Abstract: A financial transaction system providing a financial switching engine, the financial transaction system comprising: a distributed plurality of different physical data centres implemented at different respective physical locations, connected together via a private network; a plurality of plugins each configured to perform a different respective function of the financial transaction system; and an operating system on which the plugins run, the plugins being configured to communicate messages with one another in order to perform financial transactions; wherein the plugins are distributed amongst some or all of the data centres and the operating system is configured to abstract the plugins from the distributed data centres, such that the plugins communicate said messages with one another via the operating system without needing to specify particular ones of said data centres as destinations of the messages, while the operating system handles routing of the messages between the data centres over the private networ

Abstract: A method comprising communicating at least one message in a financial transaction system comprising at least one end-user device, at least one financial-provider entity, and a financial switching engine located between said at least one financial-provider entity and said at least one end-user device, said financial switching engine arranged to perform a switching operation to switch the message between said at least one end-user device and said at least one financial provider entity; wherein said message is for facilitating a financial transaction in said financial transaction system, and wherein said at least one message is adapted to be of an extensible format and configured to comprise a plurality of tags, wherein said tags comprise information facilitating said switching operation and additional operator-defined content; and wherein said method comprises processing said information at at least one of said end-user device, said financial-provider entity and said financial switching engine for processing of

Abstract: A financial transaction system providing a financial switching engine, the financial transaction system comprising: a distributed plurality of different physical data centres implemented at different respective physical locations, connected together via a private network; a plurality of plugins each configured to perform a different respective function of the financial transaction system; and an operating system on which the plugins run, the plugins being configured to communicate messages with one another in order to perform financial transactions; wherein the plugins are distributed amongst some or all of the data centres and the operating system is configured to abstract the plugins from the distributed data centres, such that the plugins communicate said messages with one another via the operating system without needing to specify particular ones of said data centres as destinations of the messages, while the operating system handles routing of the messages between the data centres over the private networ

Abstract: A payment system and method for electronic commerce transactions is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a payment administrator receives a request for a payment notice for an electronic commerce transaction, such as a purchase on a merchant website. In response, the payment administrator creates a payment notice comprising a transaction amount (which may be converted between different currencies), an age restriction for the purchased product (if applicable), and a unique identifier for the electronic commerce transaction. Preferably, the unique identifier is presented in both human-readable form and machine-readable form (such as a barcode) on the payment notice. The payment administrator then transmits the payment notice to the purchaser, who may print and take the payment notice to a retailer for full or partial payment of the transaction amount printed on the payment notice.