Identity verification services with identity score through external entities via application programming interface

• US 10,621,658 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Sahni, Bipin M., Stroke, Nikolai
• Primary Examiner(s): Milef, Elda G
• Application Number:
  US14/597,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety

Abstract

The described financial institution computing system provides services to customers through an application programming interface (“API”). The services include user identification services to customers. The user identification services allow the customers to verify the identity of users as non-fraudulent users. Further the user identification services allow the financial institution to provide known user information to the customers for purposes of prepopulating registration forms, completing transactions, and the like. Further services, such as user account validation services, payment services, and the like are also possible through the financial institution APIs. In some situations, users are registered with the financial institution. For example, a user may also be an account holder with the financial institution. In other situations, the users are not registered with the financial institution.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a financial institution computing system of a financial institution, for providing an identity service via one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) of the financial institution, the method comprising:

receiving, by the financial institution computing system, a verification request transmitted by a customer device to the financial institution computing system in response to a selection input into a user device, via a graphical user interface displayed on the user device by a website or mobile application being provided by the customer device and being accessed by the user device, to verify identity by providing login credentials directly to the financial institution computing system;

transmitting to the customer device, by the financial institution computing system, a redirect instruction causing the customer device to display on the user device, in a pop-up window or embedded pane within the website or mobile application, a login screen of the financial institution;

receiving, by the financial institution computing system, directly from the user device and bypassing the customer device by using a financial institution API integrated into the website or mobile application, user login credentials entered into the login screen being displayed in the pop-up window or embedded pane within the website or mobile application;

verifying, by the financial institution computing system, the user login credentials that were received directly from the user device; and

in response to verification of the user login credentials, transmitting, by the financial institution computing system, a login approval decision to at least one of the user device and the customer device to indicate that login was successful.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the user login credentials comprises cross-referencing the login credentials with stored login information in an internal identity database of the financial institution computing system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the login approval decision is based at least in part on the results of the cross-referencing.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the customer subscribes to the identity service provided by the financial institution before transmitting the redirect instruction to the customer device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is not an account holder with the financial institution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer device is a merchant device providing goods or services via a merchant'"'"'s online storefront presented by the website or mobile application, wherein the user device is a consumer device engaging in a transaction with the merchant device, and wherein the merchant subscribes to the identity service of the financial institution to be able to receive verified user information without requiring consumers to enter personal information via the website or mobile application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the user device of the user to register the user for the identity service provided by the financial institution computing system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

requesting user information from the user device and verifying the user information;

in response to verification of the user information, registering the user for the identity service.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising making the identity service accessible to the user via the login credentials.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein verifying the user information comprises:

transmitting the user information to an external service provider device of an external service provider; and

receiving verification information from the external service provider device, wherein the verification information indicates whether the provided user information matches known user information and an indication of any discrepancies in the user information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein verifying the user information further comprises calculating a validation score based at least in part on the verification information received from the external service provider device, wherein the validation score is an indication as to the chances the user is fraudulently misrepresenting the user information.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the login credentials are verified to confirm that the user has subscribed to the user identity service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the login credentials are a second set of login credentials associated with the identity service, the method further comprising:

receiving a first set of login credentials associated with an existing account at the financial institution; and

in response to verification of the first set of login credentials, registering the user for the identity service and making the identity service accessible via the website or the mobile application using the second set of login credentials.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the verification request is received, receiving a request from the customer device of the customer to subscribe to the identity service.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the customer device requesting that the financial institution computing system provide the customer device with information about the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting to the customer device the user information for use by the customer device in transacting with the user device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving from the user device, during registration of the user for the identity service, an indication of user information that is restricted from being provided to the customer device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the customer device requests information restricted by the user, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting a message to the user device to request permission to provide the customer device with the restricted user information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving permission from the user device to provide the customer device with restricted user information, and transmitting to the customer device the restricted user information.

20. A financial institution computing system associated with a financial institution, the system comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate, via a network, with a customer device of a customer who has subscribed to an identity service of the financial institution;

an account database storing information relating to a plurality of financial accounts maintained by the financial institution;

an identity database storing login credentials for a plurality of users;

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive a verification request from the customer device transmitted by a customer device to the financial institution computing system in response to a selection input into the user device, via a graphical user interface displayed on the user device by a website or mobile application being provided by the customer device and being accessed by the user device, to verify identity by providing login credentials directly to the financial institution computing system;

transmit to the customer device a redirect instruction causing the customer device to display on the user device, in a pop-up window or embedded pane within the website or mobile application, a login screen of the financial institution;

receive, directly from the user device and bypassing the customer device through use of a financial institution API integrated into the website or mobile application, user login credentials entered into the login screen being displayed on the user device in the pop-up window or embedded pane within the website or mobile application;

verify the user login credentials that were received directly from the user device; and

transmit a login approval decision to at least one of the user device and the customer device, wherein the login approval decision indicates whether login was successful.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is configured to verify the login credentials of the user by cross-referencing the login credentials with login information stored in the internal identity database of the financial institution computing system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the login approval decision is based at least in part on the results of the cross-referencing.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a request from the customer device requesting that the financial institution computing system provide the customer device with information about the user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive from the user device, during registration of the user for the identity service, an indication of user information that is restricted from being provided to the customer device, wherein the customer device requests user information restricted by the user;

transmit a message to the user device to request permission to provide the customer device with the restricted user information;

receive permission from the user device to provide the customer device with restricted user information; and

transmit the restricted user information to the customer device.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium with computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a processor of a financial institution computing system, cause the financial institution computing system to perform a process for providing an identity service, the process comprising:

receiving, by the financial institution computing system, a verification request from a customer device of a customer who subscribes to the identity service, the verification request transmitted by the customer device to the financial institution computing system in response to a selection input into the user device, via a graphical user interface displayed on the user device by a website or mobile application being provided by the customer device and being accessed by the user device, to verify identity by providing login credentials directly to the financial institution computing system;

transmitting to the customer device, by the financial institution computing system, a redirect instruction causing the customer device to display on the user device, in a pop-up window or embedded pane within the website or the mobile application, a login screen of the financial institution;

receiving, by the financial institution computing system, directly from the user device and bypassing the customer device through use of a financial institution API integrated into the website or mobile application, user login credentials entered into the login screen of the financial institution being displayed on the user device in the pop-up window or embedded pane within the website or mobile application;

verifying, by the financial institution computing system, the user login credentials that were received directly from the user device; and

transmitting, by the financial institution computing system, a login approval decision to at least one of the user device and the customer device, wherein the login approval decision indicates whether login was successful.