Order file processes for purchasing on the internet using verified order information

• US 7,006,986 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eCardless Bancorp Ltd.
• Original Assignee: eCardless Bancorp Ltd.
• Inventors: Sines, Randy D., Gregory, Randy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAQ, NAEEM U
• Application Number:
  US09/669,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• 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 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Methods for purchasing of goods or services over the internet. A customer has a customer account set up at a bank with associated account information. The account information includes verification information for verification parameters, such as authorized computer identification, authorized delivery addresses, authorized user identification, authorized telephone caller identification, and/or other account information. An order is placed by a user via an ordering computer which provides order information. Such order information includes verification variables used by the bank. Verification and/or authentication using one or more variables of the customer account information is used by the bank to validate the order before assuring payment to the merchant.

Claims

1. A method for purchasing over the internet by a customer using a merchant having an internet site at which the merchant offers goods and/or services;

and wherein a bank authorizes the purchase in association with a customer account and assures payment to the merchant, comprising;

communicating between a customer computer used by a customer user and a merchant computer via the internet;

assembling order information for a customer order using the merchant computer and customer computer during said communicating step, said assembling step including a plurality of available order variables;

building a customer order file which contains a plurality of customer order variables;

building a merchant order file which does not include all of said plurality of customer order variables, such that the merchant has incomplete order information;

said communicating and said assembling steps being performed without communicating a customer account number or similar customer account identification via the internet which may be used to make fraudulent charges against the customer account;

assigning a transaction identifier during said building a customer order file and said building a merchant order file;

said transaction identifier not being useful for making other transactions against the customer account;

communicating between the customer computer and bank computer via the internet involving the customer order file;

conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and customer computer to verify the authenticity of the customer user as acceptable for conducting transactions against said customer account;

communicating between the customer computer and bank computer via the internet to provide customer order variables not provided to the merchant in said building a merchant order file;

authorizing by the customer computer to the bank computer a purchase transaction based upon said customer order information and including said transaction identifier, merchant identification and at least a plurality of customer order variables;

communicating between the bank computer and the merchant computer via the internet with the bank computer providing a plurality of said order variables which are not included in the merchant order file;

providing in said communicating between the bank computer and the merchant computer customer order variables needed by the merchant to proceed with merchant processing of the customer order;

assuring payment from the bank computer to said merchant computer via the internet using said transaction identification and without using any customer account number or identifier which can be used to transact business using the customer account.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and customer computer involves using at least one verification or authentication field which changes with each transaction.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and the customer computer via the internet involves using plural verification or authentication fields at least one of which changes with each transaction conducted by the customer.

4. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and merchant computer via the internet using plural verification or authentication fields at least one of which changes with each transaction.

5. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and merchant computer via the internet using plural verification or authentication fields, a plurality of such verification or authentication fields changing with each transaction.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the customer computer performs by assigning the transaction identifier.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the merchant computer performs by assigning the transaction identifier.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the merchant computer and customer computer both perform in assigning the transaction identifier.

9. A method for purchasing by a customer using a merchant having an internet site at which the merchant offers goods and/or services;

and wherein a bank authorizes the purchase in association with a customer account and assures payment to the merchant, comprising;

communicating between a customer computer used by a customer user and a merchant computer via the internet;

assembling order information associated with a customer order using the merchant computer and customer computer during said communicating step;

assigning a transaction identifier during said communicating or said assembling steps to identify said order, said transaction identifier not being useful for making other transactions against the customer account;

conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and customer computer via the internet to verify the authenticity of the customer computer and customer user as acceptable for conducting transactions against said customer account;

communicating between the customer computer and bank computer via the internet involving a plurality of order variables;

communicating between the bank computer and the merchant computer via the internet, said communicating between the bank computer and the merchant computer including a plurality of order variables not previously known to the merchant computer, to thereby allow the merchant to fulfill or reject the order;

providing assurance of payment information between the bank computer and merchant computer via the internet to decline or complete the purchase transaction having said transaction identifier.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of conducting an identification inquiry involves using at least one verification or authentication field which changes with each transaction conducted by the customer.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of conducting an identification inquiry involves using at least one verification or authentication field which changes with each transaction conducted by the customer.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of conducting an identification inquiry involves using plural verification or authentication fields at least one of which changes with each transaction conducted by the customer.

13. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of conducting an identification inquiry involves using plural verification or authentication fields a plurality of such verification or authentication fields changing with each transaction conducted by the customer.

14. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of conducting an identification inquiry involves using at least one verification or authentication field which changes with each transaction.

15. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of conducting an identification inquiry involves using plural verification or authentication fields at least one of which changes with each transaction.

16. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of conducting an identification inquiry involves using plural verification or authentication fields a plurality of such verification or authentication fields changing with each transaction.

17. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and merchant computer using at least one verification or authentication fields.

18. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising conducting an identification inquiry between the bank computer and merchant computer using plural verification or authentication fields a plurality of such verification or authentication fields changing with each transaction.

19. A method according to claim 9 wherein the customer computer performs by assigning the transaction identifier.

20. A method according to claim 9 wherein the merchant computer performs by assigning the transaction identifier.

21. A method according to claim 9 wherein the merchant computer and customer computer both perform in assigning the transaction identifier.