Token based transaction authentication

• US 8,924,301 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lindelsee, Mike, Brand, Olivier, Dimmick, James, Dominguez, Benedicto
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US13/686,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 705 10- 44
• 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 20/3829 involving key management
• 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

Abstract

A token based transaction authentication system is disclosed. Issuer, merchants, and a payment processing network generate unique tokens or keys to authenticate messages between themselves and to authenticate a sending entity or consumer as they are redirected between entities. The tokens are also used to identify the particular authentication thread a message or sending entity is associated with. The sending entity authentication occurs over a web-based channel or a mobile based channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer, a first message comprising a payment reference identifier;

analyzing, by the server computer, the payment reference identifier;

determining, by the server computer, that an authenticating address has not already been provided for the payment reference identifier;

sending, by the server computer, a second message comprising the authentication address to a sending entity device operated by a sending entity; and

receiving, by the server computer, a third message comprising a passcode from the sending entity device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending entity is a consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message further comprises the payment reference identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the server computer is operated by an issuer, and wherein the first message further comprises a merchant key.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said second message further comprises an issuer key and the payment reference identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the server computer, a fourth message after sending the second message and before receiving the third message, wherein the fourth message is a request to be authenticated by an issuer, and comprises the payment reference identifier.

7. A server computer, comprising:

a processor, and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the processor, to implement a method comprising;

receiving, at the server computer, a first message comprising a payment reference identifier;

analyzing, by the server computer, the payment reference identifier;

determining, by the server computer, that an authenticating address has not already been provided for the payment reference identifier;

sending, by the server computer, a second message comprising the authentication address to a sending entity device operated by a sending entity; and

receiving, by the server computer, a third message comprising a passcode from the sending entity device.

8. The server computer of claim 7, wherein the sending entity is a consumer.

9. The server computer of claim 7, wherein the second message further comprises the payment reference identifier.

10. The server computer of claim 7, wherein the server computer is operated by an issuer, and wherein the first message first comprises a merchant key.

11. The server computer of claim 7 wherein said second message further comprises an issuer key and the payment reference identifier.

12. The server computer of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the server computer, a fourth message after sending the second message and before receiving the third message, wherein the fourth message is a request to be authenticated by an issuer, and comprises the payment reference identifier.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer, a request to initiate a transaction from a sending entity device;

receiving, by the computer, a payment reference identifier;

sending a message comprising a merchant key and the payment reference identifier to a payment processing network, which payment processing network subsequently communicates with an issuer;

receiving an authentication address from an issuer computer operated by the issuer;

sending the authentication address to the sending entity device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the message further comprises a consumer payment nickname associated with a payment account.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

sending an authentication status request to the payment processing network; and

receiving an authentication status response from the payment processing network.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the computer is operated by a merchant and the sending entity is a consumer.

17. A computer comprising a processor and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code for implementing a method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, a request to initiate a transaction from a sending entity device;

receiving, by the computer, a payment reference identifier;

sending a message comprising a merchant key and the payment reference identifier to a payment processing network, which payment processing network subsequently communicates with an issuer;

receiving an authentication address from an issuer computer operated by the issuer;

sending the authentication address to the sending entity device.

18. The computer of claim 17 wherein the message further comprises a consumer payment nickname associated with a payment account.

19. The computer of claim 17 wherein the method further comprises:

sending an authentication status request to the payment processing network; and

receiving an authentication status response from the payment processing network.

20. The computer of claim 17 wherein the computer is operated by a merchant and the sending entity is a consumer.