts including service provider accounts and to the telephone network, the call processor receiving, from a telephone, access information used to identify the particular pre-paid card account and user account to establish a payment transaction using the telephone network, the call processor further reduce the amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in correspondence with the payment transaction requested and authorised by the user;
each user or purchaser of these pre-paid cards may have an pre-assigned numbered account in the database with the host computer and security check such as password is required to access this accounts for operation purposes;
each pre-paid card shall have an activation code associated and a security code which is hidden under scratch-through material on the card where both codes are transmitted by way of a data or telephone tone signal following a series of manual operation as dictated by the transaction or call processor through the telephone or through a computer/data keyboard by way of the Internet so that these codes can be checked and verified against the unique pre-paid card account stored at the host computer;
upon activation, each pre-paid card account will be assigned a transaction number for audit trial purposes with a different transaction number assigned for every transaction until the monetary amount stored in the pre-paid card is exhausted or upon termination by redemption for value;
receiving access information such as the user'"'"'s account and password and the pre-paid card'"'"'s codes and payment codes sent from a data terminal or tone-telephone to a transaction processor or call processor having access to the database of pre-paid card accounts, merchants'"'"' accounts and user'"'"'s account, the transaction processor or call processor using the access information to establish a particular one of the card accounts and to establish an electronic transaction from the telephone or terminal using the telephone or Internet network;
receiving merchant specific payment codes from the merchant'"'"'s system;
debiting the authorised monetary amount associated with the user'"'"'s account of one or more pre-paid card accounts in the user'"'"'s account in accordance with the payment code/transaction that the user has provided on payment network through the telephone or data terminal subject to authentication of both the payment codes by the host computer;
crediting the authorised amount as requested by the user after the user has provided the payment transaction code to the transaction processor or call processor having access to the database of the user'"'"'s account, the merchant'"'"'s account and the pre-paid card accounts from the data terminal or telephone using the telephone/Internet network subject to authentication of both the payment codes by the host computer;
a transaction/call processor coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts, user accounts and to the telephone network, the transaction/call processor receiving, from a terminal/telephone, access information used to identify the particular pre-paid card account and user account to establish a currency conversion transaction using the telephone/internet network, the transaction/call processor further convert the amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in corresponding with request by the user. reducing the pre-paid authorisation converted amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in correspondence with the various transactions made in the network by crediting the corresponding service provider'"'"'s or any account as requested by user;
the generation of special code known as the payment/transaction code by the seller/merchant'"'"'s computer system to identify the buying party making the payment and sent through an email (bare or encrypted) to the host computer;
at the same instant, the generation of the special codes for payment/transaction above also includes the generation of special authenticating matching code to be sent to the user/buyer by the merchant'"'"'s system by means of a bare or encrypted email or by any means communicated such as an invoice to a physical address of the paying party; and
the user is required to input the payment code so that both codes having a fixed period of expectancy are required for each payment transaction and the host computer will decrypt, authenticate and cross match both codes with a security algorithm to match the account to be credited to avoid false and invalid transactions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This is a pre-paid card system used to store monetary value and subsequently for making payment to merchants through the telephone system or through a data network. Unlike static credit card numbers, this invention employs the generation of encrypted dynamic codes for each transaction, which must be verified within a specific time, for payment initiation. Codes are send by merchant when a purchase is agreed upon and each codes have a time limit to be used. Customers need to accept this codes and present them to the host computer to complete the payment process. Codes from both merchant and customer are decrypted at the host computer to produce the authenticated instructions for the payment. This invention also employs a unique formula to calculate stored value including in foreign currencies.
274 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method to enable customers/purchasers to obtain fixed amount of stored monetary value in local currency in pre-paid cards from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and to use these pre-paid cards to conduct bill payments activities for both local and international transactions in their respective currencies through a payment service network using a World Wide Web server page connectable to a transaction processor or a tone telephone connectable to a call processor such as Interactive Voice Response Systems located at a remote host computer, the method comprising:
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a World Wide Web server page connected to a transaction processor coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts, user accounts including service provider accounts and to the Internet network, the web page receiving, from a data terminal, access information used to identify the particular pre-paid card account and user account to establish a payment transaction using the internet network, the transaction processor further reduce the amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in correspondence with the payment transaction requested and authorised by the user;
a call processor coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts, user accounts including service provider accounts and to the telephone network, the call processor receiving, from a telephone, access information used to identify the particular pre-paid card account and user account to establish a payment transaction using the telephone network, the call processor further reduce the amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in correspondence with the payment transaction requested and authorised by the user;
each user or purchaser of these pre-paid cards may have an pre-assigned numbered account in the database with the host computer and security check such as password is required to access this accounts for operation purposes;
each pre-paid card shall have an activation code associated and a security code which is hidden under scratch-through material on the card where both codes are transmitted by way of a data or telephone tone signal following a series of manual operation as dictated by the transaction or call processor through the telephone or through a computer/data keyboard by way of the Internet so that these codes can be checked and verified against the unique pre-paid card account stored at the host computer;
upon activation, each pre-paid card account will be assigned a transaction number for audit trial purposes with a different transaction number assigned for every transaction until the monetary amount stored in the pre-paid card is exhausted or upon termination by redemption for value;
receiving access information such as the user'"'"'s account and password and the pre-paid card'"'"'s codes and payment codes sent from a data terminal or tone-telephone to a transaction processor or call processor having access to the database of pre-paid card accounts, merchants'"'"' accounts and user'"'"'s account, the transaction processor or call processor using the access information to establish a particular one of the card accounts and to establish an electronic transaction from the telephone or terminal using the telephone or Internet network;
receiving merchant specific payment codes from the merchant'"'"'s system;
debiting the authorised monetary amount associated with the user'"'"'s account of one or more pre-paid card accounts in the user'"'"'s account in accordance with the payment code/transaction that the user has provided on payment network through the telephone or data terminal subject to authentication of both the payment codes by the host computer;
crediting the authorised amount as requested by the user after the user has provided the payment transaction code to the transaction processor or call processor having access to the database of the user'"'"'s account, the merchant'"'"'s account and the pre-paid card accounts from the data terminal or telephone using the telephone/Internet network subject to authentication of both the payment codes by the host computer;
a transaction/call processor coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts, user accounts and to the telephone network, the transaction/call processor receiving, from a terminal/telephone, access information used to identify the particular pre-paid card account and user account to establish a currency conversion transaction using the telephone/internet network, the transaction/call processor further convert the amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in corresponding with request by the user. reducing the pre-paid authorisation converted amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account in correspondence with the various transactions made in the network by crediting the corresponding service provider'"'"'s or any account as requested by user;
the generation of special code known as the payment/transaction code by the seller/merchant'"'"'s computer system to identify the buying party making the payment and sent through an email (bare or encrypted) to the host computer;
at the same instant, the generation of the special codes for payment/transaction above also includes the generation of special authenticating matching code to be sent to the user/buyer by the merchant'"'"'s system by means of a bare or encrypted email or by any means communicated such as an invoice to a physical address of the paying party; and
the user is required to input the payment code so that both codes having a fixed period of expectancy are required for each payment transaction and the host computer will decrypt, authenticate and cross match both codes with a security algorithm to match the account to be credited to avoid false and invalid transactions. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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2. A computer system for creating and managing pre-paid cards accounts and user accounts used to access a payment network using a telephone or data terminal, the system comprising:
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a database of pre-paid cards accounts and user accounts including service/merchant providers accounts located at a location remote;
a transaction/call processing unit coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts and users accounts, the transaction/call processing unit activating the particular pre-paid card account in the database-of pre-paid card accounts in response to receipt of the activation information by purchaser with the particular pre-paid card account through the telephone/ data terminal;
a transaction/call processing unit coupled to the database of pre-paid card accounts and users accounts, the transaction/call processing unit calculating the “
store rate”
particular pre-paid card account in the database of pre-paid card accounts in response to receipt of depositing action by user of the particular pre-paid card account;
the stored rate is formulated to be B*D*L*C*R=K, where B is the face value of the pre-paid card. D is a factor relating to the number of years before expiry of pre-paid card. L is a factor related to the value and loyalty of customer that is based on his/her past purchases of pre-paid cards. C is a factor relating to the cost of money for a particular selected currency. R is a factor related to the exchange rate that is 0.98 to buy local goods in local currency or as the case may be the currency rate for an international purchase in another currency. K is the value of the stored amount in the account of the user as calculated above. the minimum security form algorithm where X+Y=Z where Z is the numbered identity of the merchant and X is the purchaser transaction code to be sent to the payer and Y is the merchant transaction code to be sent to the host computer. The host computer will wait for X to be sent from the buyer/payer by terminal or telephone to finalise the payment procedure. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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3. A system for enabling customers to obtain pre-paid card and user accounts from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and to use both the user accounts and pre-paid card accounts to access a payment network using a telephone or data terminal, the method comprising:
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a database of pre-paid card accounts and user accounts located at a location remote from the point-of-sale locations;
means wherein the real-time data transmission between the customer through said host computer proceeds through telephone or network lines means for storing a group of announcements or instructions including advertisement;
means to play audible/text/graphic product information files to the user when waiting for a requested transaction to be completed;
means for receiving at least one signal from the pre-paid user to verify the user'"'"'s pre-paid card account in response to a text announcement or voice instructions sent to the user through the telephone or data terminal;
means for receiving at least one signal from the user to verify the user'"'"'s account in response to an announcement or text instruction sent to the user through the telephone or data terminal;
means for verifying the validity of the user'"'"'s account number if the user is an exiting user otherwise will ask the user to set up an account as an alternative option;
means to ensure there is no conflict between an user account with another users'"'"' account;
means for determining if there is a predetermined amount of available funds associated with the account number for automatic deductions for regular pre-arranged services such as water, electricity, gas etc as an optional arrangement between user and service provider and where there is sufficient funds, a payment transaction will be executed;
means for receiving and analysing a payment code or other transaction codes from the pre-paid user and merchant through the telephone or computer network as the case maybe as an alternative option;
means to convert and stored the authorised amount from the pre-paid card into any currency of choice by the user in the user'"'"'s account;
means for determining if there is sufficient funds available in the use'"'"'s account for a transaction of choice and if there is insufficient will ask user to promptly apply another pre-paid card to continue otherwise will terminate the transaction together with an error message to the merchant for notice;
means for completing a payment transaction from the pre-paid account if there is sufficient available funds;
means to decrypt and verifying a payment code to identify the merchant, the payment amount and the buyer'"'"'s account where the buyer has elected this as their payment option;
means for transferring activation and security information associated with a particular pre-paid card account to the remote host computer by telephone or data terminal by user, the activation and security information being used to identify the particular pre-paid card account, the particular pre-paid card account being associated with a distributor of the particular pre-paid card account;
means for activating the particular pre-paid card in the database of pre-paid card accounts in response to receipt of the activation and security information;
means for receiving access information transferred from a telephone or data terminal and for identifying the particular pre-paid card account and user'"'"'s account using the access information;
means for setting a time sequence or the number of attempts when activation and security information or password and account number input sequence is being run for both pre-paid card and user accounts respectively;
means for disconnecting the telephone call or terminal connection when the time sequence runs out or number of attempts exceeded because of wrong inputs;
means for establishing a payment transaction from the telephone or data terminal to a desired merchant or service provider using the telephone/Internet network;
means for transferring the active authorisation monetary amount associated with the particular pre-paid card account or the monetary stored amount in the user'"'"'s account as the case may be in correspondence with the amount requested by the user or the transacted amounted as billed by the payment code, and for terminating access to the payment network when the transaction is completed as well as issuing a code receipt number to payer and merchant as reference before termination;
means to transfer the stored monetary amount in the pre-paid card or user account to another user account as a payment transaction;
means to generate and encrypt payment codes for verification for payment transaction by merchants in the payment network;
means for the host computer to identify the call phone'"'"'s or terminal'"'"'s physical address or location and alert appropriate authorities;
means for preventing unauthorised access to the host computer;
means for new services to be created and changed on-line by the operator;
means for a real-time resource consumption indicator for real-time billing for products and services provided;
means for the host computer server to serve a plurality of users simultaneously;
and means to access gateway to the internet and enable all the above means in the form of a world wide web interface.
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Specification