Method and system for processing a transaction

• US 20030200182A1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Paymentone Corporation
• Inventors: Truitt, Jennifer R., Dawson, Ken R., Philbin, M. Brendan, Lynam, Joseph M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,080,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/75
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A method of, and system for, processing payment for a transaction is provided. The method includes providing a user with an option to select payment for the transaction from an account associated with a communication line via which an electronic terminal is connected to a communication network. The communication line is typically a subscriber line and, accordingly, the account is a telephone account associated with the subscriber line. When a user transacts with a vendor for goods and/or services, the user may request to process payment using the telephone account instead of using a credit or debit card. The method includes investigating data using the telephone number associated with the subscriber line and, selectively approving the transaction dependent upon an outcome of the investigation. The invention extends to a transaction processor interface and to and a transaction validation module. The invention also extends to computer program products including the invention.

Claims

1. A method of processing payment for a transaction, the method including:

providing a user with an option, via an electronic terminal, to select payment for the transaction from an account associated with a communication line to which the electronic terminal is connected;

receiving a user request entered into the terminal to process payment from the account;

investigating data associated with the communication line; and

selectively approving the transaction dependent upon an outcome of the investigation.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the communication line is a subscriber line and the account is a telephone account associated with the subscriber line.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, which includes identifying a telephone number of the subscriber line using automatic number identification (ANI) techniques.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, which includes combining the telephone number and transaction data to form a financial instrument record.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, in which the financial instrument record is an industry standard credit card record.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which investigating data associated with the communication line includes performing a validation process in which data associated with the telephone number is investigated.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, which includes obtaining a user entered telephone number from the electronic terminal and comparing the user entered telephone number with the telephone number obtained using ANI techniques.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, in which the validation process includes retrieving information form a line identification database (LIDB).

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, which includes:

communicating a validating message on approval of the transaction if the validation process validates the subscriber line; and

routing processing of the transaction to a financial instrument gateway in the event of the validation process not validating the subscriber line.

10. A method of modifying a financial instrument record, the method including:

receiving transaction data entered into an electronic terminal connected via a communication line to a communication network;

obtaining a unique identifier associated with the communication line; and

combining the unique identifier and the transaction data to form a financial instrument record.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the financial instrument record is selected from the group including a credit card record and a debit card record.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, in which the financial instrument record is receivable by a Customer Management System.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, in which the communication line is a subscriber line and the unique identifier is a telephone number associated with the subscriber line.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, in which the telephone number replaces a financial instrument number in the financial instrument record.

15. A method of validating a transaction conducted using an electronic terminal connected via a communication line to an electronic network, the method including:

receiving a financial instrument record associated with the transaction;

extracting a unique identifier from the financial instrument record, the unique identifier being associated with the communication line; and

interrogating at least one database based on the unique identifier to obtain data associated with the communication line and selectively generating a validation status.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the unique identifier is a telephone number of a subscriber line and processor module retrieves information from a line identification database (LIDB).

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, in which charges for the transaction are included in an account associated with the subscriber line.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, which communicates a validating message on approval the transaction if the subscriber line is validated, and routes processing of the transaction to a financial card gateway in the event of the subscriber line is not validated.

19. A transaction processing system for processing a transaction between a vendor and an electronic terminal connected via a communication line to a communication network, the system including:

an application interface for providing a user, via the electronic terminal, with an option to select payment for the transaction from an account associated with the communication line, and receiving a user request entered into the terminal to process payment from the account; and

a modification module connected to the application interface, the modification module generating a record which includes a unique identifier associated with the communication line and communicating the record to a validation module which validates the transaction based on data associated with the unique identifier.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19, in which payment is routed to financial card gateway if the validation module invalidates the transaction.

21. A system as claimed in claim 19, in which the communication line is a subscriber line and the unique identifier is a telephone number associated with the subscriber line.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, which includes an automatic line identification (ANI) module automatically to identify the telephone number.

23. A system as claimed in claim 22, in which the validation module includes:

a telephone number extraction module for extracting a telephone number from the record, the telephone number defining the unique identifier; and

a processor module which interrogates at least one reference data base to obtain data associated with the telephone number and, in response thereto, generates a validation status.

24. A system as claimed in claim 22, in which the processor module interrogates a line identification database (LIDB).

25. A system as claimed in claim 22, in which the processor module validates the transaction if charges can be included in the account associated with the subscriber line, and invalidates the transaction if the charges cannot be included in the account.

26. A system as claimed in claim 23, which includes an exchange interface for interfacing the validation module to an accounting facility of a telecommunications company at which the account is held thereby automatically to include the charges for the transaction in the account.

27. A system as claimed in claim 19, in which the record is an industry standard financial instrument record.

28. A system as claimed in claim 27, in which the record is selected from the group including a credit card record and a debit card record.

29. A transaction processor interface for processing payment of a transaction, the interface including:

an application interface for providing a user with an option, via an electronic terminal, to select payment for the transaction from an account associated with a communication line to which the electronic terminal is connected, and for receiving a user request entered into the electronic terminal to process payment from the account; and

a modification module for creating a financial instrument record which includes a unique identifier associated with the communication line.

30. A transaction processor interface as claimed in claim 29, in which the communication line is a subscriber line and the account is a telephone account associated with the subscriber line.

31. A transaction processor interface as claimed in claim 30, which includes an automatic number identification (ANI) module to obtain a unique identifier in the form of a telephone number of the subscriber line.

32. A transaction processor interface as claimed in claim 29, which includes a communications module for communicating the financial instrument record to a validation module for validating the transaction based on data associated with the unique identifier.

33. A transaction processing interface as claimed in claim 29, in which the financial instrument record is selected from the group including a credit card record and a debit card record.

34. A transaction validation module for validating a transaction conducted using an electronic terminal connected via a communication line to an electronic network, the module including:

an extraction module for extracting a unique identifier from a financial instrument record associated with a transaction, the unique identifier being associated with the communication line; and

a processor module for interrogating at least one database based on the unique identifier to obtain data associated with the communication line and selectively generating a validation status.

35. A transaction validation module as claimed in claim 34, in which the unique identifier is a telephone number and the processor module retrieves the data form a line identification database (LIDB).

36. A transaction validation module as claimed in claim 35, in which charges for the transaction are included in an account associated with the communication line.

37. A transaction validation module as claimed in claim 34, which communicates a validating message on approval the transaction if the communication line is validated, and routes processing of the transaction to a financial card gateway if the communication line is not validated.

38. A computer program product including a medium readable by a processor, the medium carrying instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide a user with an option, via an electronic terminal, to select payment for a transaction from an account associated with a communication line to which the electronic terminal is connected;

receive a user request entered into the terminal to process payment from the account;

investigate data associated with the communication line; and

selectively approve the transaction dependent upon an outcome of the investigation.

39. A product as claimed in claim 38, in which the communication line is a subscriber line and the account is a telephone account associated with the subscriber line.

40. A product as claimed in claim 39, which includes identifying a telephone number of the subscriber line using automatic number identification (ANI) techniques.

41. A product as claimed in claim 39, which includes combining the telephone number and transaction data to form a financial instrument record.

42. A computer program product including a medium readable by a processor, the medium carrying instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive transaction data entered into an electronic terminal connected via a communication line to a communication network;

obtain a unique identifier associated with the communication line; and

combine the unique identifier and the transaction data to form a financial instrument record.

43. A product as claimed in claim 42, in which the financial instrument record is selected from the group including a credit card record and a debit card record.

44. A product as claimed in claim 42, in which the financial instrument record is receivable by an Internet-based Customer Management System.

45. A computer program product including a medium readable by a processor, the medium carrying instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a financial instrument record associated with a transaction conducted using an electronic terminal connected via a subscriber line connected to a communication network;

extract a unique identifier from the financial instrument record, the unique identifier being associated with the communication line; and

interrogate at least one database based on the unique identifier to obtain data associated with the unique identifier and selectively generate a validation status.

46. A product as claimed in claim 45, in which the unique identifier is a telephone number and the processor retrieves information form a line identification database (LIDB).

47. A method as claimed in claim 45, in which charges for the transaction are included in an account associated with the communication line.