Intelligent authentication

A computer comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory element comprising code, executable by the processor, for implementing a method comprising:
• receiving an authentication request for a payment transaction from a server computer;
• determining, from the authentication request, a mobile device to be associated with the payment transaction and one or more capabilities associated with the mobile device;
• identifying a set of authentication channels available to an authorizing entity and available to the mobile device associated with the payment transaction based on the one or more capabilities determined to be associated with the mobile device;
• selecting, using criteria associated with the authorizing entity, an authentication channel of the set of authentication channels to be used in completing the payment transaction;
• establishing a first communication session with the mobile device via the selected authentication channel;
• establishing a second communication session with the authorizing entity;
• routing the authentication request to the mobile device via the first communication session;
• and
• routing an authentication response from the mobile device to the authorizing entity via the first communication session and the second communication session.

A system comprising:

• a server computer coupled to a payment processing network capable of receiving a payment initiation request;
• an issuer profile database, accessible by the server computer, that contains an issuer profile for an issuer, wherein the issuer profile indicates a set of authentication channels that may be used by the issuer to authenticate a payment transaction as well as criteria associated with the set of authentication channels;
• and
• an application program stored on the server computer that determines a subset of authentication channels included in the set of authentication channels of the issuer profile and supported by a mobile device associated with a user of the payment initiation request, and selects an appropriate authentication channel from the subset of authentication channels based on the criteria associated with the set of authentication channels and a type of transaction indicated in the payment initiation request.

A method for authenticating a payment transaction via the authentication channel, the method comprising:

• receiving an authentication request for a payment transaction from a server computer;
• determining a set of authentication channels available to the authorizing entity;
• determining, from the authentication request, a mobile device to be associated with the payment transaction and one or more capabilities associated with the mobile device;
• determining a set of authentication channels available to the mobile device associated with the payment transaction based on the one or more capabilities determined to be associated with the mobile device;
• identifying a subset of authentication channels including authentication channels in both the set of authentication channels available to the authorizing entity and the set of authentication channels available to the mobile device associated with the payment transaction;
• automatically selecting, using criteria associated with the authorizing entity, an authentication channel from the subset of authentication channels;
• initiating communication with the mobile device via the selected authentication channel;
• initiating communication with the authorization entity via the selected authentication channel;
• and
• routing, via the selected authentication channel, an authentication response from the mobile device to the authorization entity, such that the payment transaction is authenticated by the authorization entity in response to receiving the authentication response from the mobile device.