System for personalized payments via mobile devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for conducting a payment card system payment transaction initiated from a customer's mobile device. In an embodiment, the customer's mobile device processor receives transaction information from a payment services provider computer, and generates a request for a payment transaction including a customer identification code that identifies the customer's payment card account, the transaction amount, and instructions to transfer funds from the payment card account to a merchant payment card account. The method includes transmitting the payment transaction request to the payment services provider computer, receiving a challenge to provide at least one item of security information, transmitting the security information to the payment services provider, and then receiving a confirmation message indicating execution of the payment transaction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor of a customer mobile device from a payment services provider computer, transaction information including a transaction amount and a merchant identification code;   generating, by the processor, a request for a payment transaction including a customer identification code identifying the customer's payment card account, the transaction amount, and instructions to transfer funds from the customer's payment card account to a merchant payment card account associated with the merchant identification code;   transmitting, by the processor, the payment transaction request to the payment services provider computer;   receiving, by the processor from the payment services provider computer, a challenge to the customer to provide at least one item of security information;   transmitting the at least one item of security information to the payment services provider to authenticate the customer; and   receiving, by the processor from the payment services provider computer, a confirmation message indicating execution of the payment transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the transaction information further comprises receiving a transaction number generated by a merchant device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein transmitting the payment transaction request further comprises transmitting the transaction number to the payment services provider. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant identification code comprises at least one of a merchant mobile telephone number assigned to a merchant device, a mobile device identifier that identifies a merchant device, a merchant identifier that identifies the merchant, and a merchant payment card account number. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the funds transfer request further comprises transmitting the merchant identification code to the payment services provider. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the transaction information further comprises receiving line item information identifying individual items being purchased, and wherein transmitting the payment transaction request further comprises transmitting the line item information to the payment services provider. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the challenge to the customer for the at least one item of security information comprises a request for at least one of a date of birth, a mother's maiden name, a birthplace, a home telephone number, a home address and a Social Security number. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the challenge to the customer for at least one item of security information comprises a request to provide a picture of the customer taken by a camera associated with the customer's mobile device after transmission of the payment transaction request; and
 transmitting, by the processor to the payment services provider computer, a picture of the customer taken by a camera associated with the customer's mobile device to authenticate the customer.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory memory device storing instructions configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to:
 receive transaction information including a transaction amount and a merchant identification code from a payment services provider computer;   generate a request for a payment transaction including a customer identification code identifying the customer's payment card account, the transaction amount, and instructions to transfer funds from the customer's payment card account to a merchant payment card account associated with the merchant identification code;   transmit the payment transaction request to the payment services provider computer.   receive a challenge to the customer from the payment services provider computer to provide at least one item of security information;   transmit the at least one item of security information to the payment services provider to authenticate the customer; and   receive a confirmation message from the payment services provider computer indicating execution of the payment transaction.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions for receiving the transaction information further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to receive a transaction number generated by a merchant device. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory memory device of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions for transmitting the payment transaction further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to transmit the transaction number to the payment services provider. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions for receiving the merchant identification code further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to receive at least one of a merchant mobile telephone number assigned to a merchant device, a mobile device identifier that identifies a merchant device, a merchant identifier that identifies the merchant, and a merchant payment card account number. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions for transmitting the funds transfer request further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to transmit the merchant identification code to the payment services provider. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions for receiving the transaction information further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to receive line item information identifying individual items being purchased, and wherein the instructions for transmitting the payment transaction request further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to transmit the line item information to the payment services provider. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions for receiving the challenge from the payment services provider computer to provide at least one item of security information further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to prompt for at least one of a date of birth, a mother's maiden name, a birthplace, a home telephone number, a home address and a Social Security number. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions for receiving the challenge from the payment services provider computer to provide at least one item of security information further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor of the mobile device to prompt for a picture of the customer taken by a camera associated with the customer's mobile device after transmission of the payment transaction request; and
 wherein the instructions for transmitting the at least one item of security information to the payment services provider comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to obtain and to transmit a picture of the customer taken by a camera associated with the customer's mobile device to authenticate the customer.   
     
     
         17 . A mobile device comprising:
 a processor;   transmit and receive circuitry operably coupled to the processor;   an antenna operably connected to the transmit and receive circuitry; and   a non-transitory memory device operably coupled to the processor and storing instructions configured to cause the processor to:
 receive transaction information including a transaction amount and a merchant identification code from a payment services provider computer; 
 generate a request for a payment transaction including a customer identification code identifying the customer's payment card account, the transaction amount, and instructions to transfer funds from the customer's payment card account to a merchant payment card account associated with the merchant identification code; 
 transmit the payment transaction request to the payment services provider computer. 
 receive a challenge to the customer from the payment services provider computer to provide at least one item of security information; 
 transmit the at least one item of security information to the payment services provider to authenticate the customer; and 
 receive a confirmation message from the payment services provider computer indicating execution of the payment transaction. 
   
     
     
         18 . The mobile device of  claim 17 , further comprising a camera operably coupled to the processor; and
 wherein the instructions for receiving the challenge to provide at least one item of security information further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to prompt the customer to take a picture of the customer with the camera the after transmission of the payment transaction request; and   wherein the instructions for transmitting the at least one item of security information to the payment services provider comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit a picture of the customer taken by the camera to authenticate the customer.