Method and apparatus for ordering goods, services and content over an internetwork using a virtual payment account

• US 20060004659A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stripe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: eCharge Corporation
• Inventors: Griffiths, David, Hutchison, Robin B., Begg, Iain M., Llewellyn, Robert J., Viljoen, Andre F., Birch, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 : Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 : Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 : Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 : Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A virtual payment system for ordering and paying for goods, services and content over an internetwork is disclosed. The virtual payment system comprises a commerce gateway component (52) and a credit processing server component (53). The virtual payment system is a secure, closed system comprising registered sellers and buyers. A buyer becomes a registered participant by applying for a virtual payment account. Likewise, a seller becomes registered by applying for a seller account. A buyer can instantly open an account on-line. That is, the credit processing component (53) immediately evaluates the buyer'"'"'s virtual payment card application and assigns a credit limit to the account. Once an account is established, a digital certificate is stored on the registered participant'"'"'s computer. The buyer can then order a product, i.e., goods, services or content from a seller and charge it to the virtual payment account. When the product is shipped, the seller notifies the commerce gateway component (52), which in turn notifies the credit processing server that applies the charges to the buyer'"'"'s virtual payment account. The buyer can settle the charges using a prepaid account, a credit account, or by using reward points earned through use of the virtual payment card. A buyer may create sub-accounts

Claims

1. A system for purchasing a product, comprising:

a buyer computer operative to purchase a product using a virtual payment account;

a seller computer operative to receive a request from said buyer computer to purchase said product from said seller computer using said virtual payment account;

in response to said purchase request, determining whether said buyer computer is associated with said virtual payment account;

in response to determining that said buyer computer is associated with said virtual payment account, applying a cost of said product to said virtual payment account; and

providing said product to a buyer associated with said buyer computer.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a secure token associated with said buyer computer; and

said seller computer is further operative to;

determine whether said buyer computer is associated with said virtual payment account by retrieving a digital certificate from said secure token; and

transmit an authentication request including said digital certificate to a commerce gateway; and

said commerce gateway is operative to;

determine whether said virtual payment account is valid;

determine whether said virtual payment account is associated with said buyer computer; and

transmit an account identification container to said buyer computer in response to determining that said buyer computer is associated with a valid virtual payment account.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a commerce gateway operative to determine whether said buyer computer is associated with said virtual payment account by receiving an alternate authentication request from said buyer computer;

sending an alternate authentication message from said commerce gateway to a buyer authentication device;

receiving a verification request comprising said alternate authentication message;

verifying said alternate authentication message with said commerce gateway; and

in response to verifying said alternate authentication message, determining that said buyer computer is associated with said virtual payment account.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a commerce gateway operative to:

apply a cost of said product to said virtual payment account,

receive an account identification container associated with said virtual payment account and said cost of said product from said seller computer;

determine whether said virtual payment account may be charged for said cost of said product; and

in response to determining that said virtual payment account may be charged for said cost of said product, transmit a valid transaction authorization from said commerce gateway to said seller computer.

5. A system for purchasing a product, comprising:

a buyer computer operative to purchase a product using a virtual payment account;

a seller computer operative to;

receive a request from said buyer computer to purchase said product, said purchase request identifying said virtual payment account as a payment source for said product; and

a commerce gateway operative to;

receive an authentication request from said buyer computer;

determine whether said virtual payment account is associated with said buyer computer;

transmit an account identification container to said buyer computer in response to determining that said buyer computer is associated with a valid virtual payment account;

receive a processed purchase request from said seller computer;

determine whether said virtual payment account may be used to pay for said product;

in response to determining that said virtual payment account may be used to pay for said product, transmit a valid transaction authorization to said seller computer; and

charging said virtual payment account for a cost associated with said product.

6. A system for creating a virtual payment account for a buyer, the system comprising:

a commerce gateway operative to;

receive application data from said buyer;

determine a credit score for said buyer based upon said application data;

determine whether said credit score exceeds a threshold credit score;

in response to determining that said credit score exceeds said threshold credit score, establish a virtual payment account associated with said buyer; and

install a digital certificate on a buyer computer associated with said buyer that uniquely identifies said buyer as the registered holder of said virtual payment account.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said commerce gateway is further operative to:

in response to receiving said application data from said buyer, determine an identify score for said buyer based upon said application data;

determine whether said identify score exceed a threshold identity score; and

in response to determining that said identity score exceeds said threshold identity score, then proceeding to determine a credit score.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said buyer computer is further operative to install a digital certificate by generating a public key encryption pair having a private key and a public key;

and

transmit said public key to said commerce gateway; and

wherein said commerce gateway is further operative to certify said public key to generate said digital certificate and transmit said digital certificate to said buyer computer for storage.

9. A system for settling at a virtual payment account transaction, comprising:

a commerce gate way operative to;

receive a settlement transaction request from a seller computer;

determine whether said settlement transaction request is permissible;

in response to determining that said at least one settlement transaction request is permissible, process said at least one settlement transaction request; and

in response to processing said at least one transaction request, adjust a seller account associated with said seller computer.