On-boarding server for authorizing an entity to effect electronic payments

A method of authorizing an entity to receive electronic payment, comprising:

• a computer server receiving a data set and a manufacturer identifier from a communications device, and validating an identity of the entity from the data set;
• the computer server locating a first terminal cryptographic key associated with the manufacturer identifier in a terminal database;
• the computer server confirming, using the located first terminal cryptographic key, that the manufacturer identifier received from the communications device was signed with a second terminal cryptographic key, wherein the located first terminal cryptographic key and the second terminal cryptographic key are an asymmetric cryptographic key pair;
• the computer server determining an acquirer server from the data set;
• and
• the computer server authorizing the entity to effect electronic payments by providing the communications device with a merchant identifier and transmitting the merchant identifier to the acquirer server.

A non-transient computer-readable medium storing a terminal database and further storing processing instructions, which when executed by a processing unit of a computer, cause the processing unit to:

• receive a data set and a manufacturer identifier from a communications device, and validate an identity of an entity from the data set;
• locate a first terminal cryptographic key associated with the manufacturer identifier in the terminal database;
• confirm, using the located first terminal cryptographic key, that the manufacturer identifier received from the communications device was signed with a second terminal cryptographic key, wherein the located first terminal cryptographic key and the second terminal cryptographic key are an asymmetric cryptographic key pair;
• determine an acquirer server from the data set;
• and
• authorize the entity to effect electronic payments by providing the communications device with a merchant identifier and transmitting the merchant identifier to the acquirer server.