Verification of a transactor's identity

• US 8,768,776 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Net 1 UEPS Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Net 1 UEPS Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Belamant, Serge Christian Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): OBAID, FATEH M
• Application Number:
  US12/515,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20120123879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system for facilitating a financial transaction between a prospective transactor and a transactee has an identity and account verifying facility for verifying the identity of the prospective transactor and an account that the prospective transactor has with a financial institution, the identity and account verifying facility being operated by an independent verifier. The identity and account verifying facility includes a storage means for storing an identifier of the prospective transactor and details of at least one account held by the transactor at the financial institution. An identifier input means is provided whereby the transactor enters his identifier when he subscribes to the service. An account details obtaining means for obtaining details of the transactor'"'"'s account with the financial institution, an identifier input means whereby the transactor enters his identifier; and a communicating means for communicating with the independent verifier are located at the transactee, for furnishing the account details and the identifier to the verifier and for receiving a verification confirmation or rejection from the verifier, prior to the transactor conducting the financial transaction with the transactee.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a financial transaction between a prospective transactor and a transactee, comprising:

a) a point-of-sale device comprising a biometric scanner;

a card reader; and

an encrypter, wherein a card comprising details of at least one account held by the prospective transactor at a financial institution is read by the card reader and a biometric identifier of the prospective transactor is obtained from the biometric scanner, wherein details of the account comprise an account number;

b) an identity and account verifying facility for verifying the identity of the prospective transactor and details of the account held by the prospective transactor with the financial institution, the identity and account verifying facility being operated by an independent verifier, the identity and account verifying facility comprising;

i) a storage device in which is stored the biometric identifier of the prospective transactor and details of the account held by the prospective transactor at the financial institution, the details of the account having been checked with the financial institution;

ii) a receiver module for receiving the biometric identifier and account details of the prospective transactor from the transactee, in which the received biometric identifier is verified by comparison with the corresponding stored biometric identifier stored against the account details;

iii) a decrypter for decrypting encrypted data received from the transactee; and

iv) a replying module for replying to the transactee in response to a request to verify the biometric identifier and account details of the prospective transactor.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the identity and account verifying facility includes a biometric scanner whereby the transactor may enter his biometric identifier.

4. The system of claim 3, in which the identity and account verifying facility includes a card reader for obtaining details of the account held by the prospective transactor with the financial institution.

2. A method of facilitating a financial transaction between a prospective transactor and a transactee, comprising:

a) obtaining from the prospective transactor a biometric identifier and details of at least one account held by the prospective transactor at a financial institution, wherein the details of the account are obtained from a card by the transactee, wherein the details of the account comprise an account number;

b) verifying the identity of the prospective transactor and details of the account held by the prospective transactor with the financial institution prior to the transactor conducting an electronic financial transaction with the transactee, wherein the verifying comprises an independent verifier;

i) receiving from the transactee a biometric identifier of the prospective transactor and details of the account held by the prospective transactor;

ii) verifying the received biometric identifier by comparing it with a corresponding stored biometric identifier stored against the account details;

iii) decrypting encrypted data received from the transactee, wherein the encrypted data comprises the biometric identifier of the prospective transactor and details of the account held by the prospective transactor at the financial institution; and

iv) replying to the transactee to verify the biometric identifier and details of the account held by the prospective transactor.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the verifier obtaining the biometric identifier of the prospective transactor and details of the account held by the prospective transactor at the financial institution, confirming his identity and the account details and storing the biometric identifier of the prospective transactor together with details of the account held by the transactor at the financial institution, prior to the transactor conducting any transaction.