Method and apparatus for secure online transactions

• US 7,200,577 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marshall, John, Rawat, Jai, Zissimopoulos, Vasileios “Bill”
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh; Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US10/137,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 705 64- 67, 705/70, 705 74- 79, 705 40- 42, 705/44, 705/72, 726/35, 726/5, 726 7- 10, 713182-186
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1025 Identification of user by a PIN code

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing secure online transactions provides a user interface that is intuitive and easily to understand. The invention integrates an online wallet service with credit card issuers that provide online credit card authentication services. The method provides a keypad interface for PIN entry, or an interface that resembles an offline transaction receipt. The apparatus that stores personal information and credit card information uses a level-two authentication password to protect the user'"'"'s credit card information. The invention integrates with the credit card issuer when a personal identification number is required for the user to perform online transactions by the credit card issuer. The embodiments include integrations when the level-two authentication password is equivalent to the personal identification number and that when they or not equivalent.

Claims

1. An online transaction method comprising the steps of:

registering, by a user, to a merchant through a wallet service by providing said user'"'"'s personal and credit card information, wherein said step of registering at a site of said merchant further comprises the steps of;

starting, by said user, to add a credit card to said wallet;

said wallet contacting a credit card issuer over a network and checking whether said credit card issuer provides online enrollment of additional online authentication;

said wallet asking said user to opt into online credit card authentication from said credit card issuer;

performing a step from a group of steps consisting of;

storing said credit card into said wallet when said user does not opt in; and

notifying said credit card issuer when the user does opt in;

the user providing a first level authentication to said merchant when said user logs on to start a transaction;

shopping, by said user, at a site of said merchant;

starting check out from said site of said merchant;

entering, by said user, a level-two authentication password;

authenticating, by said wallet, said user using said level-two authentication password; and

completing check out at said site of said merchant using a credit card enrolled in said wallet.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

notifying said credit card issuer if said user opts in online credit card authentication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of registering at a site of said credit card issuer further comprises the steps of:

navigating, by said user, to said site of said credit card issuer;

asking, by said issuer, said user to login using said wallet service; and

enrolling said credit card without need to create any PIN if said user has already registered to said wallet and has already created said level-two authentication password.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

creating said level-two authentication password if said user has not yet created said level-two authentication password; and

using said level-two authentication password as personal identification number to enroll said credit card with said credit card issuer.

5. An online transaction method comprising the steps of:

registering, by a user, to a merchant through a wallet service by providing his personal and credit card information;

said user adding a credit card to said wallet;

said wallet contacting a credit card issuer over a network and checking whether said credit card issuer provides online enrollment of additional online authentication;

said wallet asking said user to opt into online credit card authentication from said credit card issuer;

performing a step from a group of steps consisting of;

storing said credit card into said wallet when said user does not opt in; and

notifying said credit card issuer when the user does opt in;

the user providing a first level authentication to said merchant when said user logs on to start a transaction;

shopping, by said user, at a site of said merchant;

starting, by said user, check out from said site of said merchant;

entering, by said user, a level-two authentication password;

selecting, by said user, a credit card from said wallet;

figuring out, by said wallet, whether said credit card authentication by a credit card issuer can be performed;

authenticating, by said wallet, said user using said level-two authentication password if said credit card authentication by said credit card issuer can not be performed; and

completing, by said user, check out at said site of said merchant.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

entering, by said user, a personal identification number; and

redirecting, by said wallet, said user to said credit card issuer for authentication using said personal identification number.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

redirecting said user to said credit card issuer for creation of said personal identification number if said user opts in online credit card authentication.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of registering at a site of said credit card issuer further comprising the steps of:

navigating, by said user, to said site of said credit card issuer;

creating, by said user, said personal identification number to enroll said credit card; and

enrolling, by said user, into said wallet and creating said level-two authentication password if he has not yet enrolled into said wallet.

9. An apparatus for performing online transactions comprising:

means for registering a user to a merchant;

means for providing personal information and credit card information of the user;

means for providing a level-one authentication password;

means for providing a level-two authentication password;

wherein said level-two authentication password is equivalent to said personal identification number,

means for storing said personal information and said credit card information of the user;

means for creating said level-one authentication password;

means for creating said level-two authentication password;

a first level authentication means for authenticating the user to said merchant to access said personal information by the user, wherein the user provides authentication information to said merchant;

a second level authentication means for authenticating the user to said merchant using said level-two authentication password to access said credit card information; and

means for determining whether a credit card issuer requires a personal identification number for online use of said credit card information; and

means for using use said level-two authentication password as personal identification number to enroll said credit card with said credit card issuer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said level-two authentication password is not equivalent to said personal identification number.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said personal identification number is required to authenticate online use of said credit card information by said credit card issuer, further comprising:

a graphical interface for said user to provide said personal identification number; and

a module for redirecting said user to said credit card issuer for authentication using said personal identification number.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a module for redirecting said user to said credit card issuer for personal identification number creation if said user opts in online credit card authentication.