Abstract: Dynamically enabling and facilitating businesses or other entities to locate and transact with payment systems for the purpose of processing payments. A customer interacts with a supplier of an item (e.g., goods or services), selects an item for purchase, and provides the supplier with payment criteria. The supplier queries a payment system directory to locate candidate payment systems for the transaction. The supplier then interacts directly with one or more of the payment systems to partially or fully process payment for the transaction. Alternatively, the supplier interacts with a gateway service, which queries a payment system directory to locate candidate payment systems and then interacts with one or more of the payment systems to process payment for the transaction.

Abstract: Dynamically enabling and facilitating businesses or other entities to locate and transact with payment systems for the purpose of processing payments. A customer interacts with a supplier of an item (e.g., goods or services), selects an item for purchase, and provides the supplier with payment criteria. The supplier queries a payment system directory to locate candidate payment systems for the transaction. The supplier then interacts directly with one or more of the payment systems to partially or fully process payment for the transaction. Alternatively, the supplier interacts with a gateway service, which queries a payment system directory to locate candidate payment systems and then interacts with one or more of the payment systems to process payment for the transaction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for providing and/or facilitating complete on-line payment services while protecting the privacy of the transaction participants. The comprehensive payment service is based upon a consolidated account used to store value acquired through on-line transactions. The invention provides private payment numbers for protecting the identities of the participants and includes processes for authenticating participants, authorizing transactions, and settling payments. Thus, the present invention enables merchants to effectively accept non-standard forms of payment without changing their current payment infrastructures and enables the provision of value for purchases at any network merchant using any source of value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating a transaction using a secondary transaction number that is associated with a cardholder's primary account. The cardholder provides the secondary transaction number, often with limited-use conditions associated therewith, to a merchant to facilitate a more secure and confident transaction.

Abstract: An Enterprise Identity Management system includes a registration component, an ownership component, and an audit component. The registration component is configured to associate a user ID with specific accounts that are accessible via a computer system. The ownership component is configured to verify the ownership of the accounts. The audit component is configured to perform periodic checks to ensure the validity of the association between the user ID and the ownership of the accounts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for providing and/or facilitating complete on-line payment services while protecting the privacy of the transaction participants. The comprehensive payment service is based upon a consolidated account used to store value acquired through on-line transactions. The invention provides private payment numbers for protecting the identities of the participants and includes processes for authenticating participants, authorizing transactions, and settling payments. Thus, the present invention enables merchants to effectively accept non-standard forms of payment without changing their current payment infrastructures and enables the provision of value for purchases at any network merchant using any source of value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability.

Abstract: An Enterprise Identity Management system includes a registration component, an ownership component, and an audit component. The registration component is configured to associate a user ID with specific accounts that are accessible via a computer system. The ownership component is configured to verify the ownership of the accounts. The audit component is configured to perform periodic checks to ensure the validity of the association between the user ID and the ownership of the accounts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating the management of user identities includes an ownership component, a registration component, and a servicing component. When a user first desires to access a system using the present invention, the registration component verifies the user's ownership of the underlying account by asking a variety of questions. Thereafter, when a user desires to service his account, the user may be re-queried to determine if he is attempting to access the correct information. An authentication and access component provides the functionality to access a system of the present invention. An audit component can be configured to periodically monitor the various accounts to ensure a continued linking between users and accounts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating the management of user identities includes an ownership component, a registration component, and a servicing component. When a user first desires to access a system using the present invention, the registration component verifies the user's ownership of the underlying account by asking a variety of questions. Thereafter, when a user desires to service his account, the user may be re-queried to determine if he is attempting to access the correct information. An authentication and access component provides the functionality to access a system of the present invention. An audit component can be configured to periodically monitor the various accounts to ensure a continued linking between users and accounts.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an icon with an additional level of functionality that allows a user to validate that current information (e.g., a web page) originates from the true owner of the icon and is not merely a copy. The method includes a user requesting a web page from a web site using a web browser. The web server receives the request, retrieves the web page and forwards it to an authentication server. The authentication server inserts an authenticity key into the web page, then the page (including the authenticity key) is returned to the user. If the page includes an authenticity key, the authenticity is verified at the user's computer because the user computer includes logic (e.g., software) to verify the authenticity. During the user configuration process, the user defines an authenticity stamp which determines the format of an authenticated page.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating a transaction using a secondary transaction number that is associated with a cardholder's primary account. The cardholder provides the secondary transaction number, often with limited-use conditions associated therewith, to a merchant to facilitate a more secure and confident transaction.

Abstract: To process a commercial transaction, a merchant receives a card payment request from a customer. The merchant redirects the customer to the card issuer. The authorization computer of the card issuer communicates with the customer and authenticates the identity of the customer as the true cardholder of the card presented for payment. In a first embodiment, the merchant submits an authorization request in response to a card payment request to the authorization computer. The merchant receives an authorization confirmation from the authorization computer upon authentication of the identity of the cardholder. In a second embodiment, the customer receives an authorization confirmation from the authorization computer upon the authentication of the identity of the cardholder. The customer then submits the authorization confirmation to the merchant. The merchant, in turn, confirms the authorization confirmation with the authorization computer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability.

Abstract: In a packet-based transaction processing system, workload is balanced across multiple computer systems. A plurality of packets is received from a plurality of clients over a plurality of communications sessions. Each of the plurality of packets includes a portion of a transaction involving a financial transaction instrument that requires authorization. The plurality of packets are processed to assemble a plurality of transactions. Each of the plurality of transactions is then transmitted to an application server selected from a plurality of servers that provides authorization for the transactions. The server may be selected from the plurality of servers based on a round-robin distribution of the plurality of servers, and additionally, the round-robin distribution may be modified to account for a workload on each of the plurality of servers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability.