Universal merchant platform for payment authentication

• US 8,140,429 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CardinalCommerce Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CardinalCommerce Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Balasubramanian, Chandra S., Sherwin, Francis M., Keresman, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apple, Kirsten
• Application Number:
  US12/720,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• 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 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A method is provided for supporting processing of a transaction conducted between a first party and a second party. The first party accepts payment via a plurality of different payment options selectable by the second party, and the plurality of different payment options are associated with a plurality of different authentication protocols prescribed therefor. The method includes: receiving payment information over a communications network at a server operatively connected to the communications network, the payment information identifying a particular payment option used by the second party for the transaction, and the server being equipped to format and route messages over the communications network in different manners to accommodate the plurality of different authentication protocols; determining from the payment information received at the server which of the different authentication protocols is prescribed for the type of payment option identified in the payment information; selecting, in accordance with the determination, a particular authentication protocol from the plurality of different authentication protocols supported by the server; and, obtaining an authentication determination for the transaction in accordance with the selected authentication protocol, including formatting messages and routing the formatted messages over the communications network in accordance with one or more mandates of the selected authentication protocol.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a transaction between a first party and a second party over a communications network, wherein the transaction is conducted according to an authentication protocol of a plurality of authentication protocols supported by a third party, said method comprising:

receiving payment information over the communications network from the first party at a server of the third party, wherein the payment information is associated with the authentication protocol;

determining the authentication protocol from the received payment information;

selecting the authentication protocol from the plurality of authentication protocols;

obtaining an authentication determination from a fourth party in accordance with the authentication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the first party with one or more payment options, wherein each of the one or more payment options is associated with one of the plurality of authentication protocols.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment information identifies a selected payment option of the one or more payment options.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning the authentication determination over the communications network to a designated entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated entity is the second party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated entity is at least one of a payment gateway, an acquiring bank, a payment network or an issuing bank that process the transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the server of the third party receives the payment information from the first party via the second party.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is adapted to format and route messages over the communications network according to one or more mandates specific to each of the plurality of authentication protocols.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the authentication determination includes formatting messages and routing the formatted messages over the communications network according to one or more mandates of the authentication protocol.

10. A system for supporting processing of one or more transactions conducted between consumers and merchants over a communications network, wherein each of the one or more transactions is conducted between a consumer and a merchant according to an authentication protocol of a plurality of authentication protocols supported by the system, said system comprising:

a connection layer adapted to receive payment information for the each of the one or more transactions over the communications network, wherein the payment information for the each of the one or more transactions is received from the consumer associated with the each of the one or more transactions, wherein the payment information for the each of the one or more transactions is associated with the authentication protocol associated with the each of the one or more transactions;

a plug-in layer having a plug-in for each of the plurality of authentication protocols supported by the system; and

,

a distribution layer adapted to determine the authentication protocol associated with the each of the one or more transactions from the payment information for the each of the one or more transactions, select the plug-in associated with the authentication protocol associated with the each of the one or more transactions, and instruct the selected plug-in associated with the each of the one or more transactions to obtain an authentication determination in accordance with its associated authentication protocol.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the plug-ins is adapted to format and route messages over the communications network according to one or more mandates specific to its associated authentication protocol.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the distribution layer returns the authentication determination associated with the each of the one or more transactions to a designated entity via the connection layer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the designated entity is the second party.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the designated entity is at least one of a payment gateway, an acquiring bank, a payment network or an issuing bank that process the transaction.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the connection layer receives the payment information associated with the each of the one or more transactions from the consumer associated with the each of the one or more transactions via the merchant associated with the each of the one or more transactions.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more transactions include a first transaction and a second transaction, wherein the first transaction is conducted between a first consumer and a first merchant using a first authentication protocol, wherein the second transaction is conducted between a second consumer and a second merchant using a second authentication protocol, wherein the first authentication protocol is different than the authentication protocol of the second authentication protocol.

17. A method for conducting a transaction between a first party and a second party over a communications network, said method comprising:

receiving payment information over the communications network from the first party at a server of the third party, wherein the payment information identifies a payment instrument;

determining whether the payment instrument is enrolled in one of a plurality of supported authentication programs;

if the payment instrument is enrolled in the one of the plurality of authentication programs, determining an authentication protocol associated with the received payment information, selecting the authentication protocol from a plurality of supported authentication protocols, and obtaining an authentication determination from a fourth party in accordance with the authentication protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the server of the third party receives the payment information from the first party via the second party.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if the payment instrument is not enrolled in the one of the plurality of authentication programs, notifying the second party thereof.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

returning the authentication determination over the communications network to a designated entity.