Ecommerce system with payment data division

Abstract

In at least one embodiment of an ecommerce system, payment data is divided into proper subsets and distributed among multiple data processing systems, and each of the data processing systems stores less than all of the subsets of the payment data after the subsets of payment data are distributed and until at least sending the payment data to a payment authorization system for processing. In at least one embodiment, distributing proper subsets of the payment data among multiple data processing systems enhances security of the payment data by limiting an amount of time and the locations in which a complete set of payment data is persisted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 dividing payment data into multiple, proper subsets of the payment data; and   distributing the subsets of the payment data and a sender identification data among a plurality of data processing systems wherein each data processing system receives less than all of the subsets of the payment data, and wherein at least two of the data processing systems are in separate networks.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a unique payment data identification code from one of the data processing systems; and 
 distributing the unique payment data identification code to the other data processing systems to associate each of the respective subsets of the payment data with a sender. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising encrypting the subsets of the payment data prior to distributing the subsets of the payment data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payment data comprises multiple elements and the method further comprises subdividing the elements into sub-elements. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sender identification data comprises an access token. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payment data comprises multiple payment data elements including at least two of a credit card number, a cardholder name, a cardholder billing address, a card security code, card issue month, card issue year, card expiration month, and card expiration year, and wherein dividing payment data into multiple, proper subsets of the payment data comprises generating at least a first subset of the payment data with at least one payment data element and a second subset of the payment data with at least one different payment data element. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising aggregating the subsets of the payment data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising transmitting a request for payment authorization for a commercial transaction, wherein the request comprises the payment data, a merchant credential, and a transaction amount. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a proper subset of the payment data; 
 generating a transaction identification code to associate the proper subset of payment data with the sender; and 
 sending the transaction identification code to a client system to identify one or more other subsets of the payment data with the sender. 
 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage device containing software that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
 divide payment data into multiple, proper subsets of the payment data; and   distribute the subsets of the payment data and sender identification data among a plurality of data processing systems so that each data processing system receives less than all of the subsets of the payment data, and at least two of the data processing systems are in separate networks.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the software further causes the processor to encrypt the subsets of the payment data prior to distributing the subsets of the payment data. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the payment data comprises multiple elements and the software causes the processor to subdivide the elements into sub-elements. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the sender identification data comprises an access token. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the payment data comprises multiple payment data elements including at least two of a credit card number, a cardholder name, a cardholder billing address, a card security code, card issue month, card issue year, card expiration month, and card expiration year, and wherein the software causes the processor to divide payment data into multiple, proper subsets of the payment data by generating at least a first subset of the payment data with at least one payment data element and a second subset of the payment data with at least one different payment data element. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the software causes the processor to divide the payment data in response to a receipt of an authorization command to complete a sales transaction. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 10 , wherein each subset of the payment data includes a transaction identifier that associates the subset of the payment data with a particular sales transaction. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor causes the processor to:
 divide payment data into multiple, proper subsets of the payment data; and   distribute the subsets of the payment data and sender identification data among a plurality of data processing systems such that each data processing system receives less than all of the subsets of the payment data, and at least two of the data processing systems are in separate networks.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein each subset of the payment data is encrypted by the processor, wherein the sender identification comprises an access token, and wherein each subset of the payment data includes a transaction identifier that associates the subset of the payment data with a particular sales transaction. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the executed instructions cause the processor to divide the payment data in response to a receipt of an authorization command to complete a sales transaction. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the payment data comprises multiple payment data elements including at least two of a credit card number, a cardholder name, a cardholder billing address, a card security code, card issue month, card issue year, card expiration month, and card expiration year, wherein the software causes the processor to divide payment data into multiple, proper subsets of the payment data by generating at least a first subset of the payment data with at least one payment data element and a second subset of the payment data with at least one different payment data element, and wherein the payment data elements are subdivided into sub-elements.