System and method for approving transactions

Abstract

In a transaction between a merchant and a payer, approval of the transaction may be provided by a payment processing system using authentication information provided from a mobile device of the payer. The authentication information may include a location of the payer mobile device which may be compared to a location of a merchant payment device such that the transaction is approved if the payer mobile device is within a defined distance of the merchant payment device.

1 . A method, comprising:
 identifying a payer from a payer identification device using a merchant payment device;   transmitting a request for authentication data from the merchant payment device to a mobile communications device of the payer;   transmitting a request for approval of a transaction between a merchant and the payer in response to receiving the authentication data from the merchant payment device.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the request for approval comprises:
 generating a transaction record comprising the authentication data;   providing the transaction record to a payment processing system; and   receiving the approval of the transaction from the payment processing system in response to the transaction record.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the authentication data comprises a location of the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising receiving the approval of the transaction in response to the location of the mobile communications device being within a defined distance of the merchant payment device. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 transmitting a location of the merchant payment device to the payment processing system; and   receiving the approval of the transaction in response to at least one of the location of the mobile communications device, the location of the merchant payment device, or a combination of both the location of the mobile communications device and the location of the merchant payment device.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving a transaction history of the payer identification device from the mobile communications device;   providing the transaction history to the payment processing system;   receiving the approval of the transaction from the payment processing system in response to transaction history.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the transaction history is received from the mobile communications device and provided to the payment processing system in an encrypted form.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving second authentication data at the merchant payment device from the payer identification device:, and   providing the second authentication data from the payer identification device to the payment processing system.   
     
     
         9 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that configure a processing device to perform operations comprising:
 reading a payment identification device of a payer;   identifying a mobile communications device of the payer;   requesting authentication information from the mobile communications device;   generating a transaction record incorporating the authentication information in response to receiving the authentication information from the mobile communications device; and   providing the transaction record to a payment processing system.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device according to  claim 18 , wherein the processing device is configured to perform operations further comprising:
 receiving the authentication information in an encrypted form; and   incorporating the encrypted authentication information in the transaction record.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device according to  claim 18 , wherein the processing device is configured to perform operations further comprising:
 determining a location of the processing device; and   incorporating the location of the processing device into the transaction record.   
     
     
         21 . A device, comprising:
 an identification module configured to identify a payer from a payer identification;   a transmission module configured to transmit a request for authentication data to a mobile device of the payer; and   a reception module configured to receive the authentication data from the mobile device in response to the request;   wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit a request for approval of a transaction between a merchant and the payer in response to the authentication data.   
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 ,
 wherein the identification module is further configured to generate a transaction record comprising the authentication data; and   wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the transaction record to a payment processing system; and   wherein the reception module is further configured to receive the approval of the transaction from the payment processing system in response to the transaction record.   
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the authentication data includes location data for the mobile device. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the reception module is further configured to receive the approval of the transaction in response to the location data for the mobile device indicating that the mobile device is at a location geographically within a predefined distance from a location for the device. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 ,
 wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the location data for the mobile device to a payment processing system; and   wherein the reception module is further configured to receive the approval of the transaction in response to at least one of the location for the mobile device, a location for the device, or a combination of both the location for the mobile device and the location for the device.   
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the reception module is further configured to receive a transaction history from the mobile device; and   wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the transaction history to the payment processing device.   
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the reception module is further configured to receive the transaction history in an encrypted form; and   wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the transaction history to the payment processing system in the encrypted form.   
     
     
         28 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a request to approve a transaction between a merchant and a payer, the request comprising a location of a device of the payer and an identification of the payer; and   transmitting an approval for the transaction in response to the location of the device being within a predefined distance from a location of the merchant.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 ,
 wherein the request further comprises a transaction history of the payer; and   wherein transmitting the approval is further in response to the transaction history of the payer.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising receiving the request in an encrypted form. 
     
     
         31 . A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that configure a processing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a request to approve a transaction between a merchant and a payer, the request comprising a location of a mobile device of the payer and an identification of the payer; and   transmitting an approval for the transaction in response to the location of the mobile device being within a predefined distance from a location of the merchant.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable storage device according to  claim 31 ,
 wherein the request further comprises a transaction history of the payer; and   wherein the processing device is configured to perform operations further comprising transmitting the approval in response to the transaction history of the payer.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable storage device according to  claim 31 , wherein the processing device is configured to perform operations further comprising receiving the request in an encrypted form. 
     
     
         34 . A device, comprising:
 a reception module configured to receive a request to approve a transaction between a merchant and a payer, the request comprising a location of a mobile device of the payer and an identification of the payer; and   a transmission module configured to transmit an approval for the transaction in response to the location of the mobile device being within a predefined distance from a location of the merchant.   
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 34 , wherein the reception module is further configured to receive the request in an encrypted form. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 34 ,
 wherein the request further comprises a transaction history of the payer; and   wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the approval in response to the transaction history of the payer.   
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 34 , wherein the reception module is further configured to receive the request in an encrypted form.