METHOD FOR ANONYMOUS PURCHASE OF GOODS BY NOT PROVIDING IDENTIFYING INFORMATION TO A NON-HOST ENTITY

• US 20070185782A1
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Shooks, Analydia, Hibler, Kimberly
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 Anonymizing

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating the purchase of goods and services anonymously from an e-commerce website is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of transaction account numbers, each of which is associated with a monetary load value. The transaction account numbers are stored in a database having a plurality of records. Each of the records corresponds to one of the transaction account numbers. None of the records are configured to store identifying information of a purchaser of one of the transaction numbers. A request for an authorization of a purchase transaction having a purchase value is received from a remote computer terminal. The request is associated with a transaction account number. If the purchase value does not exceed the monetary value associated with the transaction account number, an authorization message is sent to the remote computer terminal granting the request.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating an anonymous purchase of an item from a remote computer terminal, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of transaction account numbers;

storing said plurality of transaction account numbers in a database of a host, said database having a plurality of records, each of said plurality of records corresponding to one of said plurality of transaction account numbers, wherein said plurality of records is configured to store identifying information of a purchaser of said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers and wherein said host is not configured to provide said identifying information to a non-host entity;

associating said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers with a monetary load value;

receiving from a remote computer terminal a request for an authorization of a purchase transaction having a purchase value, wherein said request is associated with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers;

comparing said purchase value to said monetary load value associated with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers to determine when said monetary load value exceeds said purchase value;

authorizing said request for an authorization of said purchase transaction;

subtracting said purchase value from said monetary load value to obtain a first updated monetary load value; and

associating said first updated monetary load value with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when said transmitted account number is not equal to said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers, sending a denial message denying said authorization request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when said purchase value exceeds said monetary value associated with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers, sending a denial message denying said purchase request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying information of a purchaser comprising at least one of a name, an address, a social security number, a credit card number, and a debit card number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of transaction account numbers is associated with an initial monetary value which is equal to zero at said generating step.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an account purchase request for a purchase of said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers;

and receiving a monetary load request for associating said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers with said monetary value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a monetary load request for increasing said monetary value by a reload monetary value, wherein said monetary load request is associated with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a monetary load request for increasing said monetary value by a reload monetary value, wherein said monetary load request is associated with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers, adding said monetary value and said reload monetary value to obtain a second updated monetary load value;

and associating said second updated monetary load value with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from a terminal remote from said database a balance inquiry, wherein said balance inquiry is associated with said one of said plurality of transaction account numbers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to a terminal remote from said database at least one of:

said monetary value and said first updated monetary value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a plurality of at least one of non-activated and activated transaction numbers.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting said transaction number to an active transaction number, wherein said transaction number is originally a non-activated transaction number.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing said purchase value of said purchase transaction via said e-commerce website, to said monetary value to send to said e-commerce website an authorization of said purchase transaction when said monetary load value exceeds said purchase value.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting authorization of at least one of said purchase request and a form of payment to at least one of said remote computer and said merchant.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting authorization of at least one of said purchase request and a form of payment to at least one of:

a point-of-sale terminal, a personal data assistant, and a personal computer.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to a purchaser a non-activated transaction account number stored on a transaction card for subsequent activation.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to a purchaser an activated transaction account number stored on a transaction card.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of transaction account numbers are not associated with an account of a merchant that distributes said transaction number.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating one of said plurality of transaction account numbers with a use parameter.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating one of said plurality of transaction account numbers with a use parameter, wherein said use parameter is at least one of:

a maximum number of transactions, a maximum number of transactions per day, a maximum per transaction amount, and a cardholder defined expiration date.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said monetary value is not co-mingled with monetary load values of other transaction accounts.