Electronic online commerce card with transactionproxy number for online transactions

A method for registering for an online commerce card, comprising the following steps:

• initiating, at the customer, a request for an online commerce card application;
• downloading software code to the customer to assist in completing the card application;
• submitting the application for the commerce card from the customer to the issuing authority;
• supplying a preliminary customer identifier to the customer;
• submitting a request for a certificate from the issuing authority, the request including the preliminary customer identifier to identify the customer;
• associating a customer account number with the customer;
• and
• downloading a signed digital certificate from the issuing authority to the customer, the signed digital certificate comprising part of the commerce card.

A method for utilizing an online commerce card in conducting online commerce transactions between a customer and a merchant, the commerce card having a permanent customer number associated therewith to identify the customer, comprising the following steps:

• submitting a request for a proxy number from the customer to an authority;
• generating the proxy number at the authority;
• associating the proxy number with the permanent customer number;
• issuing the proxy number to the customer;
• and
• sending the proxy number, rather than the permanent customer number, to the merchant to commence the online commerce transaction.

A computer-implemented method for handling a request for an online commerce transaction number that can be used by a customer in conducting an online commerce transaction, comprising the following steps:

• generating a transaction number;
• associating the transaction number with a customer number that identifies the customer;
• and
• transmitting the transaction number to the customer for use as a proxy for the customer number during the online commerce transaction.

At an authority responsible for authorizing an online commerce transaction involving payment by an electronically transmitted account number, a computer-implemented method for handling an authorization request to honor the account number and accept payment, comprising the following steps:

• determining whether the authorization request involves a permanent customer account number or a transaction number that is used as a proxy for the customer account number;
• in an event that the authorization request involves a transaction number, performing the following steps:
• using the transaction number to cross-reference to an associated customer account number;
• substituting the associated customer account number in place of the transaction number;
• and
• processing the authorization request using the associated customer account number.

A method for facilitating online commerce, comprising the following steps:

• (A) conducting a registration phase between a customer and an issuing authority comprising the following steps:
• (1) initiating, at the customer, a request for an online commerce card application;
• (2) downloading software code to the customer to assist in completing the card application;
• (3) submitting the application for the commerce card from the customer to the issuing authority;
• (4) supplying a preliminary customer identifier to the customer;
• (5) submitting, from the customer, a request for a certificate from the issuing authority, the request including the preliminary customer identifier to identify the customer;
• and
• (6) associating a customer account number with the customer;
• and
• (7) downloading a signed digital certificate from the issuing authority to the customer and software code that supports a user interface button to invoke a user interface for facilitating online commerce transactions, the signed digital certificate and user interface button forming the online commerce card having the customer account number associated therewith;
• (B) utilizing the online commerce card to conduct an online commerce transaction phase between the customer and a merchant comprising the following steps:
• (1) submitting a request to use the commerce card from the customer to the issuing authority;
• (2) generating a transaction number;
• (3) associating the transaction number with the customer account number;
• and
• (4) transmitting the transaction number to the customer for use as a proxy for the customer account number during the online commerce transaction;
• (5) sending the transaction number, rather than the permanent customer number, to the merchant to commence the online commerce transaction;
• (C) conducting a payment authorization phase at the issuing authority in response to receiving an authorization request from the merchant to honor the transaction number and accept payment, comprising the following steps:
• (1) identifying the authorization request as involving a transaction number that is used as a proxy for the customer account number;
• (2) using the transaction number to cross-reference to the associated customer account number;
• (3) substituting the associated customer account number in place of the transaction number;
• (4) processing the authorization request using the associated customer account number;
• (5) substituting the transaction number in place of the customer account number;
• and
• (6) replying to the merchant using the transaction number in lieu of the customer account number.

A system for facilitating online commerce, comprising:

• a customer computing unit resident at a customer site, the customer computing unit being configured with an online commerce card for use in online commerce transactions, the online commerce card being associated with a customer account number;
• an authority computing system resident at an authority site, the authority computing system having a database to hold the customer account number, the authority computing system being configured to generate a transaction number, associate the transaction number with the customer account number in the database and electronically issue the transaction number to the customer computing unit;
• the customer computing unit being configured to use the transaction number in an online commerce transaction with a merchant;
• and
• the authority computing system being configured to receive from the merchant an authorization request for approval of the transaction number, the authority computing system using the transaction number to cross-reference in the database the associated customer account number and to process the authorization request with the customer account number.

A system for issuing online commerce cards used in online commerce transactions, comprising:

• a customer account manager to establish a customer account number for a customer and to associate the customer account number to a digital certificate that is unique to the customer, the digital certificate being in embodied in an electronically transmittable form which can be downloaded to the customer for use as an online commerce card;
• a transaction number generator to generate a transaction number for an online commerce transaction in which the customer desires to engage;
• and
• the customer account manager being configured to associate the transaction number with the customer account number, the transaction number being embodied in an electronically transmittable form which can be downloaded to the customer so that the customer can use the transaction number in the online commerce transaction as a proxy for the customer account number.

An electronically realizable commerce card embodied on a computer-readable medium comprising:

• a first data field to hold a permanent customer account number having N digits and a predefined format that is recognized as an acceptable card number format;
• a second data field to hold a temporary transaction number that serves as a proxy for the customer account number, the transaction number having the N digits and the format identical to the customer account number;
• and
• wherein the first and second data fields are related to associate the customer account number with the transaction number.