Systems and Methods to Process Payments

A computer-readable storage media storing instructions, the instructions causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• storing data to associate a phone number with an account, the data including a balance of the account configured to store funds for a user of the account, identification information of a plurality of funding sources, and security data for authentication;
• funding the account using the phone number and the plurality of funding sources, including transmitting premium messages to the phone number to collect funds via a telecommunication carrier of the phone number;
• receiving requests from payment terminals, the requests identifying the account using the phone number;
• authenticating the requests via both the security data and communications with a mobile phone having the phone number;
• and
• effecting payments using the account in accordance with the requests after the requests pass authentication using both the security data and the communications with the mobile phone.

A system, comprising:

• a data storage facility to store data associating a phone number with an account, the data including
• a balance of the account configured to store funds for a user of the account, identification information of a plurality of funding sources, and security data for authentication;
• and
• an interchange coupled with the data storage facility, the interchange including a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers, the converters configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats, the converters to communicate with the common format processor in a common format, the common format processor to use one converter of the converters to transmit premium messages to the phone number to collect funds for the account via a telecommunication carrier of the phone number, the common format processor to fund the account using the plurality of funding sources, the common format processor to receive from payment terminals requests identifying the account using the phone number and in response to requests, the common format processor to authenticate the requests via both the security data and communications via the converter with a mobile phone having the phone number, the common format processor to effect payments using the account in accordance with the requests after the requests are authenticated using both the security data and the communications with the mobile phone.