Method and apparatus for secure online transactions

An apparatus for performing online transactions comprising:

• a registration module for registering a user to a merchant;
• a first level authentication mechanism for authenticating said user to said merchant;
• and
• a second, graphical authentication mechanism for authenticating credit card information of said user.

An online transaction method comprising the steps of:

• registering, by a user, to a merchant through a wallet service by providing said user's personal and credit card information;
• performing a first level authentication of said user to said merchant when said user logs on to start a transaction;
• shopping, by said user, at a site of said merchant;
• starting check out said site of said merchant;
• entering, by said user, a level-two authentication password;
• authenticating, by said wallet, said user using said level-two authentication password;
• and
• completing check out at said site of said merchant using a credit card enrolled in said wallet.

An online transaction method comprise the steps of:

• registering, by a user, to a merchant through a wallet service by providing his personal and credit card information;
• performing a first level authentication of said user to said merchant when said user logs on to start a transaction;
• shopping, by said user, at a site of said merchant;
• starting, by said user, check out said site of said merchant;
• entering, by said user, a level-two authentication password;
• selecting, by said user, a credit card from said wallet;
• figuring out, by said wallet, whether said credit card authentication by a credit card issuer can be performed;
• authenticating, by said wallet, said user using said level-two authentication password if said credit card authentication by said credit card issuer can not be performed;
• and
• completing, by said user, check out at said site of said merchant.

An apparatus for performing online transactions comprising:

• a registration module for registering a user to a merchant;
• personal information and credit card information of said user;
• a level-one authentication password;
• a level-two authentication password;
• means to store said personal information and said credit card information of said user;
• a mechanism for creating said level-one authentication password;
• a mechanism for creating said level-two authentication password;
• a first level authentication mechanism for authenticating said user to said merchant to access said personal information by the user;
• a second level authentication mechanism for authenticating said user to said merchant to access said credit card information;
• and
• a module to determine whether a credit card issuer require a personal identification number for online use of said credit card information.

An online transaction method comprise the steps of:

• checking out by a user from a web site of a merchant after he selects merchandise or services sold by said merchant;
• receiving, by a browser, from a server an extensible HTML page containing a transaction message represented in a payment markup language which is used to describe payment transactions;
• rendering said extensible HTML page to a graphical interface that resembles a real world receipt;
• signing said transaction message with a certificate of said user to generate a signature and sending said signature back to the server when using said graphical interface;
• sending said signature back to the server by said browser;
• said server generating a complete transaction message including said signature and sending it to a payment gateway;
• and
• said payment gateway verifying said transaction message with said signature and proceeding to honor said transaction.

An apparatus for performing online transactions comprising:

• a user performing online transactions;
• a transaction message in a payment markup language represent a payment transaction;
• a server providing an extensible HTML page contains said transaction message;
• a browser that renders said extensible HTML page to a graphical interface that resembles a real world receipt;
• and
• a payment gateway that authorizes said online transactions.