Portable Account Number for Consumer Payment Account

• US 20110218871A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singh, Shantnu
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• 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 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for providing and using a payment account or payment device identifier when conducting a transaction. The bank identification number (BIN) is decoupled from the primary account number (PAN) or other form of device identifier when generating the payment account or payment device identifier. The payment account or payment device identifier is used to access information regarding the issuer, with that information being used to route a transaction authorization request message to the appropriate entity.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a transaction, comprising:

an electronic processor programmed to execute a set of instructions;

a data storage device coupled to the processor; and

the set of instructions contained in the data storage device, wherein when the set of instructions are executed by the processor, the apparatus processes the transaction by

receiving an authorization request message for the transaction;

processing the authorization request message to obtain an account identifier for an account used to conduct the transaction, the account identifier not including information identifying an issuer for the account;

accessing a data storage element that includes information associating the account identifier with information identifying the issuer for the account;

obtaining the information identifying the issuer for the account from the data storage element;

providing the authorization request message to the issuer using the information identifying the issuer for the account obtained from the data storage element; and

receiving from the issuer for the account an authorization response message containing a decision from the issuer whether to approve or deny the transaction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the account identifier is a payment account identifier comprising a string of numeric or alphanumeric data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the string of numeric or alphanumeric data corresponds to a payment account number or payment device identifier associated with a credit card, debit card, or smart card.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data storage element is a database and the account identifier is used to retrieve the information identifying the issuer for the account from the database.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data storage element is a table containing data and the account identifier is used to retrieve the information identifying the issuer for the account from the table.

6. A method for processing a transaction, comprising:

receiving an authorization request message for the transaction;

processing the authorization request message to obtain an account identifier for an account used to conduct the transaction, the account identifier not including information identifying an issuer for the account;

determining, based on the account identifier, an issuer for the account;

providing the authorization request message to the issuer using the information identifying the issuer for the account; and

receiving from the issuer for the account an authorization response message containing a decision from the issuer whether to approve or deny the transaction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining, based on the account identifier, an issuer for the account further comprises:

accessing a data storage element that includes information associating the account identifier with information identifying the issuer for the account; and

obtaining the information identifying the issuer for the account from the data storage element.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the account identifier is a string of numeric or alphanumeric data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the string of numeric or alphanumeric data corresponds to an account number or payment device identifier associated with a credit card, debit card, or smart card.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the data storage element is a database and the account identifier is used to retrieve the information identifying the issuer for the account from the database.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the data storage element is a table containing data and the account identifier is used to retrieve the information identifying the issuer for the account from the table.

12. A payment device for conducting a transaction, comprising:

a device substrate;

a payment device identifier visibly located on the device substrate, the payment device identifier not including information identifying an issuer for the payment device; and

a data storage region contained on or within the payment device, the data storage region further comprising

a first data storage sub-region containing data corresponding to the payment device identifier; and

a second data storage sub-region electronically isolated from the first data storage sub region and containing data identifying the issuer of the payment device.

13. The payment device of claim 12, wherein the data storage region is a magnetic stripe.

14. The payment device of claim 12, wherein the data storage region is located in an embedded chip.

15. The payment device of claim 13, wherein the first data storage sub-region is a first track of the magnetic stripe and the second data storage sub-region is a second data track of the magnetic stripe.

16. The payment device of claim 14, wherein the first data storage sub-region is a first memory location of the embedded chip and the second data storage sub-region is a second memory location of the embedded chip.

17. The payment device of claim 12, wherein the payment device identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric string.

18. The payment device of claim 14, further comprising a contactless interface operative to enable communication and data transfer between the payment device and a second device.

19. The payment device of claim 18, wherein the second device is a point of sale terminal.

20. The payment device of claim 18, wherein the second device is a device reader.