Method and system for authentication of payment card transactions

• US 9,552,578 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ghosh, Debashis
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US14/631,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20160247143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

A method and a system are provided for authenticating secure payment card transactions and verifying and validating payment card user identities. The method includes determining a numeric or alphanumeric code on a vehicle registration plate of a vehicle (e.g., a driverless vehicle or a drone) bearing a processing device that is approaching a payment area (e.g., a toll road, a refueling station, or a retail store). A wireless communication circuit (e.g., Near Field Communication (NFC) circuit) is communicatively coupled to the processing device. The method also includes determining a numeric or alphanumeric identification of the processing device; comparing the numeric or alphanumeric code on the vehicle registration plate with the numeric or alphanumeric identification of the processing device to determine whether or not an association exists between the vehicle and the processing device; and assessing the determined association to facilitate determining whether a payment transaction using the processing device is valid or invalid (e.g., potential fraud).

Claims

1. A method for validating payment card transactions, the method comprising:

storing, in a database of a payment card provider, a pairing between a numeric or alphanumeric code of a vehicle registration plate of a payment card holder and an identification of a mobile device of the payment card holder,

determining, by a payment area device, a numeric or alphanumeric code on a vehicle registration plate of a vehicle as the vehicle approaches a payment area from a picture taken of the vehicle registration plate by the payment area device;

where the payment area device is communicatively coupled to a wireless communication circuit, the wireless communication circuit including at least one of a wireless communication tag and a wireless communication reader to receive or selectively provide wireless connectivity data from or to the payment area via a wireless communication link;

determining, by the payment area device, a numeric or alphanumeric identification of the mobile device that has been received via the wireless communication link;

initiating a payment card transaction with the payment card provider by the payment area device upon receipt of a preauthorization signal from the mobile device via the wireless communication link;

comparing a pairing of the determined numeric or alphanumeric code on the vehicle registration plate and the numeric or alphanumeric identification of the mobile device with the pairing in the database to determine if the pairings match;

determining whether the payment transaction is valid or invalid based whether the comparison results in a match; and

completing a payment card transaction if the transaction is determined to be valid since there is the match and denying the payment card transaction if the transaction is determined to be invalid since there is no match.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuit is a Near Field Communication (NFC) and at least one of the wireless communication tag and the wireless communication reader are an NFC tag and an NFC reader respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving information associated with the payment area;

determining a payment required for the vehicle to enter the payment area or obtain services in the payment area based on the retrieved information;

connecting the mobile device to a server of the payment area; and

sending instructions from the processing device to the server of the payment area to proceed with paying an mount required.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving confirmation of payment from the payment area server on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment area is at least one payment area selected from the group consisting of:

a toll road, a rest stop service area, a refueling station, a parking area, and a park.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a driverless automobile or a drone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a cell phone or a smart phone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment area device establishes a communication link with a payment area server in accordance with communication configuration information received by the wireless communication circuit via the wireless communication link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes at least one of a credit card number, a debit card number, a bank account number, and a payment account number associated with the payment area.

10. A system for validating payment card transaction comprising:

a mobile device of a payment card holder;

a computer storage device storing, in a database of a payment card provider, a pairing between a numeric or alphanumeric code of a vehicle registration plate of the payment card holder and an identification of the mobile device of the payment card holder;

a wireless communication circuit including at least one of a wireless communication tag and a wireless communication reader to receive or selectively provide wireless connectivity data from or to the mobile device of the payment cardholder via a wireless communication link;

a payment area device that is in communication with the wireless communication circuit and that detects a vehicle approaching a payment area, takes a picture of the vehicle registration plate, determines a numeric or alphanumeric code of the vehicle registration plate of the vehicle from the picture, determines the identification of the mobile device transmitted by the mobile device over the wireless communication circuit;

a processor coupled to the computer storage and payment area device operable to;

initiate a payment card transaction at the payment area with the payment card provider upon receipt of a preauthorization signal from the mobile device via the wireless communication link;

compare a pairing of the determined numeric or alphanumeric code on the vehicle registration plate and the mobile device identifier with the pairing in the database to determine if the pairings match; and

determine whether the payment transaction is valid or invalid based on whether the comparison results in a match; and

complete the payment card transaction if the transaction is determined to be valid since there is the match and denying the payment card transaction if the transaction is determined to be invalid since there is no match.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication circuit is a Near Field Communication (NFC) and at least one of the wireless communication tag and the wireless communication reader are a NFC tag and a NFC reader respectively.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the payment area is at least one payment area selected from the group consisting of:

a toll road, a rest stop service area, a refueling station, a parking area, and a park.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a driverless automobile or a drone.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device of the payment card holder is a cell phone or a smart phone.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device establishes a communication link with a payment area server in accordance with communication configuration information received by the wireless communication circuit via the wireless communication link.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device includes at least one of a credit card number, a debit card number, a bank account number, and a payment account number associated with the payment area.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions for validating payment card transaction which when executed by one or more processors of a server are adapted to cause the server to perform a method comprising:

storing, in a database of a payment card provider, a pairing between a numeric or alphanumeric code of a vehicle registration plate of a payment card holder and an identification of a mobile device of the payment card holder,

determining, by a payment area device, a numeric or alphanumeric code on a vehicle registration plate of a vehicle as the vehicle approaches a payment area from a picture taken of the vehicle registration plate by the payment area device;

wherein the payment area device is communicatively coupled to a wireless communication circuit, the wireless communication circuit including at least one of a wireless communication tag and a wireless communication reader to receive or selectively provide wireless connectivity data from or to the payment area via a wireless communication link;

determining, by the payment area device, a numeric or alphanumeric identification of the mobile device that has been received from the mobile device via the wireless communication link;

initiating a payment card transaction with the payment card provider by the payment area device upon receipt of a preauthorization signal from the mobile device via the wireless communication link;

comparing a pairing of the determined numeric or alphanumeric code on the vehicle registration plate and the numeric or alphanumeric identification of the mobile device with the pairing in the database to determine if the pairings match;

determining whether the payment transaction is valid or invalid based whether the comparison results in a match; and

completing a payment card transaction if the transaction is determined to be valid since there is the match and denying the payment card transaction if the transaction is determined to be invalid since there is no match.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication circuit is a Near Field Communication (NFC) and at least one of the wireless communication tag and the wireless communication reader are a NFC tag and a NFC reader respectively.