PASSING PAYMENT TOKENS THROUGH AN HOP / SOP

• US 20130031006A1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCullagh, Niall, Cushley, Seamus
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, a computer-readable medium, servers and systems for enabling merchants to pass payment tokens, instead of actual payment information, to third party HOPs and SOPs. This, for example, enables a merchant to charge a consumer, such as on a recurring basis or for a one-off purchase, without having the consumer enter payment information each time and without the merchant actually having to handle payment information. As such, merchants can avoid costs and responsibilities associated with handling and storing consumer payment data, while at the same time it also gives merchants the benefit of engaging in purchase transactions with consumers without requiring that the consumers reenter payment data each time they want to make a purchase.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving order information and a request to create an account from a merchant, the order information associated with a purchase transaction between a user and the merchant, the account being for the purpose of storing payment information of the user at the merchant service provider;

rendering a hosted payment page on behalf of the merchant, the hosted payment page presenting to the user at least a portion of the order information and at least an input field into which the user may input the payment information;

receiving the payment information from the user;

processing the purchase transaction between the user and the merchant using the payment information;

creating an account for the user if the user does not already have an account;

tokenizing the payment information so as to create a payment token;

storing the payment information and the payment token in the account; and

sending a copy of the payment token to the merchant, the merchant being able to submit the payment token in future purchase transactions between the merchant and the user, thereby eliminating the need for the user to resubmit the payment information in future purchase transactions between the merchant and the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the merchant the copy of the payment token and a request to process a purchase transaction involving the user;

accessing the account of the user to obtain the payment token;

verifying that the copy of the payment token matches the payment token in the account of the user; and

using the payment information associated with the payment token in the account of the user to process the purchase transaction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a server of the merchant generates a hash of the order information and transmits the hash along with the order information.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

verifying the hash to ensure that the order information was not tampered with during transmission from the server of the merchant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein creating an account for the user, if the user does not already have an account, comprises:

determining whether the user already has an account.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

if it is determined that the user already has an account, updating the account with the payment information received from the user.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining hosted-payment-page configurations designated by the merchant, wherein the hosted payment page is rendered in accordance with the hosted-payment page configurations.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a merchant service provider, order information and a request to create an account from a merchant server of a merchant, the order information associated with a purchase transaction between a user and the merchant, the account being for the purpose of storing payment information of the user at the merchant service provider;

receiving, at the merchant service provider, payment information from the user who is engaging in the purchase transaction with the merchant, wherein the payment information is sent to the merchant service provider from a device associated with the user and wherein the payment information bypasses the merchant server;

creating, at the merchant service provider, an account for the user;

storing, at the merchant service provider, the payment information of the user in the account of the user;

tokenizing, at the merchant service provider, the payment information in the account of the user so as to create a payment token that represents the payment information of the user; and

transmitting, from the merchant service provider, a copy of the payment token to the merchant server.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, at the merchant service provider, from the merchant, the copy of the payment token and a request to process a purchase transaction involving the user;

accessing the account of the user to obtain the payment token;

verifying the copy of the payment token matches the payment token; and

using the payment information associated with the payment token in the account of the user to process the purchase transaction.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the merchant service provider is a hosted order page (HOP) service provider.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

rendering, at the HOP service provider, a hosted payment page on behalf of the merchant, the hosted payment page displaying at least a portion of the order information, the hosted payment page comprising a payment information entry section for collecting payment information from the user.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

obtaining, at the HOP service provider, hosted-payment-page configurations designated by the merchant, wherein the hosted payment page is rendered in accordance with the hosted-payment page configurations.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the payment information is received from the user via the payment information entry section of the hosted payment page.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the merchant server generates a hash of the order information and transmits the hash to the merchant service provider along with the order information.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

verifying, at the merchant service provider, the hash to ensure that the order information was not tampered with during transmission between the merchant server and the merchant service provider.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive from a merchant server of a merchant order information and a request to create an account, the order information associated with a purchase transaction between a user and the merchant, the account being for the purpose of storing payment information of the user at the merchant service provider;

receive payment information from the user who is engaging in the purchase transaction with the merchant, wherein the payment information is sent to the merchant service provider from a device associated with the user and wherein the payment information bypasses the merchant server;

create an account for the user;

store the payment information of the user in the account of the user;

tokenize the payment information in the account of the user so as to create a payment token that represents the payment information of the user; and

transmit a copy of the payment token to the merchant server.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

receive from the merchant the copy of the payment token and a request to process a purchase transaction involving the user;

access the account of the user to obtain the payment token;

verify the copy of the payment token matches the payment token; and

use the payment information associated with the payment token in the account of the user to process the purchase transaction.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

render a hosted payment page on behalf of the merchant, the hosted payment page displaying at least a portion of the order information, the hosted payment page comprising a payment information entry section for collecting payment information from the user.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

obtain hosted-payment-page configurations designated by the merchant, wherein the hosted payment page is rendered in accordance with the hosted-payment page configurations.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the payment information is received from the user via the payment information entry section of the hosted payment page.