System for managing personal identifiers and financial instrument use

In a data processing system including at least one communications device having a client application, a web-enabled device, and an Application Service Provider system having at least one server computer, all connected via a communications network, a method of verifying that an owner's use of a personal identifier or financial instrument is authenticated, comprising the steps of:

• generating by said web-enabled device a request for transaction authorization when said owner uses said personal identifier or financial instrument and waiting for a response;
• receiving at said Application Service Provider System said request for authorization of use of the personal identifier or financial instrument;
• said Application Service Provider System executing any one or more of the following substeps,
• determining whether said owner previously provided an imminent use authorization for use of the personal identifier or financial instrument,
• determining whether said owner previously provided an entity specific authorization for use of the personal identifier or financial instrument,
• determining whether said owner previously provided a location specific authorization for use of the personal identifier or financial instrument;
• said Application Service Provider System determining from said preceding substeps if one of said imminent use authorization, entity specific authorization, and location specific authorization were provided and when none are provided, and transmitting the authorization of use request to the web-enabled device for direct authorization of use by the owner of said personal identifier or financial instrument, and
• said Application Service Provider System determining from said preceding substeps if any one or more of said imminent use authorization, entity specific authorization, location specific authorization and direct authorization of use were provided and transmitting a verification to said client application that said owner's use of a personal identifier or financial instrument is authentic.

In a data processing system including at least one communications device having a client application, a web-enabled device, and an Application Service Provider system consisting of at least one server computer, all connected via a communications network, a method of providing secondary confirmation verifying the authorization of use of a financial instrument or personal identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating by said web-enabled device a request for payment via a financial instrument or personal identifier from an owner of said financial instrument;
• receiving by said Application Service Provider system said request for payment;
• executing any one or more of the following substeps,
• determining by said Application Service Provider system whether said owner has provided an imminent use authorization, and producing by said Application Service Provider system a first result,
• determining by said Application Service Provider system whether said owner has provided a business or government entity specific authorization, and producing by said Application Service Provider system a second result,
• determining by said Application Service Provider system whether said owner has previously provided a location specific authorization, and producing by said Application Service Provider system a third result;
• transmitting by said Application Service Provider via said communications network a finding corresponding to at least one of the first result, second result and third results generated by said Application Service Provider, and receiving by said web-enabled device via said communications network said finding, wherein said web-enabled device either completes or cancels said request for payment based on said finding;
• where said system undertakes the above steps in combination with a third-party electronic authentication process undertaken by said web-enabled device to provide primary confirmation verifying the authorization of use of said personal identifier or financial instrument.