Reuse of an EBP account through alternate althentication

• US 20050119971A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zito, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A technique for accessing an electronic commerce service is provided in which information associated with a subscriber'"'"'s account with an electronic commerce service is stored along with first subscriber credentials for that subscriber to access the services. An account is created during enrollment. The enrollment is associated with a first electronic commerce participant, i.e., a biller or a payee. A request for the subscriber to access an electronic commerce service in association with a second electronic commerce participant is received. Without the subscriber, or any other entity providing the credentials, the subscriber is granted access to the requested service utilizing the account established in association with the first participant. This access is granted based upon the subscriber providing information other than credentials, the provided information being information stored by the service provider in association with the enrollment.

Claims

1. A method for accessing an electronic commerce service, comprising:

storing subscriber enrollment information associated with a subscriber enrollment for a first electronic commerce service of a service provider, the enrollment associated with a first electronic commerce participant, the stored enrollment information associated with an account with the service provider and including subscriber identifying information and subscriber credentials to access at least the first electronic commerce service, and the stored subscriber credentials being one of subscriber-first participant specific credentials and subscriber-service provider credentials;

receiving, via an interface associated with a second electronic commerce participant, a request to access a second electronic commerce service of the service provider, the second participant being different than the first participant and the second electronic commerce service being one of the same as the first electronic commerce service or different than the first electronic commerce service;

determining that subscriber credentials known to the service provider are not included in the received request;

transmitting, responsive to the determination, an alternate authentication query to the subscriber requesting, at the option of the subscriber, one of subscriber-service provider credentials and subscriber identifying information;

receiving, from the subscriber, the subscriber identifying information responsive to the query;

matching the received subscriber identifying information with the stored subscriber identifying information to identify the account; and

granting the payor access to the second electronic commerce service based upon the identification of the account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a first request, and further comprising:

receiving, prior to receiving the first request and via an interface associated with the first electronic commerce participant, a second request to access the first electronic commerce service;

determining that the subscriber is not enrolled subsequent to the receipt of the second request; and

enrolling the subscriber responsive to the determination that the subscriber is not enrolled;

wherein the stored subscriber identifying information is subscriber identifying information received during enrollment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the alternate authentication query is a first query, and further comprising:

determining that subscriber credentials known to the service provider are not included in the received second request;

transmitting a second alternate authentication query to the subscriber, responsive to the determination that known subscriber credentials are not included in the received second request, requesting, at the option of the subscriber, one of subscriber-service provider credentials and subscriber identifying information;

receiving, from the subscriber, the subscriber identifying information responsive to the second query; and

determining that the subscriber identifying information received responsive to the second query is not stored;

wherein the determination that the subscriber is not enrolled is made responsive to the determination that the subscriber identifying information received responsive to the second query is not stored; and

wherein the stored subscriber identifying information is the subscriber identifying information received responsive to the second query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored subscriber credentials are first subscriber credentials, the received request includes second subscriber credentials unknown to the service provider and is a first request, the second subscriber credentials are subscriber-second participant specific credentials, and further comprising:

storing the second subscriber credentials in association with the account based upon the matching;

receiving, subsequent to the storage of the second subscriber credentials, a second request to access the second electronic commerce service, the second request including the second subscriber credentials;

matching the second subscriber credentials included in the second request with the stored second subscriber credentials to identify the account; and

granting the subscriber access to the second electronic commerce service based upon the based upon the identification of the account and without transmitting another alternate authentication query.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the stored subscriber credentials to the subscriber based upon the matching.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored subscriber credentials are first subscriber credentials, and further comprising:

generating second subscriber credentials to access the second electronic commerce service based upon the matching, the generated second subscriber credentials being subscriber-service provider credentials; and

storing the generated second subscriber credentials in association with the account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the matched subscriber identifying information includes at least one of i) information identifying a funding account associated with the subscriber, and ii) an email address associated with the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service provider generates the stored subscriber credentials, and further comprising:

transmitting the stored subscriber credentials to the first participant.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a transaction history interface to the subscriber, the transmitted transaction history interface including information associated with electronic commerce transactions involving at least two electronic commerce participants.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface associated with the second electronic commerce participant does not identify the service provider.

11. A database storing information associated with a single subscriber account with an electronic commerce service provider on a medium, comprising:

enrollment information associated with a subscriber;

first subscriber credentials for utilizing the account stored in association with the enrollment information, the first subscriber credentials associated with a first electronic commerce participant and identifying the subscriber;

second subscriber credentials for utilizing the account stored in association with enrollment information, the second subscriber credentials associated with a second electronic commerce participant and identifying the subscriber, the second participant being different than the first participant.

12. The database of claim 11, further comprising:

third subscriber credentials for utilizing the account stored in association with the enrollment information, the third subscriber credentials identifying the subscriber and not associated with any electronic commerce participant.

13. A system for processing a payment request by a service provider, comprising:

a memory configured to store subscriber enrollment information associated with a subscriber enrollment for a first electronic commerce service of a service provider, the enrollment associated with a first electronic commerce participant, the stored enrollment information associated with an account with the service provider and including subscriber identifying information and subscriber credentials to access at least the first electronic commerce service, and the stored subscriber credentials being one of subscriber-first participant specific credentials and subscriber-service provider credentials; and

a processor configured to i) receive, via an interface associated with a second electronic commerce participant, a request to access a second electronic commerce service of the service provider, the second participant being different than the first participant and the second electronic commerce service being one of the same as the first electronic commerce service or different than the first electronic commerce service, ii) determine that subscriber credentials known to the service provider are not included in the received request, iii) cause transmission, responsive to the determination, of an alternate authentication query to the subscriber requesting, at the option of the subscriber, one of subscriber-service provider credentials and subscriber identifying information iv) receive, from the subscriber, the subscriber identifying information responsive to the query, v) match the received subscriber identifying information with the stored subscriber identifying information to identify the account, and vi) grant the payor access to the second electronic commerce service based upon the identification of the account.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the request is a first request;

the processor is further configured to i) receive, prior to receiving the first request and via an interface associated with the first electronic commerce participant, a second request to access the first electronic commerce service, ii) determine that the subscriber is not enrolled subsequent to receipt of the second request, and iii) enroll the subscriber responsive to the determination that the subscriber is not enrolled; and

the stored subscriber identifying information is subscriber identifying information received during enrollment.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the alternate authentication query is a first query;

the processor is further configured to i) determine that subscriber credentials known to the service provider are not included in the received second request, ii) cause transmission of a second alternate authentication query to the subscriber responsive to the determination that known subscriber credentials are not included in the received second request, iii) receive, from the subscriber, the subscriber identifying information responsive to the second query, and iv) determine that the subscriber identifying information received responsive to the second query is not stored;

the subscriber is enrolled responsive to the determination that the subscriber identifying information is not stored; and

the stored subscriber identifying information is subscriber identifying information received responsive to the second query.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the stored subscriber credentials are first subscriber credentials;

the received request includes second subscriber credentials unknown to the service provider;

the second subscriber credentials are subscriber-second participant specific credentials;

the memory is further configured to store the second subscriber credentials;

the processor is further configured to i) receive, subsequent to the storage of the second subscriber credentials, another request to access the second electronic commerce service, the other request including the second subscriber credentials, ii) match the second subscriber credentials included in the other request with the stored second subscriber credentials to identify the account, and iii) grant the subscriber access to the requested electronic commerce service based upon the based upon the identification of the account and without transmitting another alternate authentication query.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the stored subscriber credentials and cause transmission of the stored subscriber credentials to the subscriber based upon the matching.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the stored subscriber credentials are first subscriber credentials;

the memory is further configured to stored second subscriber credentials; and

the processor is further configured to generate the second subscriber credentials to access the second electronic commerce service based upon the matching, the generated second subscriber credentials being subscriber-service provider credentials.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the matched subscriber identifying information includes at least one of i) information identifying a funding account associated with the subscriber, and ii) an email address associated with the subscriber.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a transaction history interface to the subscriber, the transmitted transaction history interface including information associated with electronic commerce transactions involving at least two electronic commerce participants.