Secure payment and billing method using mobile phone number or account

• US 8,682,792 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boloro Global Limited
• Original Assignee: Net2text Limited
• Inventors: Rammal, Karim Anwar
• Primary Examiner(s): RANKINS, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US13/148,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/30 characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• 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 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 : by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 : the source of the received data

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for processing payments for goods or services, including a payment processor that receives a payment request from a merchant for goods or services and that includes a mobile phone number or mobile phone account of a user, sends a payment authorization request text message to the mobile phone requesting payment authorization, and receives a payment authorization text message from the mobile phone authorizing or not authorizing the payment. If the payment is authorized, the payment processor pays the merchant and charges the mobile phone account for the payment. If the payment is not authorized or if the payment is not received within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor declines to pay the merchant for the goods or services.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system for processing payments for goods or services, the system comprising:

a payment processor configured to receive a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, wherein the payment request includes a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of a user;

the payment processor based on the payment request is configured to send a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;

the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request is configured to send over a mobile network of the mobile operator a payment authorization request text message to a mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;

the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message is configured to send over the mobile network of the mobile operator a payment authorization text message including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;

the mobile operator is configured to receive the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;

the payment processor is configured to receive a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;

if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment; and

if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and

wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile operator is configured to check an account balance and/or charge protocols of the mobile phone account for payment for the goods or services and additional charges levied by the mobile operator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the payment authorization request text message includes details of the merchant and a total amount payable which can include additional charges by the mobile operator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the merchant is configured to send a message to the user including shipping information, promotional messages and/or coupons along with or following a receipt to the user.

5. A computer implemented method for processing payments for goods or services, the method comprising:

receiving by a payment processor a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, wherein the payment request includes a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of a user;

sending by the payment processor based on the payment request a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;

sending by the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request a payment authorization request text message over a mobile network of the mobile operator to a mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;

sending by the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message a payment authorization text message over the mobile network of the mobile operator including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;

receiving by the mobile operator the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;

receiving by the payment processor a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;

if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment; and

if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and

wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile operator is configured to check an account balance and/or charge protocols of the mobile phone account for payment for the goods or services and additional charges levied by the mobile operator.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the payment authorization request text message includes details of the merchant and a total amount payable which can include additional charges by the mobile operator.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the merchant is configured to send a message to the user including shipping information, promotional messages and/or coupons along with or following a receipt to the user.

9. A computer program product for processing payments for goods or services and including one or more computer readable instructions embedded on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to cause one or more computer processors to perform the steps of:

receiving by a payment processor a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, wherein the payment request includes a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of a user;

sending by the payment processor based on the payment request a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;

sending by the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request a payment authorization request text message over a mobile network of the mobile operator to a mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;

sending by the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message a payment authorization text message over the mobile network of the mobile operator including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;

receiving by the mobile operator the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;

receiving by the payment processor a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;

if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment; and

if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and

wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the mobile operator is configured to check an account balance and/or charge protocols of the mobile phone account for payment for the goods or services and additional charges levied by the mobile operator.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the payment authorization request text message includes details of the merchant and a total amount payable which can include additional charges by the mobile operator.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the merchant is configured to send a message to the user including shipping information, promotional messages and/or coupons along with or following a receipt to the user.