METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING MERCHANTS TO SHARE TOKENS

• US 20120265631A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shift4 Corporation (Shift4 Payments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Shift4 Corporation (Shift4 Payments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cronic, Kevin, Sommers, Steve, Oder, JD. II, Oder, J. David, Calandrelli, Steven, Fried, Jeremy B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system and associated processes for sharing cardholder data (CHD) between a merchant that utilizes tokenization and a second merchant that may or may not utilize tokenization. In one embodiment, the merchant, or an employee of the merchant, can use the system and associated processes to reacquire CHD from a tokenization provider system. In one embodiment, the merchant identifies to the tokenization provider system a desire to share CHD, which is associated with a token, with a second merchant. The merchant and/or the tokenization provider system can then invite the second merchant to register with the tokenization provider system. Once registered with the tokenization provider system, the second merchant can access any CHD that the merchant associated with the second merchant.

Claims

1. A system for sharing cardholder data, the system comprising:

a tokenization system configured to;

receive cardholder data (CHD) of a customer from a first merchant;

associate a token with the CHD in physical computer storage to thereby enable the token to be used to represent the CHD; and

electronically transmit the token to the first merchant so as to enable the first merchant to perform a first transaction for the customer without having to store the CHD; and

a token-access granting system comprising computer hardware, the token-access granting system configured to;

receive an indication from the first merchant that one or more of the token and the CHD are to be shared with a second merchant; and

in response to receiving the indication, authorize the second merchant to access one or more of the token and the CHD, thereby enabling the second merchant to perform a second transaction for the customer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the token-access granting system is further configured to:

generate an authorization factor;

associate the authorization factor with one or more of the token and the CHD;

associate the authorization factor with the second merchant; and

provide the authorization factor to the second merchant.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the authorization factor can comprise one or more of a word, a number, an image, a sound, and a challenge.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the authorization factor can be either random or pseudo-random.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein providing the authorization factor to the second merchant comprises providing an expected authorization factor response to the second merchant.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a token provisioning system configured to:

authenticate the second merchant;

receive a second authorization factor from the second merchant;

determine whether the second authorization factor matches the authorization factor; and

in response to determining that the second merchant is authenticated and that the second authorization factor matches the authorization factor, providing the second merchant with access to one or more of the token and the CHD.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein providing access to one or more of the token and the CHD comprises enabling the second merchant to retrieve the CHD.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a transaction system configured to:

access a transaction request associated with the second transaction; and

perform the second transaction on behalf of the second merchant and the customer in response to the token provisioning system providing the second merchant with access to one or more of the token and the CHD.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein authenticating the second merchant can comprise determining whether the second merchant is authorized to provide the second authorization factor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the token-access granting system is further configured to remove authorization from the second merchant to access one or more of the token and the CHD.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a registration system configured to register the second merchant.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the registration system is further configured to:

determine whether the second merchant is registered with the tokenization system; and

in response to determining that the second merchant is unregistered, initiating registration of the second merchant with the tokenization system.

13. A method for sharing a token associated with cardholder data in a tokenization provider system to enable the sharing of cardholder data between users, the method comprising:

by a token access system implemented in a computing system comprising one or more processors;

generating a first set of words;

associating the first set of words with a token, wherein the token is associated with cardholder data (CHD) in a tokenization provider system;

associating, in computer memory of the token access system, the first set of words with a user;

providing access to the first set of words to the user;

receiving user authentication information associated with the user;

receiving a second set of words from the user;

determining whether the user is authorized to use the token by at least authenticating the user based, at least in part, on the user authentication information, and determining whether the second set of words matches the first set of words; and

in response to determining that the user is authorized to use the token, providing the user with electronic access to the token.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of words and the second set of words can comprise one or more words.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining that the user is authorized to use the token further comprises determining whether the user is authorized to provide the second set of words.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein providing access to the token further comprises providing access to the CHD associated with the token.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing access to the CHD further comprises retrieving the CHD from the tokenization provider system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein providing access to the CHD further comprises authorizing the user to retrieve the CHD from the tokenization provider system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein providing access to the CHD further comprises:

accessing a transaction request associated with the user; and

providing the token and the transaction request to the tokenization provider system, wherein the tokenization provider system performs a transaction associated with the transaction request.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising disassociating the first set of words with the token in response to a predefined event.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising registering the user with the token access system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein associating the first set of words with the user further comprises:

determining if the user is registered with the token access system;

determining if the user is authorized to access sets of words; and

in response to determining that the user is registered with the token access system and is authorized to access the sets of words, associating the first set of words with the user.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining a relationship between tokens and a number of sets of CHD for at least a thousand users.

24. A system for sharing cardholder data, the system comprising:

a token acquisition system configured to;

provide cardholder data (CHD) of a customer to a tokenization provider system; and

receive electronically a token associated with the CHD so as to enable a first merchant associated with the token acquisition system to perform a first transaction for the customer without having to store the CHD; and

a token sharing system configured to provide to the tokenization provider system an indication that one or more of the token and the CHD are to be shared with a second merchant, thereby enabling the second merchant to perform a second transaction for the customer.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the token sharing system is further configured to:

generate an authorization factor;

provide the authorization factor to the tokenization provider system to associate with the second merchant and one or more of the token and the CHD; and

provide the authorization factor to the second merchant.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the token sharing system is further configured to indicate to the tokenization provider system to remove authorization for the second merchant to access one or more of the token and the CHD.