Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/04—Billing or invoicing
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/04—Payment circuits
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
  • G06Q20/12—Payment architectures specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
  • G06Q20/16—Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/38—Payment protocols; Details thereof
  • G06Q20/385—Payment protocols; Details thereof using an alias or single-use codes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to Internet payment.
• the Internet is increasingly used by consumers to buy goods and services.
• the most common way of paying for goods and services over the Internet is using a credit card.
• a consumer wishing to purchase an item will select that item at a website, then enter credit card details at the website.
• the server supporting the website contacts the credit card provider and debits the payment from the credit card.
• the item is then issued to the consumer.
• a disadvantage of using credit card payments is that it involves the consumer transmitting their credit card details over the Internet. Whilst it is conventional to do this via a secure connection, there remains a risk that the credit card details may be obtained by a third party. The consumer may be inhibited from purchasing goods and services via the Internet due to worry about the risk of third parties obtaining their credit card details.
• One way in which the passage of credit card details via the Internet has been reduced is by storing a consumer's credit card details at a website's server and placing an identifying cookie on the consumer's computer. When the consumer logs on to the website on a subsequent occasion, the consumer is identified via the cookie, and the consumer's credit card details are retrieved from the server. Whilst this arrangement is advantageous it does not eliminate the requirement to send credit card details via the Internet at least once.
• a disadvantage of this arrangement is that the consumer may not wish to have a cookie placed on his computer.
• Reverse billing is designed for mobile phone users.
• a user contacts the company that provides his mobile phone service, and gives permission in advance for the company to bill him for goods or services purchased over the Internet.
• the user may pay for access to a website using reverse billing.
• the user begins at the website from which the user wishes to purchase an item.
• the user types his telephone number in at the web site.
• the website sends a Short Message Service (SMS) message to the user's mobile phone.
• SMS Short Message Service
• the message includes a code which the user must enter at the website.
• the website then passes data to a server of the company that provides the user's mobile phone service, instructing a debit to be made from the account associated with the telephone number of the user's mobile phone.
• the user is then provided with the required item (this may be for example access to restricted pages of a website).
• Sending the code to the user's mobile phone provides security since the user must be in possession of the mobile phone in order to receive the code.
• the set comprises a mobile phone for which a payment is made directly, via a shop, to an account of a mobile phone service provider.
• a user may purchase in advance Mega worth of use for a mobile phone by going to a suitable shop and paying Mega cash at the shop.
• the £ is transferred, via a cash register at the shop, to the account associated with that mobile phone (the account is identified using the telephone number of the mobile phone). Since the user does not need to sign up to a credit agreement the user may buy the phone and pre-pay for use of the phone anonymously using cash.
• Reverse billing may be performed using a pre-paid mobile phone. This is advantageous because it allow goods and services to be purchased over the Internet anonymously.
• a disadvantage of the known reverse billing system is that each time the user wishes to access restricted pages of a website the user must re-enter his telephone number, whereupon a code is sent to his phone by SMS, and must enter the code. If the user wishes to avoid providing his telephone number this then the user may give permission for a cookie to be placed on his computer such that the next time the user wishes to access the website from the computer, the computer is automatically identified and the code is automatically sent to the user's mobile phone (i.e. the user does not need to re-enter his telephone number).
• a disadvantage of this system is that the user must enter an authorisation code each time he wishes to access the website.
• a further disadvantage of the use of a cookie is that the user must access the website from the computer on which the cookie is placed. In addition, the anonymity of the user is compromised, since the cookie is retained on the user's computer.
• an Internet payment method comprising receiving a user identifier and a telephone number, storing the user identifier and telephone number in a database, transmitting an authorisation code to the telephone number and debiting an amount from an account associated with the telephone number, receiving the authorisation code from the user via a payment website, comparing the received authorisation code with the transmitted authorisation code, and if the received authorisation code corresponds with the transmitted authorisation code, providing an item and recording in the database data which indicates that the item may subsequently be provided again without the user being required to enter an authorisation code and without requiring a further debit from the account.
• the invention is advantageous since upon the purchase of electronic goods, such as an on-line newspaper, the invention retains a record that the newspaper has been purchased by the user, and allows the purchaser to return to the newspaper at a subsequent time by providing a user identifier.
• the user is not constrained to always use the same Internet access point.
• the account associated with the telephone number may be a mobile telephone account, or a bank account.
• the term "bank account” is used to include a credit card account and any other account from which payments can be made.
• the invention also provides an Internet payment system comprising means for receiving a user identifier and a telephone number, a database for storing the user identifier and telephone number, means for transmitting an authorisation code to the telephone number, means for debiting an amount from an account associated with the telephone number, means for receiving the authorisation code from the user via a payment website, comparison means for comparing the received authorisation code with the transmitted authorisation code, and means for providing an item, wherein the database includes data which indicates that the item may subsequently be provided again without the user being required to enter an authorisation code and without requiring a further debit from the account.
• a server provides a newspaper, some pages of which may be accessed without charge, other pages being restricted to users that have paid for access.
• the user provides permission to reverse bill a telephone account (usually a mobile phone).
• the user provides at the website a user identifier and password, together with his her telephone number.
• the server sends a Short Message Service (SMS) message containing an authorisation code to the telephone number, and debits the cost of the newspaper from the user's mobile phone account.
• SMS Short Message Service
• the user identifier, password and the user's telephone number are retained in a database at the server, together with the fact that the user has paid for the newspaper. If at some later time the user wishes to access the newspaper again, the user goes to the newspaper website and enters his/her user identifier and password. The server consults the database to check that the newspaper has already been paid for, then allows the user to access the newspaper.
• the invention is advantageous because it allows the user to access the newspaper multiple times, with only one payment being made.
• the invention does not rely upon information being stored on the user's computer (or other Internet access device). Instead, the information is stored at the newspaper server and associated with the user's user identifier and password. This is advantageous because it allows the user to access the newspaper website from different Internet access devices.
• the reverse payment system may be set up so that a summary of previous transactions is available at the newspaper website.
• the user may view his transaction summary by entering his user identifier and password at the newspaper website.
• the website may be configured to allow the user to access a given newspaper any number of times following an initial payment for access. For example, the user may access the newspaper website from home in the morning, pay for that day's newspaper by entering his user identifier and password, and entering a code which is sent to his mobile phone as an SMS message. The user may subsequently access the newspaper using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) phone on the way to work. To do this the user goes to the newspaper website, enters his user identifier and password, and selects the day's newspaper from the list of previous transactions.
• WAP Wireless Application Protocol
• the user may at a subsequent time access the newspaper again in the same manner, for example using a computer at work. It will be appreciated that this arrangement is advantageous since it allows access to the newspaper website by the user from any number of different Internet capable machines. Since the user uses a user identifier and password combination there is no need for a cookie to be placed on each of the machines used by the user.
• Access to the newspaper may be restricted on a time basis.
• the newspaper may be available for only one week. At the end of the week the newspaper may be removed from the website. Alternatively, access to the newspaper may be stopped, the user being given the option of purchasing a further week's access to the newspaper upon payment of a subsequent fee.
• the user may purchase more than one service from a given website.
• the user may purchase different publications from the newspaper website, including Monday's newspaper, Sunday's magazine, etc. Where this is the case, the user upon entering his identifier and password is presented with a list of publications that have been purchased by him, and selects the publication that he wishes to view.
• Encryption using known encryption methods is used to prevent third parties accessing communication between a user and the server.
• Each individual purchase requires separate authorisation by the user using the method described above (i.e. for each individual purchase the server sends an authorisation code to the user's mobile phone in the form of an SMS text message, and the user enters the code at the website). Since the telephone number of the user is retained at the server, there is no need for the user to re-enter his telephone number at the website.
• the newspaper website displays a general reverse billing authorisation code.
• the user types this code into his mobile phone and sends it as an SMS message to his mobile phone service provider. This establishes that the user has given permission for reverse billing to be used to purchase services from the newspaper website. Permission to use reverse billing to purchase services from other websites is given separately (each website has a different authorisation code).
• the user may wish to remain anonymous. To do this, the user may anonymously purchase a pre-paid mobile phone together with a payment in advance for use of the mobile phone.
• the cost of purchasing access to the newspaper is automatically debited from the pre-payment by associating the cost of the newspaper with the SMS text message containing the authorisation code that is sent to the user's mobile phone. In other words, if the cost of purchasing access to the newspaper is 40 pence, then 40 pence will be debited from the mobile phone account upon sending the SMS text message to the user's mobile phone. If the amount of payment in advance held on the user's account is less than 40 pence, then the SMS text message will not be sent, and the user will not be able to access the newspaper.
• the reverse payment system may be administrated by software running at the newspaper website's server.
• An alternative embodiment of the invention may be based upon a link between the newspaper website's server and a dedicated reverse billing administration server.
• a user wishes to buy access to a newspaper, he selects an appropriate icon on the newspaper website, whereupon he is transferred to the dedicated reverse billing administration server.
• the user then performs the steps described above. Once these steps have been completed the reverse billing administration server transfers the user back to the newspaper website, and in addition sends data to the newspaper website indicating that the user may be allowed to access the newspaper that has been purchased.
• the reverse billing administration server sells access to a variety of services directly from the reverse billing administration server via a website supported by the server.
• the website allows the user to select from a variety of services and to purchase a specific selected service, in a manner analogous to the selection and purchase of a newspaper from the newspaper website.
• the services are provided via links from the reverse billing website to websites supporting the service. This is done by for example restricting access to a uniform resource locator (URL) for a given part of a website, and allowing access to that URL only once a payment has been made via reverse billing.
• URL uniform resource locator
• a record of the services that have been purchased by the user is stored at the reverse billing website, and is associated with the user's identity. This allows the user to subsequently access previously purchased services by going to the reverse billing website and providing a user identifier and password.
• Some services may be stored on the reverse billing server and provided directly from the reverse billing website.
• the embodiment of the invention which allows purchases of a variety of different services from a reverse billing website has the advantage that it provides in effect a shop window which displays a variety of services for purchase.
• the services may be arranged in categories, for example music, video, magazines, etc, thereby allowing the user to locate services of interest more efficiently. This is advantageous for the providers of the services because it will bring their services to the attention of many users as they browse the reverse billing website.
• the reverse billing website allows the user to browse through services arranged in categories in order to select a new purchase.
• the reverse billing website includes a list of services previously purchased by the user, to which the user may return without further payment. This list may also be arranged in categories to allow the user to review previously purchased services more efficiently.
• Access to a service may be limited on a time basis. For example, a given edition of a magazine may be available to a user for up to one year following payment by the user.
• Access to music may be purchased using the embodiment of the invention.
• the user may wish to listen to music recorded by a particular artist.
• the user instead of downloading the music to his computer, listens to the music from a website at which the music is retained.
• the user makes a payment for the music by entering a user identifier and a password, then entering a code which has been transmitted to his mobile phone by the music website server.
• the user is then allowed access to the music, and may access the music at any subsequent time via any suitable Internet device, provided that he enters his identifier and password.
• the user may for example listen to the music by accessing the website from a computer in his home, or via a WAP phone.
• Access to the music may be limited on a time basis. For example, the user may pay a fee to be able to access the music as often as he wants for one month.
• Access to other suitable services may be provided using the invention.
• a video stream may be accessed for a limited period of time (this could be football matches played by a particular team for one month).
• Access to games may be provided using the invention.
• Other services for which access may be provided using the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
• access to services may be limited on a 'number of accesses' basis (i.e. the user may access the service a limited number of times).
• a user may register with a website providing services to which access is sought (or alternatively at a centralised website) by providing a username, password and mobile telephone number.
• a user also provides details of a bank account and gives permission for a provider of the service (or of the centralised website) to deduct money from that bank account.
• a bank account is associated with the username, password and mobile telephone number.
• references to SMS messages in the foregoing description are in no way limiting, but are instead to be construed broadly to include all messaging protocols including amongst others MMS.
• the invention may be used for purchases via the Internet, irrespective of the protocol used to access the Internet.
• Internet communications may be sent using the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), or using wireless technologies e.g. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).
• WAP Wireless Application Protocol
• GPRS General Packet Radio Service
• the invention may be used with currently undeveloped protocols, or emerging protocols, such as Internet Protocol Version 6 including (IPV6).

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Development Economics (AREA)
• Economics (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=29553854

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (3)

• 2003
  • 2003-05-21 WO PCT/GB2003/002190 patent/WO2003098501A2/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-05-21 AU AU2003236887A patent/AU2003236887A1/en not_active Abandoned

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