METHODS SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR VERIFYING CONSUMER IDENTITY DURING TRANSACTION

• US 20150106216A1
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Kenderov, Stoyan
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2282 Tablespace storage structures; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Computerized methods, systems and computer program products for determining how an identity of a consumer can be verified during a transaction involving the consumer and a merchant. Embodiments access and analyze data of an account the consumer has with an online social network to derive a challenge question response options. The social-network based challenge question and response options are presented to the consumer, and the consumer'"'"'s selection of certain response options is used to confirm that the consumer is the person named on a credit card or other payment instrument or that other identification or verification information should be requested by the merchant before completing the transaction.

Claims

15. The method of claim wherein the consumer did not select any of the challenge question, the valid response and the invalid response.

52. A system for providing a merchant with data for verifying an identity of a consumer that has tendered a payment card to purchase a good or service from a merchant during a first transaction, the system comprising an intermediate computer in communication through respective networks with a point of sale (POS) device of the merchant and a computer hosting an online social networking site and configured to receive a request by the POS device for data to be used to verify an identity of the consumer;

access or receive data of an account the consumer has with the online social networking site;

determine a challenge question and response options based at least in part upon the account data, the response options comprising a valid response that is a content item of the account and at least one invalid response; and

transmit the challenge question and the response options to the POS device for presentation to the consumer through the POS device to allow the consumer to select a response option to answer the challenge question and allow the merchant to verify the identify the consumer before the first transaction has been completed based at least in part upon whether the consumer selects the valid response.

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a merchant with data for verifying an identity of a consumer that has tendered a payment card to purchase a good or service from a merchant during a first transaction, the method being performed by an intermediate computer in communication through respective networks with a point of sale (POS) device of the merchant and a computer hosting an online social networking site, the method comprising:

receiving a request by the POS device for data to be used to verify an identity of the consumer;

accessing or receiving data of an account the consumer has with the online social networking site;

determining a challenge question and response options based at least in part upon the account data, the response options comprising a valid response that is a content item of the account and at least one invalid response; and

transmitting the challenge question and the response options to the POS device for presentation to the consumer through the POS device to allow the consumer to select a response option to answer the challenge question and allow the merchant to verify the identify the consumer before the first transaction has been completed based at least in part upon whether the consumer selects the valid response.

2. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer receiving the request by an in-store POS terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer receiving the request by a mobile communication device of the merchant executing a mobile payment application.

4. The method of claim 1, the online social networking site comprising a website that allows registered users to generate profiles from within the website and that reflect relationships or electronic social connections with other users of the website.

5. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer determining the challenge question and the response options in response to the request, wherein the challenge question and response options are not determined by the intermediate computer before receiving the request.

6. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer communicating with the computer hosting the online social networking site to access or retrieve data of the consumer'"'"'s account.

7. The method of claim 6, the intermediate computer communicating with the computer hosting the online social networking site in response to the request, after the first transaction has been initiated.

8. The method of claim 6, the intermediate computer communicating with the computer hosting the online social networking site before the request and before the first transaction has been initiated, the method further comprising the intermediate computer storing data of the consumer'"'"'s account.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the intermediate computer:

determining or receiving consumer data, and

presenting the consumer data to an interface to the online social networking site to access the consumer'"'"'s account with the online social networking site through the interface utilizing the consumer data.

10. The method of claim 9, the request comprising a name appearing on the payment card tendered by the consumer, the method further comprising the intermediate computer:

looking up the name in a database;

determining whether consumer data is associated with the name; and

when the intermediate computer determines consumer data associated with the name, accessing the consumer'"'"'s account utilizing the consumer data, else transmitting a message to the POS device that the intermediate computer was unable to verify the consumer'"'"'s identity or to request other data from the consumer for use in accessing the consumer'"'"'s account.

11. The method of claim 9, the consumer data comprising at least one of an electronic mail address and a phone number of the consumer associated with the name, wherein at least one of the electronic mail address and the phone number is included within or is linked to the consumer'"'"'s account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the challenge question and the valid response are not known by the intermediate computer and were not previously selected by the consumer before the intermediate computer receives the request.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer grants permission to the intermediate computer to access the consumer'"'"'s account with the online social networking site.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate computer has not provided the challenge question or any response option to the consumer before the first transaction has been initiated or before the request.

16. The method of claim 1, at least the challenge question and the valid response being dynamic such that different challenge questions and respective valid responses based at least in part upon respective data of the consumer'"'"'s account are determined by the intermediate computer for use during respective different transactions.

17. The method of claim 16, the intermediate computer being in communication with a POS device of a second merchant, wherein after the first transaction has been completed, the consumer tendered the payment card to purchase another good or service from a second merchant during a second transaction, the method further comprising the intermediate computer

receiving a request by the second POS device of the second merchant for data used to verify an identity of the consumer;

accessing or receiving data of the consumer'"'"'s account and determining a second challenge question and response options for the second challenge question based at least in part upon the data of the consumer'"'"'s account, the response options for the second challenge question comprising at least one valid response and at least one invalid response; and

transmitting the second challenge question and the response options for the second challenge question to the second POS device for presentation to the consumer through the second POS device to allow the consumer to select a response option to answer the second challenge question and to allow the second merchant to verify the identify the consumer before the second transaction has been completed based at least in part upon whether the consumer selects the valid response to the second challenge question.

18. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer being in communication with a POS device of a second merchant, wherein after the first transaction has been completed, the consumer tendered the same or other payment card to purchase another good or service from a second merchant during a second transaction, the method further comprising the intermediate computer

receiving a request by the second POS device of the second merchant for data used to verify an identity of the consumer;

accessing or receiving data of an account the consumer has with a second online social networking site different from the first online social networking site and determining a second challenge question and response options for the second challenge question based at least in part upon the data of the consumer'"'"'s account with the second online social networking site, the response options for the second challenge question comprising at least one valid response and at least one invalid response; and

transmitting the second challenge question and the response options for the second challenge question to the second POS device for presentation to the consumer through the second POS device to allow the consumer to select a response option to answer the second challenge question and to allow the second merchant to verify the identify the consumer before the second transaction has been completed based at least in part upon whether the consumer selects the valid response to the second challenge question.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second challenge question is different from the first challenge question, and the response options for the first challenge question are different from the response options for the second challenge question.

20. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer being in communication with multiple computers hosting respective different online social networking sites at which the consumer has respective accounts, further comprising the intermediate computer determining which online social networking site of respective online social networking sites should be utilized for determining the challenge question and response options.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein an online social network site that includes the most recent online activity by the consumer is utilized to determine at least the challenge question and the valid response.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein an online social networking site having the most consumers as account holders and that are also registered with the intermediate computer is selected to determine at least the challenge question and the valid response.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein a first account the consumer has with a first online social networking site is used to determine a first challenge question and response options for the first challenge question for a first pre-determined number of transactions, and a second account the consumer has with a second online social networking site is used to determine a second challenge question and response options for the second challenge question for a second pre-determined number of transactions.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein a first account the consumer has with a first online social networking site is used to determine a first challenge question and response options for the first challenge question for transactions initiated during a first period of time, and a second account the consumer has with a second online social networking site is used to determine a second challenge question and response options for the second options for transactions initiated during a second period of time.

25. The method of claim 20, the intermediate computer alternating between different accounts the consumer has with different online social networking sites to determine respective challenge questions and respective response options.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one response option for the challenge question is determined from a first account the consumer has with a first online social networking site, and at least one other response option for the challenge question is determined from a second account the consumer has with a second online social networking site.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising the intermediate computer aggregating data of multiple accounts the consumer has at respective online social networking sites and determining at least the challenge question and at least one valid response based at least in part upon aggregated data.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein verification of the consumer'"'"'s identity is based at least in part upon the consumer answering a single challenge question with the valid response to that single challenge question.

29. The method of claim 28, the intermediate computer determining multiple challenge questions and respective response options and transmitting the multiple challenge questions and respective response options to the point of sale device, wherein verification of the consumer'"'"'s identity is based at least in part upon the consumer answering multiple challenge questions with respective valid responses.

30. The method of claim 1, the valid response being selected from the consumer'"'"'s account, and at least one invalid response is selected from another account of another user of the online social networking site.

31. The method of claim 30, the at least one invalid response being selected from an account of another user of the social network that is not an online social connection of the consumer.

32. The method of claim 30, the at least one invalid response being selected from an account of another user of the social network that is not an online social connection of the consumer but that is an online social connection of one of the consumer'"'"'s online social connections.

33. The method of claim 30, the at least one invalid response being selected from an account of another user of the online social networking service that is not an online social connection of the consumer and the other user is separated from the consumer within the online social networking site by at least a pre-determined minimum degree of separation.

34. The method of claim 33, the consumer and the other user being separated from each other by at least three degrees of separation.

35. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer determining or selecting at least one invalid response utilizing data outside of the online social network site.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the intermediate computer:

executing an internet search independently of the social networking site; and

selecting a content item identified by the internet search as an invalid response.

37. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer determining or selecting a content item of the consumer'"'"'s account as the valid response option based at least in part upon when online activity within the consumer'"'"'s account occurred or when that content item was created or posted to the account.

38. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer:

selecting the content item of the consumer'"'"'s account as the valid response;

determining data associated with the selected content item, and

deriving the challenge question based at least in part upon the associated data.

39. The method of claim 1, the response options comprising photographs, wherein at least one photograph is selected by the intermediate computer from the consumer'"'"'s account as the valid response option, and at least one photograph is selected by the intermediate computer from a source other than the consumer'"'"'s account as an invalid response.

40. The method of claim 39, the photograph selected as the valid response option comprising a photograph taken by the consumer and posted to the consumer'"'"'s account.

41. The method of claim 39, the photograph selected as the valid response option comprising a photograph in which the consumer is tagged, wherein the consumer or an online connection of the consumer tagged the consumer in the selected photograph.

42. The method of claim 1, the response options comprising data of or identifying audio or video files, wherein at least one audio or video file is selected by the intermediate computer from the consumer'"'"'s account as the valid response option, and at least one audio or video file is selected by the intermediate computer from a source other than the consumer'"'"'s account as an invalid response.

43. The method of claim 42, an audio or video file being selected as the valid response based at least in part upon at least one of how recently the audio or video file was purchased or viewed and a frequency with which the audio or video file is played.

44. The method of claim 1, response options comprising electronic check-in data, wherein a location at which the consumer electronically checked in using a mobile communication device is selected as the valid response.

45. The method of claim 1, response options comprising a first type of content item and a second type of content item different from the first type of content item.

46. The method of claim 1, response options comprising names, at least one name being online social network connection of the consumer and selected as the valid response, and at least one other name is not an online social network connection of the consumer.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment card tendered by the consumer is a credit card.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the intermediate computer is also in communication with a computer of an issuer of the credit card, the method further comprising the intermediate computer:

communicating with a computer of an issuer of the credit card in response to the request;

receiving authorization data generated by the issuer computer; and

transmitting the authorization data to the point of sale device.

49. The method of claim 48, the authorization data, the challenge question and the response options being transmitted together by the intermediate computer to the point of sale device.

50. The method of claim 48, the authorization data indicating that the credit card has been authorized for the transaction, wherein the transaction is not completed based at least in part upon the consumer failing to select the valid response in response to the challenge question.

51. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer determining the challenge question and response options in response to the request and while the consumer is waiting at the point of sale device.

53. The system of claim 52, further comprising the POS device.

54. The system of claim 52, further comprising the POS device and the computer hosting the online social networking site.

53-1. The system of claim 52, further comprising the computer hosting the online social networking site.

55. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying one or more instructions executable by an intermediate computer, in communication through respective networks with a point of sale (POS) device of a merchant and a computer hosting an online social networking site, to perform a process for providing a merchant with data for verifying an identity of a consumer that has tendered a payment card to purchase a good or service from a merchant during a first transaction, the process comprising:

receiving a request by the POS device for data to be used to verify an identity of the consumer;

accessing or receiving data of an account the consumer has with the online social networking site;

determining a challenge question and response options based at least in part upon the account data, the response options comprising a valid response that is a content item of the account and at least one invalid response; and

transmitting the challenge question and the response options to the POS device for presentation to the consumer through the POS device to allow the consumer to select a response option to answer the challenge question and allow the merchant to verify the identify the consumer before the first transaction has been completed based at least in part upon whether the consumer selects the valid response.