Transaction authorization service

• US 20070094150A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Chih-Jen, Yuen, Philip, Yuen, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

System and method for authorizing transactions, such as payments or money transfers. A source entity may initiate a transaction with a target entity via a first communications channel. In initiating the transaction, the source entity may indicate that the transaction is to be performed through a transaction authorization service. The target entity may send a transaction initiation message to the transaction authorization service. In response to receiving the transaction initiation message, the service may authorize the transaction with the source entity via a second communications channel. To authorize the transaction, the source entity may provide a PIN number or other identifier via the second communications channel. After receiving and validating the response from the source entity, the transaction authorization service may inform the target entity that the transaction is authorized. The target entity may then complete the transaction with the transaction authorization service and the source entity.

Claims

1. A system for enabling payments by a user to a third party, comprising:

means for registering users with a service center to establish at least two codes, including one code for authenticating communications from a particular user to the center and another code for authenticating communications from the center to the particular user;

means for establishing a payment account for the particular user;

means for the center to receive a message indicating initiation of a transaction between the particular user and a third party;

means for the center to send an authorization challenge to the particular user through a phone call requiring the user to enter the code for authenticating communications from the particular user to the center;

means for making payment to the third party from the payment account for the particular user once the transaction is authorized; and

means for sending a confirmation message to the user and to the third party.

2. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a transaction authorization service, a message from a target entity indicating the initiation of a transaction between a source entity and the target entity;

sending an authorization request message indicating a request for authorization of the transaction from the transaction authorization service to a communications device associated with the source entity via a communications channel; and

receiving, at the transaction authorization service, a response message indicating a response to the request for authorization from the source entity, wherein the response message includes information authorizing the transaction.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising sending an indication that the source entity has authorized the transaction from the transaction authorization service to the target entity.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising completing the transaction between the source entity and the target entity, wherein said completing the transaction between the source entity and the target entity comprises transferring funds from an account of the source entity to an account of the target entity.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the account of the source entity and the account of the target entity are with the transaction authorization service.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the account of the source entity and the account of the target entity is with a financial institution separate from the transaction authorization service.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity includes information identifying the source entity.

8. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity includes information identifying the target entity and a monetary amount to be transferred from the source entity to the target entity.

9. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the transaction is a transferal of funds from the source entity to the target entity.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the transferal of funds from the source entity to the target entity is for the purchase of goods or services from the target entity.

11. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the information authorizing the transaction is an identifier associated with the source entity.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the identifier is a personal identification number (PIN).

13. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising registering the source entity with the transaction authorization service to obtain an account for the source entity with the transaction authorization service.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said registering comprises the source entity specifying an identifier to be included in responses to requests for authorization of transactions to authorize the transactions.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said registering comprises the source entity specifying a telephone number associated with the communications channel used in authorizing transactions.

16. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the request for authorization of the transaction includes information identifying the request as being from the transaction authorization service.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the information identifying the request as being from the transaction authorization service includes a security phrase known by the source entity.

18. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the communications device associated with the source entity is a cellular telephone.

19. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the communications channel is a voice communications channel.

20. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the communications channel is a cellular telephone communications channel.

21. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the communications channel is a text messaging communications channel.

22. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the transaction authorization service is implemented as a web service, and wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is received by the transaction authorization service in accordance with a web services interface.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the communications channel via which the transaction authorization service sends the authorization request message to the source entity is a voice communications channel.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the voice communications channel is a cellular telephone communications channel.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the source entity, and wherein the source entity initiates the transaction with the target entity via a text messaging communications channel.

26. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the source entity initiates the transaction with the target entity via a text messaging communications channel.

27. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the target entity is an e-commerce enterprise, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the e-commerce enterprise is initiated by the source entity selecting the transaction authorization service as a payment method for the purchase of goods or services offered by the e-commerce enterprise.

28. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the source entity.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the source entity initiates the transaction via a different communications channel than the communications channel used in authorizing the transaction.

30. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the target entity.

31. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said response message indicating the response to the request for authorization is received by the transaction authorization service on the same communications channel via which said authorization request message was sent.

32. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to implement a transaction authorization service configured to;

receive a message from a target entity indicating the initiation of a transaction between a source entity and the target entity;

send an authorization request message indicating a request for authorization of the transaction to a communications device associated with the source entity via a communications channel; and

receive a response message indicating a response to the request for authorization from the source entity, wherein the response message includes information authorizing the transaction.

33. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the transaction authorization service is further configured to send an indication that the source entity has authorized the transaction to the target entity.

34. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the transaction authorization service is further configured to complete the transaction between the source entity and the target entity, wherein, to complete the transaction, the transaction authorization service is further configured to initiate the transfer of funds from an account of the source entity to an account of the target entity.

35. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the account of the source entity and the account of the target entity are with the transaction authorization service.

36. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein at least one of the account of the source entity and the account of the target entity is with a financial institution separate from the transaction authorization service.

37. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity includes information identifying the source entity, information identifying the target entity, and a monetary amount to be transferred from the source entity to the target entity.

38. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the transaction is a transferal of funds from the source entity to the target entity.

39. The system as recited in claim 38, wherein the transferal of funds from the source entity to the target entity is for the purchase of goods or services from the target entity.

40. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the information authorizing the transaction is an identifier associated with the source entity.

41. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the transaction authorization service is further configured to register the source entity with the transaction authorization service to obtain an account for the source entity with the transaction authorization service.

42. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein said registering comprises the source entity specifying:

an identifier to be included in responses to requests for authorization of transactions to authorize the transactions; and

a telephone number associated with the communications channel used in authorizing transactions.

43. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the request for authorization of the transaction includes information identifying the request as being from the transaction authorization service.

44. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the communications channel is a voice communications channel.

45. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the communications channel is a cellular telephone communications channel, and wherein the communications device associated with the source entity is a cellular telephone.

46. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the communications channel is a text messaging communications channel.

47. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the transaction authorization service is implemented as a web service, and wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is received by the transaction authorization service in accordance with a web services interface.

48. The system as recited in claim 47, wherein the communications channel via which the transaction authorization service sends the authorization request message to the source entity is a voice communications channel.

49. The system as recited in claim 48, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the source entity, and wherein the source entity initiates the transaction with the target entity via a text messaging communications channel.

50. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the target entity is an e-commerce enterprise, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the e-commerce enterprise is initiated by the source entity selecting the transaction authorization service as a payment method for the purchase of goods or services offered by the e-commerce enterprise.

51. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the source entity, wherein the source entity initiates the transaction via a different communications channel than the communications channel used in authorizing the transaction.

52. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the target entity.

53. A computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to implement a transaction authorization service configured to:

receive a message from a target entity indicating the initiation of a transaction between a source entity and the target entity;

send an authorization request message indicating a request for authorization of the transaction to a communications device associated with the source entity via a communications channel; and

receive a response message indicating a response to the request for authorization from the source entity, wherein the response message includes information authorizing the transaction.

54. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the transaction authorization service is further configured to send an indication that the source entity has authorized the transaction to the target entity.

55. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the transaction authorization service is further configured to complete the transaction between the source entity and the target entity, wherein, to complete the transaction, the transaction authorization service is further configured to initiate the transfer of funds from an account of the source entity to an account of the target entity.

56. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 55, wherein the account of the source entity and the account of the target entity are with the transaction authorization service.

57. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 55, wherein at least one of the account of the source entity and the account of the target entity is with a financial institution separate from the transaction authorization service.

58. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity includes information identifying the source entity.

59. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity includes information identifying the source entity, information identifying the target entity, and a monetary amount to be transferred from the source entity to the target entity.

60. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the transaction is a transferal of funds from the source entity to the target entity.

61. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 60, wherein the transferal of funds from the source entity to the target entity is for the purchase of goods or services from the target entity.

62. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the information authorizing the transaction is an identifier associated with the source entity.

63. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the transaction authorization service is further configured to register the source entity with the transaction authorization service to obtain an account for the source entity with the transaction authorization service, wherein said registering comprises the source entity specifying:

an identifier to be included in responses to requests for authorization of transactions to authorize the transactions; and

a telephone number associated with the communications channel used in authorizing transactions.

64. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the request for authorization of the transaction includes information identifying the request as being from the transaction authorization service.

65. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the communications channel is a voice communications channel.

66. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the communications channel is a cellular telephone communications channel, and wherein the communications device associated with the source entity is a cellular telephone.

67. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the communications channel is a text messaging communications channel.

68. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the transaction authorization service is implemented as a web service, and wherein the message from the target entity indicating the initiation of the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is received by the transaction authorization service in accordance with a web services interface.

69. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 68, wherein the communications channel via which the transaction authorization service sends the authorization request message to the source entity is a voice communications channel.

70. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 69, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the source entity, and wherein the source entity initiates the transaction with the target entity via a text messaging communications channel.

71. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the target entity is an e-commerce enterprise, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the e-commerce enterprise is initiated by the source entity selecting the transaction authorization service as a payment method for the purchase of goods or services offered by the e-commerce enterprise.

72. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the source entity, wherein the source entity initiates the transaction via a different communications channel than the communications channel used in authorizing the transaction.

73. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the transaction between the source entity and the target entity is initiated by the target entity.