Embedding credentials in network addresses

A method comprising:

• requesting, by a client device, a network address for the client device by providing an account identifier to a server computer associated with a service provider, the account identifier identifying an account associated with the client device;
• receiving, by the client device, the network address assigned to the client device by the server computer in response to the server computer verifying the account identifier and selecting the network address from a set of network addresses allocated to the service provider by a network address assignment authority, wherein the network address comprises a routing prefix field and a network interface identifier field, the routing prefix field including an issuer identifier of an issuer of the account, and the network interface identifier field including an interface identifier that maps to the account identifier;
• transmitting, by the client device, an account activity network packet to a target device to perform an action on the account, the account activity network packet having a source address corresponding to the network address of the client device, and a destination address corresponding to a network address of the target device;
• and
• transmitting, by the client device, an activity log network packet to the server computer, the activity log network packet including account activity data associated with the action performed on the account, wherein the server computer determines the issuer and the account identifier of the account based on a source address in a packet header of the activity log network packet, and transmits an account update message including the account identifier and processing information based on the account activity data to the issuer, and wherein the issuer updates the account using the processing information.

A client device comprising:

• a processor;
• a network interface;
• and
• a memory storing executable code, which when executed by the processor, causes the client device to implement operations including:
• requesting a network address for the client device by providing an account identifier to a server computer associated with a service provider, the account identifier identifying an account associated with the client device;
• receiving the network address assigned to the client device by the server computer in response to the server computer verifying the account identifier and selecting the network address from a set of network addresses allocated to the service provider by a network address assignment authority, wherein the network address comprises a routing prefix field and a network interface identifier field, the routing prefix field including an issuer identifier of an issuer of the account, and the network interface identifier field including an interface identifier that maps to the account identifier;
• transmitting an account activity network packet to a target device to perform an action on the account, the account activity network packet having a source address corresponding to the network address of the client device, and a destination address corresponding to a network address of the target device;
• and
• transmitting an activity log network packet to the server computer, the activity log network packet including account activity data associated with the action performed on the account, wherein the server computer determines the issuer and the account identifier of the account based on a source address in a packet header of the activity log network packet, and transmits an account update message including the account identifier and processing information based on the account activity data to the issuer, and wherein the issuer updates the account using the processing information.