ONLINE TRANSACTION SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for performing a financial transaction may include obtaining a unique digital code that identifies the financial transaction, communicating the unique digital code from a POS system to a mobile device, transmitting transaction data associated with information regarding the financial transaction, the unique digital code, and information associated with the POS system via a first digital network path, transmitting the unique digital code and account information associated with a user of the mobile device via a second digital network path, receiving an indication as to whether the unique digital code transmitted via the first digital network path matches the unique digital code transmitted via the second digital network path, and offering clearance of the financial transaction by the POS system when the indication indicates that the unique digital code transmitted from the POS system matches the unique digital code transmitted from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for performing a financial transaction via a mobile device and a point-of-sale (POS) system, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a unique digital code that identifies the financial transaction; communicating the unique digital code from the POS system to the mobile device, the unique digital code is a one-time code that can only be used for the financial transaction; transmitting, from the mobile device to a wireless network, a mobile identifying code that identifies the mobile device, the mobile identifying code including at least one of an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number, an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, and a media access control (MAC) address; receiving, from the wireless network to the mobile device, a network identifying code that identifies the wireless network; transmitting transaction data associated with information regarding the financial transaction, the unique digital code, and information associated with the POS system by the POS system via a first digital network path; transmitting the unique digital code and account information associated with a user of the mobile device by the mobile device via a second digital network path different from the first digital network path; receiving an indication as to whether the unique digital code transmitted by the POS system via the first digital network path matches the unique digital code transmitted by the mobile device via the second digital network path; and offering clearance of the financial transaction by the POS system when the indication indicates that the unique digital code transmitted from the POS system matches the unique digital code transmitted from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating the unique digital code from the POS system to the mobile device further comprises: utilizing the POS system to display a code that encodes the unique digital code; and utilizing the mobile device to capture an image of the code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating the unique digital code from the POS system to the mobile device further comprises: utilizing the POS system to display or print a OR code embedding the unique digital code; and allowing the mobile device to obtain an image of the QR code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating the unique digital code from the POS system to the mobile device further comprises transmitting the unique digital code via near field communication (NFC), short message service (SMS), Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting transaction data associated with information regarding the financial transaction, the unique digital code, and information associated with the POS system by the POS system via the first digital network path comprises transmitting the information regarding the financial transaction, the unique digital code, and the information associated with the POS system to a payment system, and the step of transmitting the unique digital code and account information associated with a user of the mobile device by the mobile device via the second digital network path comprises transmitting the unique digital code and account information associated with the user of the mobile device to the payment system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the payment system is associated with at least one of an issuing bank, a credit card association, and a financial transaction network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the payment system is associated with at least one of a social network service, an electronic mail service, a mobile payment service, and an online financial service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the payment system is configured to store the account information associated with the user of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: utilizing the wireless network to obtain position coordinates of the mobile device; comparing the position coordinates with a geographical position of the POS system; blocking the financial transaction if the position coordinates of the mobile device do not match the geographical position of the POS system; and authorizing the financial transaction if the position coordinates of the mobile device match the geographical position of the POS system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second digital network path includes a Wi-Fi network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second digital network path includes a cellular network or mobile network.

12. A system for performing a financial transaction, the system comprising: a point-of-sale (POS) system configured to obtain a unique digital code that identifies a financial transaction to be conducted with a customer, the POS system further configured to generate transaction data associated with information regarding the financial transaction; an application in a mobile device associated with the customer, the mobile device configured to receive the unique digital code from the POS system; and a wireless network enabling the mobile device to transmit the unique digital code, the unique digital code being a one-time code that can only be used for the financial transaction, the wireless network configured to receive a mobile identifying code that identifies the mobile device, the mobile identifying code including at least one of an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number, an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, and a media access control (MAC) address, and wherein the mobile device is configured to receive a network identifying code that identifies the wireless network; wherein the POS system is configured to transmit the transaction data, the unique digital code, and information associated with the POS system via a first digital network path; wherein the application in the mobile device is configured to transmit the unique digital code and account information associated with the customer via a second digital network path different from the first digital network path; wherein the POS system is configured to receive an indication as to whether the unique digital code as transmitted from the POS system via the first digital network path matches the unique digital code as transmitted by the mobile device via the second digital network path; and wherein the POS system is further configured to offer clearance of the financial transaction based on the indication.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the POS system is configured to communicate the unique digital code to the mobile device by displaying a code that encodes the unique digital code and allowing the mobile device to capture an image of the code.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the POS system is configured to print or display a QR code embedding the unique digital code to allow the customer to obtain an image of the QR code using the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the POS system is configured to communicate the unique digital code to the mobile device by transmitting the unique digital code via near field communication (NFC), short message service (SMS), Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the POS system is configured to transmit the transaction data and the unique digital code to a payment system via the first digital network path and the application in the mobile device is configured to transmit the unique digital code and account information associated with the customer to the payment system via the second digital network path.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the payment system is associated with at least one of an issuing bank, a credit card association, or a financial transaction network.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the payment system is associated with at least one of a social network service, an electronic mail service, a mobile payment service, or an online financial service.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the second digital network path includes a Wi-Fi network.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the second digital network path includes a cellular network or mobile network.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the course of a possible embodiment of the method without a wireless network associated with the POS system.

[0054] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the course of a possible embodiment of the method with a wireless network associated with the POS system.

[0055] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the course of a possible embodiment of the method with a wireless network associated with the POS system and two additional identifiers of a transaction.

[0056] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the course of a possible embodiment of the method, wherein the identification is entered on the mobile device not manually, but via NFC.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The idea is based on the separation of the information flows from the purchaser and vendor at the time of the purchase. Each party sends its information package to the payment system via its communication channel. Therefore, two independent information packages are sent to the payment system with each purchase.

[0058] In this case, each information package contains an obligatory elementa unique one-time number of the sales receipt. Only this element enables the payment system to find two information packages and link them to each other.

[0059] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the course of a method with which no local wireless network is used and payment takes place in the internet.

[0060] The basic element is that the purchaser is a user of the web-based social network service, or web-based email service, or instant messaging service, or mobile payment (digital wallet) service, or online storein that he has specified his payment details (personal payment credentials). This achieves a single transmission of information on the payment from the purchaser and vendor. In this case, a unique one-time number of the sales receipt is used to facilitate the connection.

[0061] According to FIG. 1, the following is performed in Step 1A.

[0062] A unique one-time number of the sales receipt is generated by the online handler (or, alternatively, by the purchaser).

[0063] The online handler sends a unique one-time number of the sales receipt to the payment system/transaction network (together with the amount of the payment and its own bank details) (1A).

[0064] In parallel to this, the purchaser logs-in to his application (web-based social network service or web-based email service, or instant messaging service, or mobile payment (digital wallet) service, or online store) or has already logged-in (1B).

[0065] The purchaser sends the unique one-time number of the sales receipt to the web-based social network service, or web-based email service, or instant messaging service, or mobile payment (digital wallet) service, or online store (IC). The purchaser's application (web-based social network service, or web-based email service, or instant messaging service, or mobile payment (digital wallet) service, or online store) sends this the unique one-time number of the sales receipt with the personal purchaser data to the payment system (2B). The payment system receives two information packages with the same unique one-time number of the sales receipt and combines them for the processing (2A). The payment system then checks the customer's ability to pay (3) with the card-issuing bank and if appropriate receives an inquiry confirmation (4). The payment system then sends an inquiry confirmation (5) to the acquiring bank, which is then forwarded again to the department store (6) or the POS system which release the information for the payment.

[0066] In FIG. 2, the basic elements are that the purchaser is a user of the web-based social network service, or web-based email service, or instant messaging service, or mobile payment (digital wallet) service, or online store to which he has given his personal payment details. A single split transmission of information on the payment from purchaser and vendor takes place. The unique one-time number of the sales receipt is used to facilitate connection between two information packages. Besides, the identifying code that identifies the POS system of the vendor (department store, caf, multi-storey car park etc) is used to facilitate the connection between two information packages. In principle, the handling sequence is similar to that in FIG. 1, but here each information package contains an identifying code that identifies the POS system of the vendor.

[0067] In addition to the unique one-time number of the sales receipt, the identifying code (that identifies the POS system of the vendor) can be used to merge both information packages by the payment system. The purchaser logs-in the wireless network associated with the POS system of the vendor using his smartphone in order to accept his purchase (transaction).

[0068] The smartphone receives information on the identifying code that identifies the POS system of the vendor, which is also sent to the payment system/transaction network.

[0069] The vendor's POS system receives a signal relating to the desired purchase and sends the data to the payment system/transaction network via its acquiring bank (1A).

[0070] The further steps correspond to FIG. 1 wherein additionally the identifying code (that identifies the POS system of the vendor) is compared.

[0071] FIG. 3 again shows a modified version. Once again, the basic elements are that the purchaser is a user of the web-based social network service, or web-based email service, or instant messaging service, or mobile payment (digital wallet) service, or online store where he has specified his personal payment details. A single split transmission of information on the payment of the purchaser and vendor takes place. The use of the unique one-time number of the sales receipt as a connection possibility between two information packages is merged using the identifying code that identifies the POS system of the vendor (department store, caf, multi-storey car park etc) and using the mobile identifying code (that identifies the mobile device and the specific user). This causes 3 parameters to be compared.

[0072] The handling sequence is the same as with variants in FIGS. 1 and 2, but here each information package also contains the mobile identifying code (that identifies the mobile device and the specific user).

[0073] In addition to the unique one-time number of the sales receipt, this mobile identifying code is used for the merging on the part of the payment system.

[0074] The purchaser logs-in the wireless network associated with the POS system of the vendor using his smartphone in order to accept his purchase (transaction).

[0075] The vendor's wireless network associated with the POS system receives both components the mobile identifying code (that identifies the mobile device and the specific user) and the identifying code that identifies the POS system of the vendor. Then each party (the POS system and the mobile device of the customer) sends these identifiers together with the complete information package to the payment system transaction network. (1) (2) (3)

[0076] In this case, both identifiers are additional components in the search for two information packages sent to the payment system (transaction network) during the course of a purchase.

[0077] FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams of the course of the present method. In a first step, a POS system generates a sales slip for a transaction with a unique one-time identifier. When the mobile device has logged-in with one of the possible application (web-based social network service, or web-based email service, or instant messaging service, or mobile payment (digital wallet) service, or online store), the POS system receives the corresponding information on the log-in from the access system (which is not shown). The POS system then asks the department store's acquiring bank (payment system/transaction network) whether an account is linked to the identification of the mobile device on which the corresponding bank details of the customer are stored. In the event that the identification of the mobile device also matches the location, which was requested from the telephone service provider, additional data are available. If the telephone service provider establishes that the location and identification of the mobile device match and there is no unauthorised use, feedback is sent to the payment system. The server system in turn notifies the store's bank of this in order to ensure that there is no unauthorised use. When these details have been exchanged, the payment system concludes the transaction via the issuing bank. When this has taken place, a remittance is transmitted to the department store. The POS system is also informed of the successful conclusion of the transaction.

[0078] FIG. 4 additionally shows that the unique one-time number of the sales receipt is transmitted between the smartphone and the POS system via a NFC connection. The transaction data gets sent to the payment system/transaction network, which then in turn forward the data to the bank for clearing. In parallel, the data is also transmitted from the department store to payment system/transaction network with assistance of its acquiring bank.

[0079] In this case the transaction data includes but not limited to the following elements: [0080] the unique transaction identifier (unique one-time digital code), [0081] the identifying code that identifies the POS system (if the unique one-time digital code is generated by the utilizing of the POS system), [0082] the mobile identifying code that identifies the mobile device and the specific user (if the unique one-time digital code is generated by the utilizing of the mobile device of the customer).