METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING MICROPAYMENT TRANSACTIONS

• US 20080091619A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perlman, Jeffrey W., Storey, Gregory, Kearney, Michael J., Lee, Timothy M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,335,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

Methods and systems for performing micropayment transactions over communication networks is provided. These methods and systems enable ubiquitous micropayments by providing a seemless payment solution in which micropayment is one of a plurality of payments facilitated. In an embodiment, the transaction value may be compared to a predefined threshold, and processed as a micropayment if said value is less than said threshold, and otherwise processed using a second processing system. In another embodiment, the transaction may be processed as a micropayment if the payee has previously been verified by the micropayment processing system. In a third embodiment, the transaction takes place using the payee'"'"'s website.

Claims

1. A method of processing a micropayment transaction between a payer and a payee, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request for access to an item and a payer identifier from the payee;

(b) requesting and verifying the payer'"'"'s identity;

(c) determining whether one or more pre-defined account parameters are satisfied, wherein the parameters pertain to an account associated with the payer identifier;

(d) if so, determining whether a required value for accessing the item is less than a pre-defined threshold;

(e) if so, determining whether an account associated with the payer identifier contains funds greater than or equal to the required value; and

(f) if so, permitting access to the item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) involves the use of a password.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the payee has no access to said payer identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined threshold is associated with said payee and said payer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined account parameters comprise one or more of payee value limits, total value limits, time limitations, or whether the payee has been blocked.

6. A method of processing a micropayment transaction between an secondary payer and a payee, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request for access to an item and a secondary payer identifier from the payee;

(b) requesting and verifying said secondary payer'"'"'s identity;

(c) determining whether one or more pre-defined account parameters are satisfied, wherein;

(i) the parameters pertain to an account associated with the secondary payer identifier,

(ii) the account is primarily associated with a primary payer, and

(iii) one or more of the parameters apply only to the secondary payer;

(d) if so, determining whether a required value for accessing the item is less than a pre-defined threshold;

(e) if so, determining whether an account associated with the secondary payer identifier contains funds greater than or equal to the required value; and

(f) if so, permitting access to the item.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) involves the use of a password.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said pre-defined threshold is associated with said payee and said secondary payer.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said pre-defined threshold is associated with said secondary payer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said primary payer is a parent or guardian, and said secondary payer is a child.

11. A method of processing a transaction between a payer and a trusted payee, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request for payment authorization and a token from the trusted payee, wherein said token is associated with said payer;

(b) verifying the token; and

(c) transmitting a payment authorization response to the trusted payee.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said transaction is a micropayment.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said token is encrypted.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said token is not decryptable by the payee.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the payer has previously registered, and wherein no identifying information is transmitted.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said token is associated with a single trusted payee.

17. A method of processing a transaction, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction value for a transaction;

comparing the transaction value with a predefined threshold;

if the transaction value is less than the predefined threshold, processing the transaction using a first payment processing system; and

if the transaction value is greater than the predefined threshold, processing the transaction using a second payment processing system.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first payment processing system comprises a micropayment processing system.

19. A method by which a trusted payee may engage in a transaction with a registered payer, the method comprising:

receiving information pertaining to said transaction from said payer, said information not relating to the identity of said payer;

retrieving the payer'"'"'s profile from amongst a plurality of payer profiles;

retrieving a token from said payer'"'"'s profile;

transmitting information relating to said token and information pertaining to said transaction to a payment processing system; and

receiving a payment authorization from said payment processing system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said transaction is a micropayment.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said token is encrypted.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said token cannot be decrypted by said payee.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said token is provided by the payment processing system to the payee during a payer registration process.