Four-party credit/debit payment protocol

A system for electronic commerce, comprising:

• connecting apparatus which forms a four party payment protocol for electronic sales including a consumer's computer coupled to a merchant's computer and to an issuing bank computer via an issuer gateway, the merchant computer being further coupled to an acquiring bank computer;
• the merchant's computer sending over an internet network to the consumer's computer, a merchant message including a wallet initiation message, a merchant digital signature, and a digital certificate from an acquiring bank, said wallet initiation message including a payment amount, an order description, and a timestamp;
• the consumer's wallet program in said consumer's computer responsive to said wallet initiation message, for sending from said consumer's computer consumer identity and authentication information and said merchant message, to the issuer gateway for an issuing bank;
• the issuing bank creating a reference number or value representing the consumer's credit or debit card number by preparing a table of credit card or debit card numbers and a corresponding table of reference numbers, the issuing bank pairing the consumer's card number with a selected reference number and outputting the reference number to the issuer gateway;
• the issuer gateway verifying said merchant's signature to prove that the consumer is dealing with the actual merchant and validating at said issuer gateway the merchant's certificate and the acquirer's certificate to prove that the merchant and issuer share a common financial arrangement;
• said issuer gateway verifing the consumer's account and ensuring that funds and/or credit are available to support the payment amount, then authorizing payment by sending over said internet network an authorization token, an issuer's digital certificate, said wallet initiation message, and a reference to said consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said authorization token including the payment amount, order description, timestamp, a random nonce plus a merchant identifier and a reference to the consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said merchant's computer receiving said authorization token and fulfilling said order description;
• and
• said merchant sending a capture request message including the reference number representing the consumer's card number over the internet to an acquirer gateway operating on behalf of an acquirer bank to capture the transaction and disburse payment to the merchant.

A computer program product, comprising:

• computer program code forming a four party payment protocol for electronic sales including a consumer's computer coupled to a merchant's computer and to an issuing bank computer via an issuer gateway, the merchant computer being further coupled to an acquiring bank computer;
• computer program code means for sending from the merchant's computer over an internet network to the consumer's computer, a merchant message including a wallet initiation message, a merchant digital signature, and a digital certificate from an acquiring bank, said wallet initiation message including a payment amount, an order description, and a timestamp;
• computer program code means for starting a consumer's wallet program in said consumer's computer in response to said wallet initiation message;
• computer program code means for sending from said consumer's computer consumer identity and authentication information and said merchant message, to the issuer gateway for an issuing bank;
• computer program code at the issuing bank creating a reference number or value representing the consumer's credit or debit card number by preparing a table of credit card or debit card numbers and a corresponding table of reference numbers, the issuing bank pairing the consumer's card number with a selected reference number and outputting the reference number to the issuer gateway;
• computer program code verifying at said issuer gateway said merchant's signature to prove that the consumer is dealing with the actual merchant and validating at said issuer gateway the merchant's certificate and the acquirer's certificate to prove that the merchant and issuer share a common financial arrangement;
• said issuer gateway verifying the consumer's account and ensuring that funds and/or credit are available to support the payment amount, then authorizing payment by sending over said internet network an authorization token, an issuer's digital certificate, said wallet initiation message, and a reference to said consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said authorization token including the payment amount, order description, timestamp, a random nonce plus a merchant identifier and a reference to the consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said merchant's computer receiving said authorization token and fulfilling said order description;
• and
• computer program code at the acquiring bank settling accounts with the issuing bank over a private network by sending a settlement message that includes the reference number to the consumer's card number.

A data processing system for electronic commerce, comprising:

• connecting apparatus which forms a four party payment protocol for electronic sales including a consumer's computer coupled to a merchant's computer and to an issuing bank computer via an issuer gateway, the merchant computer being further coupled to an acquiring bank computer;
• sending apparatus which sends from a merchant's computer over an internet network to a consumer's computer, a merchant message including a wallet initiation message, a merchant digital signature, and a digital certificate from an acquiring bank, said wallet initiation message including a payment amount, an order description, and a timestamp;
• means for starting a consumer's wallet program in said consumer's computer in response to said wallet initiation message;
• means for sending from said consumer's computer consumer identity and authentication information and said merchant message, to an issuer gateway for an issuing bank;
• the issuing bank creating a reference number or value representing the consumer's credit or debit card number by preparing a table of credit card or debit card numbers and a corresponding table of reference numbers, the issuing bank pairing the consumer's card number with a selected reference number and outputting the reference number to the issuer gateway;
• means for verifying at said issuer gateway said merchant's signature to prove that the consumer is dealing with the actual merchant and validating at said issuer gateway the merchant's certificate and the acquirer's certificate to prove that the merchant and issuer share a common financial arrangement;
• said issuer gateway verifying the consumer's account and ensuring that finds and/or credit are available to support the payment amount, then authorizing payment by sending over said internet network an authorization token, an issuer's digital certificate, said wallet initiation message, and a reference to said consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said authorization token including the payment amount, order description, timestamp, a random nonce plus a merchant identifier and a reference to the consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said merchant's computer receiving said authorization token and fulfilling said order description;
• and
• the issuing bank converting the reference number into the consumer's card number and applying the transaction amount to the consumer's balance in his credit card or deposit account.

A method for electronic commerce, comprising;

• forming a four party payment protocol for electronic sales including a consumer's computer coupled to a merchant's computer and to an issuing bank computer via an issuer gateway, the merchant computer being further coupled to an acquiring bank computer;
• sending from a merchant's computer over an internet network to a consumer's computer, a merchant message including a wallet initiation message, a merchant digital signature, and a digital certificate from an acquiring bank, said wallet initiation message including a payment amount, an order description, and a timestamp;
• said acquiring bank's digital certificate containing a network address or URL that identifies the network location of said acquiring bank contacted via an internet network as part of a payment protocol;
• starting a consumer's wallet program in said consumer's computer in response to said wallet initiation message;
• sending from said consumer's computer consumer identity and authentication information and said merchant message, to an issuer gateway for an issuing bank;
• the issuing bank creating a reference number or value representing the consumer's credit or debit card number by preparing a table of credit card or debit card numbers and a corresponding table of reference numbers, the issuing bank pairing the consumer's card number with a selected reference number and outputting the reference number to the issuer gateway;
• verifying at said issuer gateway said merchant's signature to prove that the consumer is dealing with the actual merchant and validating at said issuer gateway the merchant's certificate and the acquirer's certificate to prove that the merchant and issuer share a common financial arrangement;
• said issuer gateway verifying the consumer's account and ensuring that funds and/or credit are available to support the payment amount, then authorizing payment by sending over said internet network an authorization token, an issuer's digital certificate, said wallet initiation message, and a reference to said consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said issuer's digital certificate containing a network address or URL that identifies the network location of the issuer contacted via an internet network as part of a payment protocol;
• said authorization token including the payment amount, order description, timestamp, a random nonce plus a merchant identifier and a reference to the consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said merchant's computer receiving said authorization token and fulfilling said order description;
• said merchant sending a capture request message including the reference number representing the consumer's card number over the internet to an acquirer gateway operating on behalf of an acquirer bank to capture the transaction and disburse payment to the merchant;
• the acquiring bank settling accounts with the issuing bank over a private network by sending a settlement message that includes the reference number to the consumer's card number;
• and
• the issuing bank converting the reference number into the consumer's card number and applying the transaction amount to the consumer's balance in his credit card or deposit account.

A method for electronic commerce, comprising:

• forming a four party payment protocol for electronic sales including a consumer's computer coupled to a merchant's computer and to an issuing bank computer via an issuer gateway, the merchant computer being further coupled to an acquiring bank computer;
• sending from the consumer's computer consumer to an issuer gateway for an issuing bank, an authorization request message containing consumer identity and authentication information, payment amount, an order description, a timestamp, a digital certificate representing a merchant, and a digital certificate representing the merchant's acquiring bank;
• said merchant's digital certificate containing a merchant identifier unique for the acquiring bank;
• said acquiring bank's digital certificate containing a bank identifier unique among all banks sharing a common financial arrangement;
• validating at said issuer gateway the merchant's certificate and the acquirer's certificate to prove that the merchant, acquirer, and issuer share a common financial arrangement;
• said issuer gateway verifying the consumer's account and ensuring that funds and/or credit are available to support the payment amount, then authorizing payment by sending over said internet network an authorization token, an issuer's digital certificate, and a reference to said consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said authorization token including the payment amount, order description, timestamp, a random nonce, said merchant identifier from the merchant's digital certificate, and said acquiring bank identifier from said acquiring bank's digital certificate, plus a reference to the consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said authorization token being digitally signed by the issuing bank;
• said merchant's computer receiving said authorization token and fulfilling said order description
• said merchant sending a capture request message including the reference number representing the consumer's card number over the internet to an acquirer gateway operating on behalf of an acquirer bank to capture the transaction and disburse payment to the merchant;
• the acquiring bank settling accounts with the issuing bank over a private network by sending a settlement message that includes the reference number to the consumer's card number;
• and
• the issuing bank converting the reference number into the consumer's card number and applying the transaction amount to the consumer's balance in his credit card or deposit account.

A method for electronic commerce, comprising:

• forming a four party payment protocol for electronic sales, the four party payment protocol including a consumer's computer coupled to a merchant's computer and to an issuing bank computer via an issuer gateway, the merchant computer being further coupled to an acquirer bank computer;
• sending from the merchant's computer over an internet network to the consumer's computer, a merchant message including a wallet initiation message, and a digital certificate of a merchant provided by an acquiring bank, said wallet initiation message including a payment amount, an order description, a merchant identifier and a timestamp;
• starting a consumer's wallet program in said consumer's computer in response to said wallet initiation message;
• sending from said consumer's computer consumer identity and authentication information and said merchant message, to the issuer gateway for an issuing bank;
• the issuing bank creating a reference number or value representing the consumer's credit or debit card number by preparing a table of credit card or debit card numbers and a corresponding table of reference numbers, the issuing bank pairing the consumer's card number with a selected reference number and outputting the reference number to the issuer gateway;
• verifying at said issuer gateway that the merchant and issuer share a common financial arrangement;
• said issuer gateway verifying the consumer's account and ensuring that funds and/or credit are available to support the payment amount, then authorizing payment by sending over said internet network an authorization token, an issuer's digital certificate, said wallet initiation message, and a reference to said consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said authorization token including the payment amount, order description, timestamp, a random nonce plus a merchant identifier and a reference to the consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said merchant's computer receiving said authorization token and fulfilling said order description;
• and
• sending a capture request message including the reference number representing the consumer's card number over the internet from the merchant to an acquirer gateway operating on behalf of an acquirer bank to capture the transaction and disburse payment to the merchant.

A system for electronic commerce, comprising:

• means for forming a four party payment protocol for electronic sales, the four party payment protocol including a consumer's computer coupled to a merchant's computer and to an issuing bank computer via an issuer gateway, the merchant computer being further coupled to an acquirer bank computer;
• the merchant's computer sending over an internet network to the consumer's computer, a merchant message including a wallet initiation message, and a digital certificate of a merchant provided by an acquiring bank, said wallet initiation message including a payment amount, an order description, a merchant identifier and a timestamp;
• a consumer's wallet program in said consumer's computer responsive to said wallet initiation message, for sending from said consumer's computer consumer identity and authentication information and said merchant message, to the issuer gateway for an issuing bank;
• the issuing bank creating a reference number or value representing the consumer's credit or debit card number by preparing a table of credit card or debit card numbers and a corresponding table of reference numbers, the issuing bank pairing the consumer's card number with a selected reference number and outputting the reference number to the issuer gateway;
• the issuer gateway verifying that the merchant and issuer share a common financial arrangement;
• said issuer gateway verifying the consumer's account and ensuring that funds and/or credit are available to support the payment amount, then authorizing payment by sending over said internet network an authorization token, an issuer's digital certificate, said wallet initiation message, and a reference to said consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said authorization token including the payment amount, order description, timestamp, a random nonce plus a merchant identifier and a reference to the consumer's credit or debit card number;
• said merchant's computer receiving said authorization token and fulfilling said order description;
• and
• settling apparatus which settles accounts with the issuing bank by the acquiring bank over a private network by sending a settlement message that includes the reference number to the consumer's card number.