Abstract: A secure Internet transaction processing system in which individual ones of a plurality of customers order from a targeted one of a plurality of merchants through a processing center. The purchaser's purchase card data together with the purchaser's personal identification data (e.g. personal identification code or signature) is encrypted at the customer ordering terminal and sent to the processing center over the Internet where it is decrypted for the purpose of undertaking a standard procedure to verify payment capability. The order is then placed by the processing center, together with payment capability confirmation, over the Internet with the targeted merchant thereby avoiding access at the merchant's station to the customer's purchase card or check identification numbers and personal identification data.

Abstract: A secure Internet transaction processing system in which individual ones of a plurality of customers order from a targeted one of a plurality of merchants through a processing center. The customer credit card and debit card information is encrypted at the customer ordering terminal and sent to the processing center over the Internet where it is decrypted for the purpose of undertaking a standard procedure to verify payment capability. The order is then placed by the processing center together with payment capability confirmation over the Internet with the targeted merchant thereby avoiding access at the merchant's station to the customer's purchase card identification numbers.