(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2001/0029485 A1
`Brody et al.
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Oct. 11, 2001
`
`US 20010O294.85A1
`
`(54) SYSTEMS AND METHODS ENABLING
`ANONYMOUS CREDIT TRANSACTIONS
`
`(75) Inventors: Robert M. Brody, Weston, CT (US);
`Reuben S. Kennedy, Duluth, GA (US)
`Correspondence Address:
`ALSTON & BIRD LLP
`BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
`101 SOUTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4000
`CHARLOTTE, NC 28280-4000 (US)
`(73) Assignee: E-Scoring, Inc.
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`(22) Filed:
`
`09/796,719
`Feb. 28, 2001
`e 1 V3
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(63) Non-provisional of provisional application No.
`60/186,166, filed on Feb. 29, 2000.
`Publication Classification
`
`(51) Int. Cl." ............................. G06F 17/60; H04K 1/00
`
`(52) U.S. Cl. ................................................. 705/39; 705/75
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`The system and method of the present invention enables
`consumers to purchase goods and Services from merchants,
`using credit cards, wherein the consumers can maintain the
`confidentiality of their credit card numbers and identity
`without disclosure to the merchants, So that an anonymous
`credit transaction can take place. The System and method
`takes blocks of consumer credit card numbers and creates
`dynamic mappings of the card numbers to account numbers
`or even other card numbers, Such as pseudo-random credit
`card numbers. The System and method of the present inven
`tion generates pseudo-random credit card attributes, which
`are presented to merchants at the time of purchase for
`Internet, telephone, or mail order purchases. Because
`pseudo-random attributes are transmitted to the merchant,
`the transaction between the consumer and merchant will be
`anonymous. Pseudo-random attributes include the card
`number, name, billing Zip code, expiration date, and pur
`chase amount, each of which can be used singularly or in
`combination to authenticate a transaction according to con
`Sumer preferences, which are captured when the consumer
`establishes the agent relationship with System of the present
`invention.
`
`42
`
`SO
`CONSUMERREGISTERS WITH
`ANOYMOSTRANSACTION al |
`
`44
`CONSUMERCOMMUNICATES WITH MERCHANT
`AND SELECTS GOODS OR SERVICES FOR PURCHASE
`
`52
`
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTIONSERVER
`GENERATES ANONYMOSCARD
`
`55
`
`OSMERLINKEDOANONYMOUS
`TRANSACTIONSERVER
`
`
`
`
`
`CONSUMER COMMUNICATES WITH MERCHANT,
`SEETS GOODS OR SERVICESFOR PURCHASE
`
`CONSUMERREGISTERS OROGSTO
`AONYMOUSTRANSACTIONSERVER
`
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTIONSERVER
`GENERATES ANONYMOUS CARD
`
`
`
`CONSUMER INPUTS ANONYMOUS CARDATTRIBUTES
`RESPONSETO MERCHAN. QUERY
`N
`MERCHAN RECEIVESANONYMS CARDARIBES
`AND REQUESIS CHARGEAMOUNT FROM BANK OR CREDIT
`(ARD PROVIDER)
`
`65
`
`70
`
`7
`BANKIDENFESANONYMOUS (ARDATRIBESAD
`CONNEATESWFANORYOUSTRANSACTION -1
`SERVER
`N
`8
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTION SERVER MAPS ANONYMOUSL
`(ARDATRIBUTESTOTRUE CREDT CARD
`y
`
`BANK (OR CREDITCARD PROVIDER) CLEARSCHARGE
`AMOUNT TO MERCHANT
`
`VISA - EXHIBIT 1009
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication Oct. 11, 2001 Sheet 1 of 3
`
`US 2001/0029485 A1
`
`
`
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`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Oct. 11, 2001 Sheet 2 of 3
`
`US 2001/0029485 A1
`
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`

`Patent Application Publication Oct. 11, 2001 Sheet 3 of 3
`
`US 2001/0029485 A1
`
`42
`
`CONSUMERREGISTERS WITH
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTION SERVER
`
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTION SERVER
`GENERATES ANONYMOUS (ARD
`
`O
`5
`
`55
`
`CONSUMER COMMUNICATESWITH MERCHANT,
`SELECTS GOODS OR SERVICES FOR PURCHASE
`
`44
`CONSUMER COMMUNICATESWITH MERCHANT
`AND SELECTS GOODS OR SERVICES FOR PURCHASE
`
`52
`
`CONSUMERLINKED TO ANONYMOUS
`TRANSACTIONSERVER
`
`60
`
`CONSUMER REGISTERS OR LOGS INTO
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTIONSERVER
`
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTION SERVER
`GENERATES ANONYMOUS CARD
`
`54
`
`56
`
`62
`
`CONSUMER INPUTS ANONYMOUS CARD ATTRIBUTESN
`RESPONSETO MERCHANIQUERY
`
`MERCHANT RECEIVES ANONYMOUS (ARDATTRIBUTES
`AND REQUESIS CHARGEAMOUNT FROM BANK OR CREDIT
`CARD PROVIDER)
`
`BANKIDENTIFIES ANONYMOUS CARDATTRIBUTES AND
`COMMUNICATES WTAMous TRANSACTION
`
`ANONYMOUSTRANSACTION SERVER MAPS ANONYMOUS
`(ARDATRIBUTESTO TRUE CREDT CARD
`
`BANK (OR CREDITCARD PROVIDER) CLEARS CHARGE
`AMOUNTO MERCHANT
`
`FIG 3
`
`65
`
`70
`
`75
`
`80
`
`85
`
`

`

`US 2001/00294.85 A1
`
`Oct. 11, 2001
`
`SYSTEMS AND METHODS ENABLING
`ANONYMOUS CREDIT TRANSACTIONS
`
`RELATED APPLICATION DATA
`0001. The present application claims priority from U.S.
`Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/186,166, filed
`Feb. 29, 2000, titled “Systems and Methods Enabling
`Anonymous Credit Transactions' and assigned to E-Scor
`ing, Inc., the entire contents of which are herein incorporated
`by reference.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`0002 The present invention relates to electronic pay
`ments in exchange for goods and Services, and more spe
`cifically, to Systems and methods enabling consumers to
`purchase goods and Services from merchants using credit
`cards.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`0.003 Shopping for goods and services using a personal
`computer to place an order on a network, Such as the
`Internet, has exploded in Volume over the past few years due
`to the ever increasing number of merchants Selling goods
`and Services via the Internet, as well as the increasing
`number of consumers online. Online Shopping, which is a
`natural extension to the more traditional catalog shopping,
`enables consumers to quickly and efficiently browse through
`goods at their favorite online Stores without leaving the
`comfort of their own home. The advantages of Such shop
`ping are countleSS- consumers can access Stores that may be
`geographically remote, can order items not otherwise in
`Stock or available at a local Store, can quickly compare items
`from a number of Stores, and can often pay less for the same
`items Sold at conventional Shopping Stores.
`0004. Due to the remote and electronic nature of network
`transactions, just as in conventional catalog ordering most
`purchases over the Internet are made by credit cards. How
`ever, many consumers are concerned about their credit card
`numbers being transmitted over networkS Such as the Inter
`net because of the lack of Secure communications. Along
`with the increase of Internet traffic is an increase in oppor
`tunity for thieves to intercept credit card numbers for their
`own personal use. Because credit card transactions over the
`Internet are not face-to-face, a person having a stolen credit
`card can charge Substantial amounts of goods to that card
`before the credit card company or consumer is even aware
`the theft is occurring, which may result in thousands of
`dollars of losses to the consumer, card issuer, or merchant.
`Furthermore, each time that credit card information is com
`municated to a merchant, another opportunity is presented
`for an unauthorized third party to gain access to the credit
`card data.
`0005. In addition to the possibility that credit card infor
`mation may be stolen each time the information is Submitted
`to a merchant over the network, the use of a credit card also
`enables merchants to Store information Such as the consum
`er's name, Shipping address, and credit card information.
`After the information has been conveyed only once it can
`remain on file with the merchant within a customer database.
`Although this provides Some advantages, Such as the fact
`that for Subsequent purchases the customer need not com
`municate their credit card number to the merchant, this also
`
`results in Some undesired consequences. For instance, many
`merchants use this information for Solicitation purposes,
`which is an inconvenience to many consumers. Additionally,
`merchants often also sell or provide this information to other
`entities who use the information to their own advantage, and
`without consumer consent. Further, the more purchases a
`consumer makes, the more physical locations where their
`credit and personal information is Stored will be created.
`This increases the exposure the consumer has to fraudulent
`use of this data by, for example, a person that gains unlawful
`access to the data Stored in the merchant's Storage facilities.
`0006. A number of attempts have been made to alleviate
`the problem of data protection over networkS Such as the
`Internet. For instance, many prior art Systems attempt to
`encrypt credit card numbers at the consumer's computer,
`prior to transmission over the network. Once the data has
`been encrypted it is transmitted over the network to the
`desired location, and decrypted and accessible to the receiv
`ing party. Credit card numbers can be encrypted using any
`of Several techniques, Such as public key encryption and
`SSL. However, applying encryption techniques when trans
`mitting credit card numbers requires a merchant to have
`access to the proper decryption Software. Furthermore,
`encryption may also be overcome by those perSons with the
`ability to intercept credit card numbers transmitted over the
`network. Therefore, although encryption technology exists
`to protect consumer to merchant transactions, protecting
`information that is traded with transaction partners remains
`difficult.
`0007. In addition to problems faced by consumers in
`transactions over networkS Such as the Internet, merchants
`also face potential losses and liability due to fraud. For
`example, a person using a stolen credit card number may
`purchase items of value from a merchant, who then provides
`the items to the thief. When a credit card company refuses
`to pay the merchant because the merchant accepted credit
`card payment over the network without proof of identity, the
`merchant will be forced to incur loses for the value of the
`items.
`0008 What is therefore needed is a system and method
`that protects consumers and merchants alike from the poten
`tial theft of credit card information during transactions,
`particularly, Internet transactions.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`0009. The present invention can take blocks of consumer
`credit card numbers and create dynamic mappings of the
`card numbers to account numbers or other card numbers,
`Such as pseudo-random credit card numbers. According to
`one aspect of the invention, the Systems and methods of the
`present invention generate “pseudo-random” credit card
`attributes, which are presented to merchants at the time of
`purchase for Internet, telephone, or mail order purchases.
`The pseudo-random attributes are used by consumers in
`place of the consumer's credit card. Because pseudo-random
`attributes are transmitted to the merchant, the transaction
`between the consumer and merchant will be anonymous.
`Pseudo-random attributes include the card number, name,
`billing Zip code, expiration date, and purchase amount, each
`of which can be used singularly or in combination by an
`authentication Server to authenticate a transaction according
`to consumer preferences, which are captured when the
`
`

`

`US 2001/00294.85 A1
`
`Oct. 11, 2001
`
`consumer establishes an agent relationship with Systems of
`the present invention. Because of the unique nature of the
`relationship between the authentication Server, the con
`Sumer, and data associated with the consumer or consumer's
`credit card, the Systems and methods of the present invention
`can authenticate the consumer in order to Verify their
`cardholder or account holder Status for transactions made
`with the systems.
`0.010 The systems and methods of the present invention
`offer a number of benefits to all parties to the transaction. For
`instance, fraud is prevented by the nature of dynamic
`mapping of credit card numbers to pseudo-random attributes
`and by the additional authentication mechanisms, most of
`which are configurable by the consumer. Furthermore, the
`System does not require merchant participation, or changes
`in the existing payment infrastructure. Additionally, the
`flexibility, configuration options, and transparent Security
`method benefits the consumer by allowing them to configure
`their card numbers for multiple usage Scenarios with various
`levels of Security and features Such as notification. Also,
`Since the proceSS does not require changes in infrastructure
`from all parties involved, the Service can be rapidly adopted
`and used.
`0011. According to one embodiment of the invention,
`there is disclosed a credit transaction System for facilitating
`an anonymous credit transaction. The System includes an
`anonymous transaction server (ATS), which includes an
`anonymous card generator that generates an anonymous
`credit card corresponding to a consumer's true credit card,
`and at least one table that associates the consumer's true
`credit card with the anonymous credit card. The System also
`includes a merchant, in communication with the ATS via the
`credit transaction System. According to the System, the
`consumer requests a purchase from the merchant using the
`anonymous credit card, the merchant communicates with the
`ATS to process a payment for the purchase from the anony
`mous credit card, and the ATS facilitates a disbursement to
`the merchant of the payment from the consumer's true credit
`card.
`0012. According to one aspect of the invention, the ATS
`uses the at least one table to determine the consumer's true
`credit card from the anonymous credit card. According to
`another aspect of the invention, the anonymous credit card
`generated by the anonymous card generator comprises a
`plurality of anonymous credit card attributes, wherein at
`least one anonymous credit card attribute is communicated
`to the merchant from the ATS. The anonymous credit card
`generated by the anonymous card generator can also include
`a plurality of anonymous credit card attributes, and wherein
`at least one anonymous credit card attribute is communi
`cated to the merchant from the consumer.
`0013. According to a further aspect of the invention, at
`least one of Said plurality of anonymous credit card
`attributes is a routing attribute, the merchant uses the routing
`attribute to communicate with the ATS. Furthermore, the
`merchant can be in direct communication with the ATS.
`Moreover, the System can include a bank associated with the
`ATS, and in communication with the ATS and the merchant.
`The merchant can also communicate with the ATS via the
`bank.
`0.014. According to another aspect of the invention, there
`is disclosed a System for enabling a consumer to purchase
`
`goods and Services from a merchant while maintaining the
`confidentiality of a consumer's true credit card number. The
`System includes an anonymous transaction server (ATS) that
`receives true credit card attributes corresponding to the
`consumer's true credit card and produces an anonymous
`credit card having at least one anonymous credit card
`attribute, and a merchant, from which the consumer can
`purchase goods or Services by providing the merchant with
`at least one anonymous credit card attribute. The System
`further includes a bank in communication with the merchant
`and ATS, wherein the bank receives a request for funds from
`the merchant for a value of the goods or Services to be
`purchased by the consumer, requests the true credit card
`attributes from the ATS, and receives in return the true credit
`card attributes from the ATS, after which the bank processes
`the credit transaction and releases funds to the merchant.
`0015 According to one aspect of the invention, the at
`least one anonymous credit card attribute comprises a rout
`ing attribute. According to another aspect of the invention,
`the routing attribute directs the merchant's request for funds
`from the merchant to the bank. Alternatively, the routing
`attribute can direct the merchant's request for funds from the
`merchant to the ATS. According to yet another aspect of the
`invention, the merchant is not aware that the anonymous
`credit card is not the consumer's true card number.
`0016. According to a further embodiment of the inven
`tion, there is disclosed a method for enabling a consumer to
`purchase goods and Services from a merchant, while main
`taining the confidentiality of the consumer's credit card
`information. The method includes the Steps of receiving
`true credit card attributes from the consumer, the true credit
`card attributes corresponding to the consumer's true credit
`card and including at least one routing attribute; Storing the
`true credit card attributes, producing anonymous credit card
`attributes associated with the true credit card attributes,
`wherein at least one anonymous credit card attribute is
`different from at least one true credit card attribute; provid
`ing at least one of the anonymous credit card attributes to the
`consumer for use in a credit transaction; and mapping at
`least one of the anonymous credit card attributes to at least
`one of the true credit card attributes to identify the true credit
`card attributes.
`0017 According to one aspect of the invention, the
`anonymous credit card attributes include at least one routing
`attribute identical to the at least one routing attribute of the
`true credit card. According to another aspect of the inven
`tion, the anonymous credit card attributes include a pseudo
`random generated number. Additionally, according to one
`disclosed method, producing anonymous credit card
`attributes compriseS receiving anonymous card configura
`tion options from the consumer, wherein the configuration
`options identify the appropriate uses of the consumer's true
`credit card.
`0018. According to yet another embodiment of the inven
`tion, there is disclosed an anonymous transaction Server
`(ATS) for enabling a consumer to purchase goods and
`Services from a merchant while maintaining the confidenti
`ality of their true credit card information. The ATS includes
`an interface for receiving from the consumer true credit card
`attributes indicative of a true credit card of the consumer, a
`database for Storing the true credit card attributes received
`from the interface, and a processor that generates anony
`
`

`

`US 2001/00294.85 A1
`
`Oct. 11, 2001
`
`mous credit card attributes including at least one attribute
`differing from the true credit card attributes, and maps the
`anonymous credit card attributes to the true credit card
`attributes using the database.
`0.019 According to one aspect of the invention, the ATS
`further includes an interface for receiving from the con
`Sumer configurable options that identify the conditions
`under which the true credit card can be used. Additionally,
`the ATS of the present invention may be accessible via the
`Internet, and may notify the consumer when the true credit
`card is charged.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`0020 FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system in
`accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,
`including a consumer, an anonymous transaction Server, a
`bank, and a merchant.
`0021
`FIG. 2 shows an illustrative anonymous credit
`card, according to one aspect of the present invention.
`0022 FIG. 3 shows a flow chart including in accordance
`with two methods of the present invention, wherein an
`anonymous credit number is established to facilitate an
`anonymous transaction.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`0023 The present invention now will be described more
`fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying draw
`ings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are
`shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many
`different forms and should not be construed as limited to the
`embodiments Set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are
`provided So that this disclosure will be thorough and com
`plete, and will fully convey the Scope of the invention to
`those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements
`throughout.
`0024 FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system 5
`according to one embodiment of the present invention,
`including a merchant 10, a consumer 15, an Anonymous
`Transaction Server (ATS) 20, and a bank 25. The system is
`representative of any network through which consumers
`access merchants for the purchase of goods or Services, Such
`as via conventional telephone networks, computer networks,
`or the Internet. Similarly, the individual components 10, 15,
`20, 25 can be components of Separate networks in commu
`nication with each other through telephone or computer
`networks, or a combination thereof. For example, according
`to one aspect of the present invention, a consumer 15 may
`be in communication with a merchant 10 via an Internet
`connection, wherein the merchant 10 offers goods for Sale
`via a webpage accessed by the consumer through an Internet
`connection, such as provided by an Internet Service Provider
`(ISP). As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the
`modes of communication between the entities of the System
`5 of FIG. 1 may be accomplished by any well known
`communication means, and are not limited to any particular
`means Stated herein. Furthermore, although the present
`invention will be described herein relative to the Internet, its
`application is not So limited and is intended to be used on
`any distributed System in which merchants and consumers
`interact for the purpose of Supplying and purchasing goods
`or Services through credit transactions.
`
`0025 AS will be appreciated by those of skill in the art,
`three components, the merchant 10, consumer 15, and bank
`25, in the system 5 illustrated in FIG. 1 are representative of
`components which interact to facilitate conventional credit
`transactions. For instance, in conventional credit transac
`tions a consumer 15 can purchase goods and Services from
`a merchant 10 using a credit card received from a credit card
`provider or bank 25, typically, a card issuing bank. The
`consumer 15 pays for a purchase by providing the merchant
`10 with a credit card, which includes, among other infor
`mation, credit card attributes which include the credit card
`number (including routing information or attributes), an
`expiration date, and the consumer's 15 name. To charge the
`consumer 15 the merchant 10 communicates with the bank
`25 and requests that the bank 25 pay for the transaction
`amount on behalf of the consumer 15. Using the credit card
`attributes transmitted to the bank 25 from the merchant 10,
`the bank 25 determines if the card is valid and if the account
`Status is acceptable (e.g., transaction does not exceed credit
`available). If the bank 25 deems that the card is valid and the
`account Status is acceptable, the bank 25 will release funds
`to the merchant 10, typically either immediately or at the end
`of the day. The merchant 10 then delivers the goods or
`services to the consumer 15, and the bank 25 charges the
`consumer 15 for the cost of the goods. This conventional
`System benefits each of the parties to the transaction. The
`consumer 15 can make purchases on credit and pay for the
`purchases at a later time, the merchant 10 can conduct more
`busineSS due to the popularity of credit cards amongst
`consumers, and the bank 25 can charge interest for credit
`charges not paid immediately to the bank by consumers.
`0026. Although the basic transaction described above
`currently takes place between consumers and merchants
`Shopping in conventional brick and mortar Stores as well as
`Internet Shopping, the System results in a number of disad
`Vantages. Primarily, with respect to card-not-present trans
`actions (i.e., where a consumer does not physically hand his
`or her card to a merchant), there is a great risk that credit
`card attributes will be intercepted by a party who will use it
`fraudulently. This could occur, for example, when consum
`erS use telephone or Internet mail order Services, and trans
`mit their credit card number to a merchant who may be
`geographically remote to the consumer. Another disadvan
`tage is that once merchants obtain credit card information,
`merchants can use or Sell the information to perSons who
`may use the information for Solicitational purposes, which is
`an inconvenience to many consumers.
`0027. The Anonymous Transaction Server (referred to
`hereinafter as the “ATS”) 20 of the present invention,
`illustrated in FIG. 1, is a component which enables a
`consumer to transact business with a merchant while con
`currently preventing the merchant 10 from obtaining a
`consumer's 10 true credit card information, Such as credit
`card number, name of card holder, expiration date, issuing
`bank, and the like. According to the present invention, the
`ATS 20 is transparent to the merchant 10, and can be utilized
`without requiring the merchant 10 to incorporate any added
`features to its existing credit transaction Software and/or
`hardware. As with the other components of the system 5, the
`ATS 20 may be in communication with other elements of the
`Systems via any communication means known to those of
`skill in the art.
`
`

`

`US 2001/00294.85 A1
`
`Oct. 11, 2001
`
`0028 Briefly, a consumer 15 who wishes to transact
`anonymously with a merchant 10 can communicate with the
`ATS 20 and input their true credit card information (referred
`to herein as true credit card attributes) and configuration
`options. The configuration options, which are discussed in
`detail below, allow the consumer to identify the conditions
`under which the anonymous credit card can be used to
`charge the consumer's true credit card. The ATS 20 then
`generates a pseudo-random anonymous credit card, which
`includes routing attributes or other attributes indicating that
`the credit card has been produced by the ATS 20. According
`to one preferred embodiment, the ATS 20 would exist in the
`System as a branch of any affiliated bank to facilitate
`transaction processing. The ATS 20, using conventional
`memory and databases implemented via a computer or
`computer System, Stores the consumer's 15 true credit card
`attributes (e.g., credit card number, expiration date, card
`holder's name, etc.) and maps the consumer's true credit
`card attributes to pseudo-random anonymous credit card
`attributes provided to the consumer 15 by the ATS 20. The
`ATS 20 thereby substitutes a consumer's true credit card
`with an anonymous credit card, uSable by the consumer, So
`that the ATS 20 is the only entity that can recognize the
`consumer 15 by the pseudo-random anonymous card
`(anonymous card).
`0029. By providing a consumer an anonymous card and
`mapping that anonymous card to the consumer's true credit
`card, the ATS 20 of the present invention enables a consumer
`to utilize the anonymous card to transparently transact with
`a merchant 10. AS in a conventional credit transaction, the
`merchant 10 accepts the anonymous card number from the
`consumer for processing, without the knowledge that the
`anonymous card was generated by the ATS 20 of the present
`invention as opposed to being generated by a credit card
`provider or a card issuing bank. In processing a transaction
`involving the anonymous card, the anonymous credit card's
`routing attributes will cause the transaction information to
`be delivered either directly or indirectly to the ATS 20 for
`processing. For instance, the transaction information may be
`transmitted to the ATS through an identifiable branch ID
`associated with the ATS (where the ATS operates as a
`financial institution) or, through an identifiable branch ID for
`a bank affiliated with the ATS 20. The ATS 20 then deter
`mines configuration options associated with the anonymous
`card number, Such as whether the transaction amount is
`acceptable and whether the card is still active, options that
`might be selected by the consumer 15, as described in detail
`below. Alternatively, the ATS 20 may be unable to verify the
`card number as a anonymous card, and will refuse to
`complete the transaction. Finally, if the ATS 20 has verified
`the acceptability of the transaction, the ATS 20 will deter
`mine the true credit card number from the anonymous card
`attributes, and will transmit the consumer's 15 true credit
`card number with the requisite transaction information to the
`bank 25. The bank 25 then processes the transaction as any
`typical credit card transaction.
`0.030. According to one aspect of the invention, the ATS
`20 can comprise a website or webserver, and preferably
`includes a consumer interface, a database or table for Storing
`true credit card attributes, and a processor (also referred to
`as an anonymous card generator) for generating pseudo
`random anonymous card attributes. The processor also con
`trols the functioning of the ATS 20, such as the mapping of
`anonymous cards to true credit cards.
`
`0031. Although the merchant may communicate directly
`with the ATS 20, as noted above, in one embodiment of the
`invention the ATS 20 may only be accessed through a bank
`25 affiliated with the ATS 20, where the bank is a credit card
`provider of the consumer 15. In this embodiment, the ATS
`20 generates an anonymous credit card having attributes
`indicating that the anonymous card has been produced by
`the ATS 20. Therefore, when the merchant requests the
`transaction to be processed, a credit card provider, Such as a
`bank 25 affiliated with the ATS 20, receives the request and
`identifies the card as being an anonymous credit card for
`which it must contact the ATS 20 for identification infor
`mation. Because the bank 25 receives anonymous card
`attributes from a merchant 10, and must recognize the card
`as generated by the ATS 20, it may be necessary for the ATS
`20 and bank to have Some pre-existing relationship or
`affiliation to establish conditions and/or identifiers So that
`the bank 25 will accept the anonymous card and will know
`to contact the ATS 20 to receive the consumer's true card
`attributes, or have the ATS 20 redirect the transaction to
`another bank or credit card provider which is obligated to
`pay the merchant on behalf of the consumer. Therefore, after
`the true credit card attributes are retrieved by the ATS, this
`information is transmitted to the bank 25 where the bank is
`the credit-card issuing entity.
`0032. In this embodiment it should be appreciated that
`because the merchant's request for funds is fulfilled by the
`bank 25, the ATS 20 is transparent to the merchant 10. This
`implementation is advantageous because it does not require
`that a consumer open a new account or line of credit with the
`ATS 20 or a bank or credit card provider. Furthermore, this
`implementation allows the consumer to create an anony
`mous card mapped to existing credit cards already estab
`lished by the consumer. In essence, this process is a trans
`lation service. One drawback with this embodiment is that a
`nominal fee may be incurred by the consumer to cover the
`costs of additional network transactions, due to the fact that
`the transaction traverses the payment network twice.
`0033 According to another embodiment of the present
`invention, since the ATS 20 may be a partner of a financial
`lending institution, the consumer 15 may open a new credit
`card account with the partner of the ATS 20. Under this
`concept, the ATS 20 and the partnering or affiliate bank
`would open a new credit account for a registered consumer
`using the ATS 20. A dynamic mapping of anonymous card
`attributes could be made to the new account. Using the
`mappings to the ATS/affiliate bank account would only
`require a credit payment transaction to traverse the System 5
`a single time, potentially reducing the cost of processing the
`transaction for the ATS 20, bank 25, and consumer 15. This
`implementation may require more Sophisticated relation
`shipS and hardware and/or Software, due to the fact that the
`anonymous card attributes are not wholly maintained within
`the ATS, which is accessed by the bank 25 (as in the previous
`embodiment), but rather maintained in a new account estab
`lished by both the ATS and bank 25 (or similar entity). This
`new account could be local or nonlocal to the bank or ATS,
`and as a result, increased costs may be incurred to maintain
`this embodiment.
`0034. According to yet another embodiment of the
`present invention, the ATS 20 can function as an indepen
`dent bank or a credit card provider, so that the ATS 20 is not
`required to Set up a relationship with a bank 25 or like entity.
`
`

`

`US 2001/00294.85 A1
`
`Oct. 11, 2001
`
`However, in this embodiment the ATS 20 would need to
`establish credit card accounts with consumers, and would
`function in many respects just like a credit card issuing bank.
`In this case, the merchant may communicate directly with
`the ATS 20, as il