Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a payment service system (PSS), a payment request from a payment application executing on a device of a sender. The payment request includes a recipient identifier corresponding to a recipient. The sender and recipient have financial accounts associated with the PSS. The method includes determining a similarity score based on a comparison of contact records associated with the device of the sender and contact records associated with a device of the recipient. The method includes, responsive to determining that the similarity score does not satisfy a threshold similarity score, transmitting a confirmation request to the device of the sender to confirm an identity of the recipient. The method includes receiving, from the device of the sender, an approval response to the confirmation request. The method includes, authorizing a payment transaction associated with the payment request based on the approval response.

Abstract: In some examples, a system and method for generating a payment instrument are described. The method includes receiving a unique signature that a recipient intends to associate with the payment instrument; verifying that the received feature meets an acceptability criterion; generating a representation of the received signature, wherein the representation is in a form capable of being physically associated with the payment instrument, and wherein association is established by embedding or exposing the representation on the payment instrument; and causing physical generation of the payment instrument having associated therewith the representation of the signature.

Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a system for authenticating a user in a digital or physical environment. The system includes an electronic device associated with the user and receiving verification information from the user. The system further includes a server computer, connected to the electronic device, the server computer including the verification information about the user. The electronic device receives the verification information about the user and provides it to the server computer for comparison. The server computer verifies the user based on the verification information about the user received from the electronic device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a payment service system (PSS), a payment request from a payment application executing on a device of a sender. The payment request includes a recipient identifier corresponding to a recipient. The sender and recipient have financial accounts associated with the PSS. The method includes determining a similarity score based on a comparison of contact records associated with the device of the sender and contact records associated with a device of the recipient. The method includes, responsive to determining that the similarity score does not satisfy a threshold similarity score, transmitting a confirmation request to the device of the sender to confirm an identity of the recipient. The method includes receiving, from the device of the sender, an approval response to the confirmation request. The method includes, authorizing a payment transaction associated with the payment request based on the approval response.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes storing, in a data store maintained by a payment service, transaction history information associated with two financial accounts of a user. Upon detecting an intent by the user to transfer funds between the first financial account and the second financial account via an application executing on a device of the user, a prediction of a suggested amount of funds for a user to transfer from the first financial account to the second financial account is generated. The payment service sends instructions to the user's mobile device to display the suggested amount of funds with a request to confirm the transfer. Upon receiving confirmation from the mobile device, the payment service initiates the transfer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a payment service system-implemented method of assigning payment card numbers for individual user accounts associated with the payment service system includes receiving payment card numbers activated by a third-party server that are unassigned to accounts registered. The method includes receiving a first transaction authorization request for one of the payment card numbers and denying the request, without notifying the third-party server, based on the number being unregistered with the payment service system. The method includes receiving, via an executable application, a request to register a user account for a payment service system user, and in response, generating a record assigning the payment card number to the user account.

Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a method for authenticating a user in a digital or physical environment. The method includes receiving an identity verification request based on input provided by a user to be verified, receiving a facial and audio recognition sample from the user, transmitting the facial and audio recognition sample to one or more third party entities with a request to verify that the facial and audio recognition sample represents the user, receiving an indication from at least one of the third party entities that the user is verified, and verifying that the user who provided the facial and audio recognition sample is the person the user purports to be.

Abstract: In some examples, a system receives a request to associate a user-defined payment proxy with a financial account of a first user. The payment proxy has a syntax including a symbol followed by a string of characters. The system may generate a webpage in which the user-defined payment proxy is included in the URL of the webpage. The system may detect the payment proxy in a message associated with a second user, and may cause the webpage to be displayed on the device of the second user, including an entry field for receiving a payment amount to transfer to the first user. Based on identifying the financial account of the first user at least based on the payment proxy included in the URL of the webpage, the system initiates a transfer of the payment amount to the financial account of the first user.

Abstract: In one aspect, a mobile device includes a secure subsystem configured to provide access to one or more of personal identifying information of a user of the mobile device and secure elements of the mobile device to applications native to an operating system of the mobile device and one or more third-party applications that are not native to the operating system of the mobile device. The mobile device further includes a normal subsystem in which third-party applications other than the one or more third-party applications operate, and a third-party payment processing application configured to operate in one of the secure subsystem or the normal subsystem, receive a request for authenticating a user for processing a transaction, access one or more of the secure elements of the mobile device for authenticating the user, and authenticate the user for processing the transaction using the one or more of the secure elements.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a payment service system-implemented method of assigning payment card numbers for individual user accounts associated with the payment service system includes receiving a request, in the context of an authorization for a payment transaction, to assign a payment card number to a user account associated with a user of the payment service system. The method includes retrieving, from a database associated with the payment service system, an account record associated with the user account. The method includes determining that the user account is not associated with an active payment card number. The method includes identifying an unassigned payment card number and modifying the account record to assign the unassigned payment card number to the user account as an active payment card number. The method includes authorizing the payment transaction using the active payment card number, causing a modification to an account balance of the user account.

Abstract: In some examples, a system generates an identifier for association with a user financial account. The identifier may have a syntax including a currency indicator and a string including one or more characters concatenated together such that the currency indicator appears immediately before the string. The system generates a user-defined identifier and maps, in a database, the user-defined identifier to the user financial account. The system receives a message indicating an intent to transfer funds from a sending user to a receiving user. The message may include the user-defined identifier in lieu of account information of the user financial account, to identify the user as the receiving user. The system parses the message to identify the user-defined identifier and accesses the account information of the user financial account using the identifier. The system initiates a transfer of funds from the sending user account to the user financial account.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving first payment data and a first identifier of a first user, wherein the first payment data is linked to the first identifier and stored in a datastore of the payment service and in association with a first user account of the payment service; receiving, second payment data and a second identifier of a second user, wherein the second payment data is linked to the second identifier and stored in the datastore and in association with a second user account of the payment service; receiving a request for a near-instantaneous transfer of a payment for a transaction between the first user and the second user, the request including the first identifier; and in response to receiving the request, identifying the first user account and the second user account; and causing the near-instantaneous transfer of the payment to a financial account of the first user.

Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a method for authenticating a user in a digital or physical environment. The method includes receiving an identity verification request based on input provided by a user to be verified, receiving a facial and audio recognition sample from the user, transmitting the facial and audio recognition sample to one or more third party entities with a request to verify that the facial and audio recognition sample represents the user, receiving an indication from at least one of the third party entities that the user is verified, and verifying that the user who provided the facial and audio recognition sample is the person the user purports to be.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method enrolling, by a payment service system and in a data store maintained by the payment service system, a payment service account associated with a payee for a direct payout program for transactions associated with a transaction facilitation service between a plurality of payers and the payee in response to requests associated with the transaction facilitation service. The method includes receiving a transaction request for a payment associated with a transaction between a payer and the payee. The method includes identifying a financial account of the payee based on retrieving an association of the payment service account with the payee identifier and the financial account. The method includes causing a transfer of a first amount of funds to the financial account and a second amount to the transaction facilitation service. The first amount of funds and the second amount of funds correspond to the transaction amount.

Abstract: In some examples, a system and method for activating a physical payment card are described. The method includes receiving from a mobile device of a user a request for a physical payment card and first state data indicating a state of the mobile device or an application executing on the mobile device at a time of the request. The physical payment card is mailed to the user. The mobile device reads an identifier on a surface of the container via a sensor of the mobile device and sends the identifier data and a second state data from the time of the reading. The identifier data is compared to a user identifier in a customer profile of the user and the second state data is determined to correspond to the first state data. The physical payment card is then automatically activated.