Secure payment and billing method using mobile phone number or account

A computer implemented method for processing payments for goods or services, the method comprising:

• providing a mobile phone of a user including a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of the user, wherein a payment processor is configured to receive a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, and the payment request includes the mobile phone number associated with the mobile phone account of the user;
• sending by the payment processor based on the payment request a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;
• sending by the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request a payment authorization request text message over a mobile network of the mobile operator to the mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;
• sending by the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message a payment authorization text message over the mobile network of the mobile operator including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;
• receiving by the mobile operator the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;
• receiving by the payment processor a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;
• if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment;
• and
• if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and
• wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.

A computer program product for processing payments for goods or services and including one or more computer readable instructions embedded on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to cause one or more computer processors to perform the steps of:

• providing a mobile phone of a user including a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of the user, wherein a payment processor is configured to receive a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, and the payment request includes the mobile phone number associated with the mobile phone account of the user;
• sending by the payment processor based on the payment request a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;
• sending by the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request a payment authorization request text message over a mobile network of the mobile operator to the mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;
• sending by the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message a payment authorization text message over the mobile network of the mobile operator including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;
• receiving by the mobile operator the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;
• receiving by the payment processor a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;
• if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment;
• and
• if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and
• wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.