System and method for performing an electronic financial transaction

Claim 1

A method of performing a financial transaction between a purchaser and a merchant, comprising: under control of a service provider having a direct connection to an on-line ATM/POS transaction system, receiving via a first public access network an electronic financial transaction instruction initiated by the purchaser to make a purchase over the first public access network from the merchant, the financial transaction instruction comprising encrypted card information, encrypted security information and transaction amount information each suitable for use in an on-line ATM/POS transaction, wherein the card information and security information are encrypted according to ATM/POS transaction system standards, the card information including card number data and the security information including personal identification number data; retrieving the card number data from the financial transaction instruction, wherein the card number data is associated with a checking or savings account in purchaser's bank for funding the financial transaction; retrieving the personal identification number data, wherein the personal identification number data is associated with the card number data to identify the purchaser and authorize use of the card number data; and retrieving the transaction amount information; generating a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; and forwarding the transaction request via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system to the purchaser's bank for authorization of the financial transaction between the purchaser and the merchant.

Claim 2

A method of performing a financial transaction between a purchaser and a merchant, comprising: under control of a service provider having a direct connection to an on-line ATM/POS transaction system, receiving via a first public access network an electronic financial transaction instruction initiated by the purchaser to make a purchase over the first public access network from the merchant, the financial transaction instruction comprising encrypted card information, encrypted security information and transaction amount information each suitable for use in an on-line ATM/POS transaction, wherein the card information and security information are encrypted according to ATM/POS transaction system standards, the card information including card number data and the security information including personal identification number data; retrieving the card number data from the financial transaction instruction, wherein the card number data is associated with a checking or savings account in purchaser's bank for funding the financial transaction; retrieving the personal identification number data, wherein the personal identification number data is associated with the card number data to identify the purchaser and authorize use of the card number data; and retrieving the transaction amount information; generating a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; and forwarding the transaction request via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system to the purchaser's bank for authorization of the financial transaction between the purchaser and the merchant.

Claim 24

A method of performing a financial transaction between a purchaser and a merchant, comprising: under control of a purchaser computer connected through a first public access network to the merchant to make a purchase from the merchant, generating an electronic financial transaction instruction for the purchaser to make a purchase over the first public access network from the merchant, the financial transaction instruction comprising card information, security information and transaction amount information each suitable for use in an on-line ATM/POS transaction, wherein the card information and security information are encrypted according to ATM/POS transaction system standards; including card number data with the card information, wherein the card number data is associated with a checking or savings account in purchaser's bank for funding the on-line ATM/POS transaction; including personal identification number data with the security information, wherein the personal identification number data is associated with the card number data to identify the purchaser and authorize use of the card number data; and protecting the security of the financial transaction instruction for transmission over the first public access network by utilizing a first secure mechanism, wherein the first secure mechanism comprises a first level of protection and a second level of protection, wherein the first level of protection comprises performing an operation on the financial transaction instruction to provide verification of the identity of the purchaser and the integrity of the financial transaction instruction while leaving all of the financial transaction instruction in the clear except for the encrypted card information and security information, and wherein the second level of protection comprises encrypting the financial transaction instruction for secure transmission over the first public access network, under control of a service provider having a direct connection to the on-line ATM/POS transaction system, receiving the financial transaction instruction; retrieving the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; generating a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; and forwarding the transaction request via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system to the purchaser's bank for authorization of the financial transaction between the purchaser and the merchant.

Claim 25

A method of performing a financial transaction between a purchaser and a merchant, comprising: under control of a purchaser computer connected through a first public access network to the merchant to make a purchase from the merchant, generating an electronic financial transaction instruction for the purchaser to make a purchase over the first public access network from the merchant, the financial transaction instruction comprising card information, security information and transaction amount information each suitable for use in an on-line ATM/POS transaction, wherein the card information and security information are encrypted according to ATM/POS transaction system standards; including card number data with the card information, wherein the card number data is associated with a checking or savings account in purchaser's bank for funding the on-line ATM/POS transaction; including personal identification number data with the security information, wherein the personal identification number data is associated with the card number data to identify the purchaser and authorize use of the card number data; and protecting the security of the financial transaction instruction for transmission over the first public access network by utilizing a first secure mechanism, wherein the first secure mechanism comprises a first level of protection and a second level of protection, wherein the first level of protection comprises performing an operation on the financial transaction instruction to provide verification of the identity of the purchaser and the integrity of the financial transaction instruction while leaving all of the financial transaction instruction in the clear except for the encrypted card information and security information, and wherein the second level of protection comprises encrypting the financial transaction instruction for secure transmission over the first public access network, under control of a service provider having a direct connection to the on-line ATM/POS transaction system, receiving the financial transaction instruction; retrieving the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; generating a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; and forwarding the transaction request via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system to the purchaser's bank for authorization of the financial transaction between the purchaser and the merchant.

Claim 33

A method of performing a financial transaction between a purchaser and a merchant, comprising: under control of a purchaser computer connected through a first public access network to the merchant to make a purchase from the merchant, generating an electronic purchaser payment instruction for the purchaser to make a purchase over the first public access network from the merchant, the purchaser payment instruction comprising card information, security information and transaction amount information each suitable for use in an on-line ATM/POS transaction, wherein the card information and security information are encrypted according to ATM/POS transaction system standards; including card number data with the card information, wherein the card number data is associated with a checking or savings account in purchaser's bank for funding the on-line ATM/POS transaction; including personal identification number data with the security information, wherein the personal identification number data is associated with the card number data to identify the purchaser and authorize use of the card number data; protecting the security of the purchaser payment instruction for transmission over the first public access network by utilizing a first secure mechanism, wherein the first secure mechanism comprises a first level of protection and a second level of protection, wherein the first level of protection comprises performing an operation on the purchaser payment instruction to provide verification of the identity of the purchaser and the integrity of the purchaser payment instruction while leaving all of the purchaser payment instruction in the clear except for the encrypted card information and security information, and wherein the second level of protection comprises encrypting the purchaser payment instruction for secure transmission over the first public access network; under control of the merchant, appending merchant payment instructions to the purchaser payment instruction to form a financial transaction instruction; and protecting the security of the financial transaction instruction for transmission over a second public access network by utilizing a second secure mechanism, wherein the second secure mechanism provides verification of the identity of the merchant and the integrity of the financial transaction instruction; under control of a service provider having a direct connection to the on-line ATM/POS transaction system, receiving the financial transaction instruction; retrieving the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; generating a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; forwarding the transaction request via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system to the purchaser's bank for authorization; receiving a response message from the purchaser's bank indicating an approval or denial of the transaction request; generating an authorization message based on the indicated approval or denial in the response message; and forwarding the authorization message to the merchant, over the first public access network, that notifies the merchant of the approval or denial of the financial transaction.

Claim 34

A method of performing a financial transaction between a purchaser and a merchant, comprising: under control of a purchaser computer connected through a first public access network to the merchant to make a purchase from the merchant, generating an electronic purchaser payment instruction for the purchaser to make a purchase over the first public access network from the merchant, the purchaser payment instruction comprising card information, security information and transaction amount information each suitable for use in an on-line ATM/POS transaction, wherein the card information and security information are encrypted according to ATM/POS transaction system standards; including card number data with the card information, wherein the card number data is associated with a checking or savings account in purchaser's bank for funding the on-line ATM/POS transaction; including personal identification number data with the security information, wherein the personal identification number data is associated with the card number data to identify the purchaser and authorize use of the card number data; protecting the security of the purchaser payment instruction for transmission over the first public access network by utilizing a first secure mechanism, wherein the first secure mechanism comprises a first level of protection and a second level of protection, wherein the first level of protection comprises performing an operation on the purchaser payment instruction to provide verification of the identity of the purchaser and the integrity of the purchaser payment instruction while leaving all of the purchaser payment instruction in the clear except for the encrypted card information and security information, and wherein the second level of protection comprises encrypting the purchaser payment instruction for secure transmission over the first public access network; under control of the merchant, appending merchant payment instructions to the purchaser payment instruction to form a financial transaction instruction; and protecting the security of the financial transaction instruction for transmission over a second public access network by utilizing a second secure mechanism, wherein the second secure mechanism provides verification of the identity of the merchant and the integrity of the financial transaction instruction; under control of a service provider having a direct connection to the on-line ATM/POS transaction system, receiving the financial transaction instruction; retrieving the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; generating a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount information; forwarding the transaction request via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system to the purchaser's bank for authorization; receiving a response message from the purchaser's bank indicating an approval or denial of the transaction request; generating an authorization message based on the indicated approval or denial in the response message; and forwarding the authorization message to the merchant, over the first public access network, that notifies the merchant of the approval or denial of the financial transaction.

Claim 48

A method of performing a financial transaction, comprising: accessing by a purchaser via a first public access network a site of a merchant; generating a purchaser payment instruction, by the purchaser via the public access network, to order a purchase from the merchant, the purchase payment instruction including an exchange of a transaction amount between the purchaser and the merchant; attaching card information from a memory of a purchaser's card to the purchaser payment instruction, the card information including purchaser account information associated with a purchaser's account at a purchaser's bank to be debited by the transaction amount; attaching a personal identification number known by the purchaser to the purchaser payment instruction, the personal identification number associated with the account information to authorize the use of the account information; encrypting the card information and the personal identification number using an encryption standard compatible with a format for processing in an ATM/POS transaction system; applying a first secure mechanism to the purchaser payment instruction, the first secure mechanism enabling secure transmission over the first public access network of the purchaser payment instruction to guarantee the identity of the purchaser and the integrity of the purchaser payment instruction; receiving the purchaser payment instruction by the merchant; appending a merchant payment instruction to the purchaser payment instruction to form a financial transaction instruction, the merchant payment instruction including merchant account information associated with a merchant's account at a merchant's bank to be credited by the transaction amount; applying a second secure mechanism to the financial transaction instruction, the second secure mechanism enabling secure transmission over a second public access network of the financial transaction instruction to guarantee the identity of the merchant and the integrity of the financial transaction instruction; receiving the financial transaction instruction at a service provider via the second public access network, the service provider having a connection with the on-line ATM/POS transaction system; retrieving, by the service provider, the card information, the security information and the transaction amount; generating, by the service provider, a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount; forwarding, by the service provider, the transaction request to the purchaser's bank via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system for authorization; receiving, by the service provider, a response message from the purchaser's bank indicating an approval or denial of the transaction request; generating, by the service provider, an authorization message based on the indicated approval or denial in the response message; and forwarding, by the service provider, the authorization message to the merchant, over the first public access network, that notifies the merchant of the approval or denial of the financial transaction.

Claim 49

A method of performing a financial transaction, comprising: accessing by a purchaser via a first public access network a site of a merchant; generating a purchaser payment instruction, by the purchaser via the public access network, to order a purchase from the merchant, the purchase payment instruction including an exchange of a transaction amount between the purchaser and the merchant; attaching card information from a memory of a purchaser's card to the purchaser payment instruction, the card information including purchaser account information associated with a purchaser's account at a purchaser's bank to be debited by the transaction amount; attaching a personal identification number known by the purchaser to the purchaser payment instruction, the personal identification number associated with the account information to authorize the use of the account information; encrypting the card information and the personal identification number using an encryption standard compatible with a format for processing in an ATM/POS transaction system; applying a first secure mechanism to the purchaser payment instruction, the first secure mechanism enabling secure transmission over the first public access network of the purchaser payment instruction to guarantee the identity of the purchaser and the integrity of the purchaser payment instruction; receiving the purchaser payment instruction by the merchant; appending a merchant payment instruction to the purchaser payment instruction to form a financial transaction instruction, the merchant payment instruction including merchant account information associated with a merchant's account at a merchant's bank to be credited by the transaction amount; applying a second secure mechanism to the financial transaction instruction, the second secure mechanism enabling secure transmission over a second public access network of the financial transaction instruction to guarantee the identity of the merchant and the integrity of the financial transaction instruction; receiving the financial transaction instruction at a service provider via the second public access network, the service provider having a connection with the on-line ATM/POS transaction system; retrieving, by the service provider, the card information, the security information and the transaction amount; generating, by the service provider, a transaction request in a format for processing in the on-line ATM/POS transaction system using the card information, the security information and the transaction amount; forwarding, by the service provider, the transaction request to the purchaser's bank via the on-line ATM/POS transaction system for authorization; receiving, by the service provider, a response message from the purchaser's bank indicating an approval or denial of the transaction request; generating, by the service provider, an authorization message based on the indicated approval or denial in the response message; and forwarding, by the service provider, the authorization message to the merchant, over the first public access network, that notifies the merchant of the approval or denial of the financial transaction.