Systems and methods for expedited processing of authenticated computer messages

A merchant computing device comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory,
• wherein said processor is programmed to:
• receive, from a transaction message processing server, an association of a first authentication data field with a first location within an ISO8583 network message for embedding a decision data element, wherein the decision data element indicates a level of authentication determined by a merchant associated with the merchant computing device for a payment transaction when the payment transaction is initiated by a cardholder for authorization by an issuer, the ISO8583 network message including data representing the payment transaction, wherein the decision data element indicates that the merchant determined that the payment transaction is one of (i) highly authenticated and low risk, (ii) moderately authenticated and moderate risk, and (iii) unauthenticated and high risk, the ISO8583 network message including the decision data element being an enhanced ISO8583 message;
• store, in the memory, the received association of the first authentication data field with the first location within the enhanced ISO8583 message for embedding the decision data element;
• gather metadata associated with a browsing session initiated by a consumer;
• evaluate the gathered metadata through an authentication process of the merchant to determine the authentication level of a first payment transaction initiated by the consumer during the browsing session;
• when the authentication level includes highly authenticated, generate an authorization request message associated with the first payment transaction and formatted as an enhanced ISO8583 message transmitted over a transaction processing network;
• embed the decision data element into the first authentication data field of the authorization request message, the decision data element indicating that the transaction is a highly authenticated transaction and is eligible for expedited processing;
• and
• transmit the authorization request message including the embedded decision data element to the transaction message processing server, wherein the embedded decision data element is configured to be automatically detected and interpreted by the transaction message processing server, based on the embedded decision data element being in the first authentication data field, to cause the transaction message processing server to automatically authenticate the transaction, thereby improving transaction processing speeds over the transaction processing server.

A method of expedited processing of authenticated computer messages, the method implemented using a transaction message processing server including a processor in communication with a memory, the method comprising:

• associating a first authentication data field with a first location within an ISO8583 network message for receiving a decision data element, wherein the decision data element indicates a level of authentication determined by a merchant for a payment transaction when the payment transaction is initiated by a cardholder for authorization by an issuer, the ISO8583 network message including data representing the payment transaction, wherein the decision data element indicates that the merchant determined that the payment transaction is one of (i) highly authenticated and low risk, (ii) moderately authenticated and moderate risk, and (iii) unauthenticated and low risk;
• associating a second authentication data field with a second location within the ISO8583 network message for receiving an authentication reason code, wherein the authentication reason code indicates to the issuer the level of authentication determined by the merchant for the payment transaction, wherein the ISO8583 network message having the first authentication data field and the second authentication data field form an enhanced ISO8583 message;
• storing, in the memory, (i) the association of the first authentication data field with the first location within the enhanced ISO8583 message for receiving the decision data element;
• (ii) the association of the second authentication data field with the second location within the enhanced ISO8583 message for receiving an authentication reason code;
• and (iii) the reason codes each having a definition, determined by the merchant, associated therewith including one of highly authenticated, moderately authenticated, and unauthenticated;
• providing the reason codes, the reason code definitions and the second location of the second authentication data field within the enhanced ISO8583 message to an issuer computing device;
• receiving a first authorization request message from a sender computing device, the first authorization request message associated with a first payment transaction and formatted as an enhanced ISO8583 message transmitted over a transaction processing network;
• detecting, based on the first location of the authentication data field, the decision data element in the first authentication data field of the first authorization request message;
• interpreting the decision data element as an indicator that the transaction is a highly authenticated transaction;
• in response to the indicator, retrieving from the memory a first of the reason codes, the first reason code being defined to indicate that the transaction is identified as a highly authenticated transaction based on an internal authentication process performed by the merchant involved in the transaction and the transaction is eligible for expedited processing;
• modifying the first authorization request message by embedding the first reason code into the second authentication data field of the first authorization request message;
• and
• transmitting the modified first authorization request message including the embedded first reason code to the issuer computing device, wherein the embedded first reason code, when processed by the issuer computing device, is configured to cause the issuer computing device to perform the expedited processing by bypassing at least one issuer authentication process to automatically authenticate the first payment transaction, thereby improving transaction processing speeds over the transaction processing server.