Activating an account based on an SMS message

• US 9,111,301 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: McGuire, Paul Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US13/324,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A plurality of consumer accounts are stored in a data store before being activated by consumers, each having a first pass code and a first PAN or other consumer account identifier. A data exchange module receives an SMS message including a second pass code and extracts a first phone number from the message. A consumer account activation module identifies a selected one of the consumer accounts by matching the second pass code with a selected one of the first pass codes, and stores the first phone number as a second phone number in association in the selected consumer account. A communication and routing module receives a charge request including a second PAN, and identifies a selected one of the consumer accounts by associating one of the first PANs with the second PAN. A transaction processing system then reduces a stored value of the identified consumer account based on the charge.

Claims

1. A computer system for managing electronic transactions, comprising:

a server computer system including;

a processor;

a computer-readable medium connected to the processor;

a network interface device connected to the processor; and

a set of instructions on the computer-readable medium, the set of instructions being executable by the processor and including;

a data store;

a plurality of consumer accounts stored in the data store, each consumer account having a first pass code, wherein each consumer account includes a respective first consumer account identifier, at least some of the accounts being blacklisted;

an issuer that issues each first pass code together with each first consumer account identifier of a respective consumer account and a short code, the first pass code and the short code being issued in a visible manner for a respective user to enter a respective first pass code as a respective second pass code in a respective SMS message and send the message to the short code before the respective account having the respective first pass code is unblacklisted and before a first phone number for the respective consumer account has been received;

a data exchange module receiving the SMS message including the second pass code and the first phone number;

a consumer account activation module identifying a selected one of the consumer accounts by matching the second pass code with a selected one of the first pass codes, the selected consumer account, before receiving the message, including the respective first consumer account identifier and being blacklisted, unblacklisting the selected consumer account, the unblacklisting being due to the matching of the second pass code with the first pass code and the receiving of the first phone number, and storing the first phone number as a second phone number in association with the selected first pass code of the selected consumer account;

a communication and routing module that, after the user enters the first consumer account identifier as a second consumer account identifier, receives a charge request over the network interface device, the charge request including an amount and the the second consumer account identifier, and identifying a selected one of the consumer accounts by associating one of the first consumer account identifiers with the second consumer account identifier; and

a transaction processing system that processes the charge request based on an account detail of the identified consumer account, the transaction processing system only processing the charge request due to the selected consumer account being unblacklisted.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first phone number is extracted from the SMS message.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further includes:

a communication module transmitting a message to a mobile phone at the second phone number.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further includes:

a stored value in the consumer account; and

a funding module receiving a top-up instruction from a consumer account funding infrastructure, and increasing the stored value based on the top-up instruction.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the funding module further transmits a funding request to the consumer account funding infrastructure, the funding request including a credit value, and the top-up instruction is a top-up confirmation received in response to the funding request.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the stored value is increased by the credit value.

7. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the set of instructions further includes:

a funding source storing module storing a funding source in the consumer account, wherein the funding module routes the funding request based on the funding source.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the instructions further comprise:

a login module receiving login information from a user computer system over the network interface device, access to the funding source storing module by the user computer system to store the funding source only being permitted upon successful login based on the login information, the login information including a third phone number that is matched with the second phone number.

9. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the transaction processing system includes:

an account lookup and debit module that reduces the stored value based on the amount.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the transaction processing system includes:

a transaction validation module that compares the stored value with the amount, wherein the account lookup and debit module only reduces the stored value with the amount, wherein the stored value is (i) only reduced if the stored value is at least as much as the amount and (ii) not reduced if the stored value is less than the amount, and transmits a confirmation over the network interface device to (i) to accept the charge request only reduced if the stored value is at least as much as the amount and (ii) to deny the charge request if the stored value is less than the amount.

11. A computer-based method of managing electronic transactions, comprising:

storing, with a processor, a plurality of consumer accounts in a data store, each consumer account having a first pass code, wherein each consumer account includes a respective first consumer account identifier, at least some of the accounts being blacklisted;

issuing, with the processor, each first pass code together with each first consumer account identifier of a respective consumer account and a short code, the first pass code and the short code being issued in a visible manner for a respective user to enter a respective first pass code as a respective second pass code in a respective SMS message and send the message to the short code before the respective account having the respective first pass code is unblacklisted and before a first phone number for the respective consumer account has been received;

receiving, with the processor, the SMS message including the second pass code and the first phone number;

identifying, with the processor, a selected one of the consumer accounts by matching the second pass code with a selected one of the first pass codes, the selected consumer account, before receiving the message, including the respective first consumer account identifier and being blacklisted;

unblacklisting, with the processor, the selected consumer account, the unblacklisting being due to the matching of the second pass code with the first pass code and the receiving of the first phone number, and storing the first phone number as a second phone number in association with the selected first pass code of the selected consumer account;

storing, with the processor, the first phone number as a second phone number in association with the selected first pass code of the selected consumer account;

receiving, with the processor, a charge request over the network interface device, the charge request including an amount and a second consumer account identifier;

identifying, by the processor, a selected one of the consumer accounts by associating one of the first consumer account identifiers with the second consumer account identifier; and

processing, with the processor, the charge request based on an account detail of the identified consumer account, the transaction processing system only processing the charge request due to the selected consumer account being unblacklisted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first phone number is extracted from the SMS message.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting, with the processor, a message to a mobile phone at the second phone number.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

saving, with the processor, a stored value in the consumer account;

receiving, with the processor, a top-up instruction from a consumer account funding infrastructure; and

increasing, with the processor, the stored value based on the top-up instruction.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting, with the processor, a funding request to the consumer account funding infrastructure, the funding request including a credit value, wherein the top-up instruction is a top-up confirmation received in response to the funding request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the stored value is increased by the credit value.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing, with the processor, a funding source in the consumer account; and

transmitting, with the processor, the funding request, the funding request being routed based on the funding source.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, with the processor, login information from a user computer system over the network interface device, the storing by the user computer system of the funding source only being permitted upon successful login based on the login information, the login information including a third phone number that is matched with the second phone number.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

reducing, with the processor, the stored value based on the amount.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

comparing, with the processor, the stored value with the amount, wherein the stored value is (i) only reduced if the stored value is at least as much as the amount and (ii) not reduced if the stored value is less than the amount; and

transmitting, with the processor, a confirmation over the network interface device to (i) to accept the charge request only reduced if the stored value is at least as much as the amount and (ii) to deny the charge request if the stored value is less than the amount.