Method and apparatus for facilitating payment via mobile networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating payments for transactions, via mobile devices and mobile telecommunications networks, is disclosed. In an embodiment, a product provider is provided with a code, such as a QRcode, which contains or references payment details for purchase of the product. A mobile user of the application scans the code and is connected to their internet banking application. The payment details are transferred to the internet banking application and the mobile user confirms that the transaction should proceed. Payment is made without any secure details being provided to the product provider.

1 . A customer apparatus for facilitating payment transactions between a customer and a product provider, the customer apparatus comprising:
 a reader arranged to read a product provider artefact storing transaction data about the transaction, to obtain the transaction data; and   a transaction processor arranged to connect over a communication network to a financial institution application of a financial institution administering a customer account of the customer, to provide the transaction data to the financial institution application, so that the financial institution can make payment for the transaction from the customer account.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , the customer apparatus comprising a mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the product provider artefact is a visible code. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the product provider artefact comprises a memory for storing the transaction data for transmission to the customer apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the transaction data comprises a payment amount and details of a product provider account, wherein the financial institution can pay the payment amount into the product provider account. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the transaction data comprises a reference, arranged to be received by the financial institution and provided to a transaction administration system, the transaction administration system being arranged to provide payment data to the financial institution in response to receipt of the reference. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the financial institution application is a conventional Internet banking application. 
     
     
         8 . A transaction administration apparatus comprising:
 a processing apparatus; and   a product provider artefact providing module arranged to provide a product provider artefact including transaction data, to a product provider apparatus, so that the product provider apparatus may provide the transaction data to a customer apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, so that the customer apparatus can obtain the transaction data for facilitating payment for the transaction.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 8 , comprising a transaction processing module arranged to receive payment data from a product provider, and to provide the payment data to a financial institution application, so that the financial institution application can deal with payment to the product provider from a customer account. 
     
     
         10 . A product provider artefact storing transaction data about a transaction between a customer and a product provider, and being readable by a customer apparatus in order for the customer apparatus to obtain the transaction data. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a computer program comprising instructions for controlling a computing device to implement a customer apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A transaction administration system comprising a transaction administration apparatus in accordance with  claim 8 , and a customer apparatus for facilitating payment transactions between a customer and a product provider, the customer apparatus comprising:
 a reader arranged to read a product provider artefact storing transaction data about the transaction, to obtain the transaction data; and   a transaction processor arranged to connect over a communication network to a financial institution application of a financial institution administering a customer account of the customer, to provide the transaction data to the financial institution application, so that the financial institution can make payment for the transaction from the customer account.   
     
     
         13 . A system in accordance with  claim 12 , further comprising a product provider artefact storing transaction data about a transaction between a customer and a product provider, and being readable by a customer apparatus in order for the customer apparatus to obtain the transaction data. 
     
     
         14 . A method of facilitating payment transactions between a customer and a product provider, the method comprising:
 using a customer apparatus to read a product provider artefact storing transaction data about the transaction, to obtain the transaction data; and   connecting the customer apparatus over a communication network to a financial institution application of a financial institution and providing the transaction data to the financial institution application, so that the financial institution can make payment for the transaction from the customer account.   
     
     
         15 . A method for facilitating a payment transaction between a customer and a product provider, the method comprising:
 read, at a customer apparatus, transaction data about the transaction from a product provider artefact storing the transaction data;   receiving, at a financial institution computing, system, the transaction data from the customer apparatus; and   making payment for the transaction from a customer account of the customer associated with the customer apparatus.