SMS/CARD SYSTEM OF PAYING GOODS AND SERVICES VIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES TECHNICAL FIELDS
The invention reflects those technology domains which have the following international classification patent symbols :
GO6F 17/60 - equipment and procedures for digital calcualtion or data processing specially adapted for administrational, business, menagement, surveillance or prognostic applications,
GO7F 19/00 - complete banking system ; coding devices adapted for issuing or accepting money or other similar operations, as well as for making records of such transactions made onto existent accounts, for example automatic cash registers,
HO4M 11/00 - telecommunications system adapted for manipulation with other electric systems. TECHNICAL PROBLEMS The invention contributes to solving technical problems of authorising cashless transactions made with credit/debit cards, or in other words, problems of authorising cashless transactions from any bank account or other money position, for example accounts for subscriber's mobile phone, telephone or any other telecommunications device. In other words, the invention offers to a buyer absolute safety and a considerably higher degree of comfort while making purchases, that is while paying for a product or a service. BACKGROUND ART
According to the latest results provided by the world base patent research, there are no satisfactory solutions to the mentioned technical problems. The solutions which describe some kind of transaction made by SMS as a media, are described in the following patent documents :
The patent document number WO 02/086786 A2 describes a solution which simplifies the existent procedures and types of payment made exclusively within the so-called on-line webs (Internet for example), especially when small or extremely small amounts of money are involved. Individuals can « buy » on the Internet different services, products, information or other goods such as programme resolution, pictures, songs, CDs, books, information or access to the knowledge base while searching for a piece of information etc. The patent offers a solution to making purchases or while paying for unmaterialized goods, primarely information, for which only a low fee is paid. Second, the patent describes a
problem of lack of comfort, procedures and types of payment when small amounts of money are involved, offering at the same time solutions to the mentioned problems. As far as characteristics are concerned, they are as follows : payment system refers to very small amounts of money; the system operates only within the so-called on-line webs; the system implies that a buyer is given a loan or money deposit by a seller or his agent.
The patent document number EP 1182594 41 describes possibilities of making orders by mobile phones that is SMS messages. In other words, the patent uses SMS as a media which functions only as a kind of order receipt provided by the buyer. The patent solution doesn't include the problem of paying out orders. The patent document number WO 02/061699 Al describes the procedure used by a service user who is at the same time a mobile device user and who gives orders via SMS to the SMS or GSM operator to pay costs on his behalf. In other words GSM operator is asked to pay the costs on behalf of the service user. This solution highlightens practical characteristic of the method of paying monthly or any other bill. On the other hand, disadvantages of this solution in relation to the patent invention are the following :
- The system is primarily concearned with making out receipts for paying monthly or other bills very much like the service of issuing standing orders, a service provided by Croatian banks, after the buyer has received a receipt for each paid bill;
- The system implies that the inconveniences of charging for purchases are left to GSM operator. According to the system, GSM operator pays bills on user's behalf to a third party who then sends them to the user on monthly basis. In this way, GSM operator puts the costs of purchases onto user's account and expects the user to pay them. According to the latest information, GSM operator has no interest in such types of services for it is not his « core business ». The patent document number WO 03/010951 Al describes a very complex procedure of making orders for services by telephone or mobile phone. The user asks from the so-called rVR or « Interactive Voice Response » telecommunications operator to increase his prepaid account. The whole process is conducted by means of a connection established between the financial institution with which the user has an open account, underlying the fact that the user can use both credit or debit cards as a means of payment. It is also possible that the bank, or other user's card issuer grants credit for user's phone. Disadvantages of the solution in relation to this patent are the following :
- the method is largely dependant on IVR - the telecommunications operator's voice- machine, which needs to be adapted for authorising transactions for each product seperately;
- telecommunications operator is not interested in changing its IVR system for arranging payments of products other than his;
- the method is far more complex for the user when compared to the invention of the patent, for the user needs to make various steps by voice-machine to complete the payment process;
- the method enables a great number of other transactions, but only if an additional security number - the so-called TAN is used for every transaction.
The upper text makes it clear why this method is primarily used to increase user's pre-paid account.
THE ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION
The essence of the invention is authorizing transactions from credit cards, debit cards and from all means of cashless payment made by telephone, mobile phone or any other device which allows to send textual, graphic or other types of messages. A similar but somewhat safer concept is already introduced in the Internet world where the phone has been replaced with the computer connected to the Internet. In the Internet world, the user gives detailed information contained on his credit card while making transactions or purchases on the Internet. Using his computer, the user can « buy » almost every possible product which is normally bought in real stores, such as computer programmes, hardware, CDs, music disks, books, cloths, different kinds of devices.
However, the greatest disadvantage of paying via Internet is lack of safety which can bring to a possible fraud on buyer's account. The buyer gives all the information contained on his credit card to an unknown seller. This information travels through Internet to the seller and it is saved into the computer, in most cases onto seller's Web server. Saved on the Web server, the information run the risk of possible attacks from different informatic groups and individuals, and rarely from salesmen themselves aiming to use the information for ill purposes such as for example to make some payments in their favour or simply to sell it. The invention in question appeared as a response to these very inconveniences, offering more safety while performing transactions via Internet and preserving at the same time all the advantages.
What's more, the invention operates with the exact ease and comfort, adding more safety to all types of non-Internet or classic transactions, and to the use of all the existent types of cashless payment : payment with credit cards, debit cards, direct payments from a bank account and even those made for commodities which can only be bought with cash - tram/city bus tickets ect.
This means that the method authorises transactions for all types of cashless payment listed in the text above by telephone, mobile mobile phone or any telecommunications device which allows to send/receive textual, graphic or any other type of message without having to give to a seller any pesonal information or information about the means of payment - credit cards, debit cards etc., or in other words, without having to send the personal data listed above by any electronic device.
It is also important to say that the information on the phone number or the number of any other device used in the process of payment, stays unknown to the seller and all individuals involved in the process. This however does not refer to the telecommunications operator or the person offering services of cashless payment. Such range of safety and use of these types of payment while buying products and services is not offered by any of the existent patent solutions. It is exactly this kind of service that the discused invention provides. Apart from this new service, the method offers a much more simple procedure for the type of transaction described by the existent patent solution, such as the increase of pre-paid accounts, orders made via SMS, payment of regular monthly or other bills, payments referring to small or very small sums of money or some other type of transaction. The major part of the invention is blending together all the existing technologies and types of payment in order to achieve a new, far more comfortable and safer way of using the same type of payment. This method increases at the same time the use of cashless types of payment, creates a new market for commodities offered by banks, card issuers, telecommunications operators and creates a new segment of services which will be provided by companies and societies whose interest is to implement this patent solution. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 shows a sheme of subjects involved in the process of payment and the payment procedure followed by these subjects based on a contract signed between telecommunications operator and banks or card issuers, another provider of services of cashless payment.
Fig. 2 shows a sheme of subjects involved in the process of payment and the payment procedure defined by the same subjects based on a contract signed between SCPP, a new subject which has the programme and the machinery required by the invention, and the bank/card issuer, another provider of services of cashless payment. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The subjects taking part in the payment system are subjects who pay by means of their own infrastructure which consists of hardware equipment, software support and telecommunications equipment. The subjects involved in the process of payment are described in the table 1. Table 1
The infrastructure of the subjects involved in the payment system is described in the table 2.
Table 2
Subjects involved in the exchange process must be bound by a contract before any exchange can take place. All technical solutions to payment are dependant on this relation
thus creating as many payment possibilities as there are types of contractual relations among the subjects involved in the payment process.
There are two basic methods of payment based on two types of contractual relations between the parties involved in the payment process. Description of the first method of payment
This type of payment is based on the existing contractual relations between telecommunications Operator and Card providers : banks, card issuers or other providers of means of cashless payment. This type of payment is illustrated with the sheme on Fig. 1.
Procedure of the first method of payment: 1) Buyer decides to « pay » for selected commodities.
2) Buyer receives an OrderlD : 12345 from Seller along with the total amount of selected commodities and instructions for further procedure : « Please send an SMS message containing your OrderlD using the number 101101 ». Buyer sends the information by telephone, mobile phone or other device used for this purpose. 101101 is a presumed which Buyer uses to send the message. Operator gives the same number to SCPP . The number is valid for one transaction only.
3) At the same time, SCPP interface automatically receives by computer the OrderlD and the total sum of selected commodities.
4) Buyer sends an SMS message containing the OrderlD using the number 101101 as illustrated by point 2.
5) SMSC transmits the message to SCPP SMS receiver. SCPP SMS receiver finds the corresponding OrderlD in the SCPP database and saves, for example the number of the mobile phone from which Buyer has sent the message and which thereby represent Buyer's mobile phone. 6) SCPP PG interface transmits the order to PGS Operator to put the charges for the order onto Buyer's account. 7) PGS Operator sends to Buyer an SMS message asking him to give autorisation for the transaction by sending his mPIN. 8) Buyer .answers the message with his mPIN. 9) After PGS Operator has received from Buyer a message containing the correct mPIN, PGS Operator transmits to Card issuer a demand to authorise the transaction, sending the data necessary for issuing a transaction authorisation. Card issuer makes out a
transaction authorisation by which the costs are put onto Buyer's account, and then transmits the information on the autorisation to PGS Operator.
10) PGS Operator sends to PG interface a confirmation of a paid/rej ected transaction. If the transaction is succesfully charged for, SCPP PG interface finds the corresponding number in the database and gives a TAN number.
11) The same TAN number is transmitted to Seller via computer and stored in Seller's system.
12) The TAN is then transmitted by SCPP via SMS sender to for exemple Buyer's mobile phone as a part of the following message : « Thank you for using the service... Your TAN for the OrderlD : 12345 is 178465263. »
13) The Buyer, if necessary, notifies Seller about his TAN by phone, by computer via a network, by personally telling the information or by entering the number into a corresponding automated machine or in some other way.
14) Seller checks the information if necessary by comparing the TAN sent by Buyer, defined by point 11, to see if it matchs the previously given TAN SCPP interface, defined by point 11. After the check is completed, commodoties are delivered or in other words the order is carried out. The time estemated for the procedure is between 40 .and 50 seconds. Description of the second method of payment This type of payment is based on an existing contractual relation between SCPP-SMS/ Card Payment Provider and Card providers : banks, card issuers or other providers of means of cashless payment. This type of payment is illustrated with the sheme on picture 2. Based on the contractual relation, SCPP can make out a transaction autorisation to Card issuers on-line, off-line, or in any other way defined by SCPP and Card issuer. Procedure of the second method of payment:
1) Buyer decides to « pay for» selected commodities.
2) Buyer receives an OrderlD : 12345 from Seller with the total sum of selected commodities and instructions for further procedure : »Please send an SMS message containig your OrderlD using the number :101101». Buyer sends the information by telephone, mobile phone or other device used for this purpose. 101101 is a presumed number to which Buyer uses to send the message. Operator gives the same number to SCPP . The number is valid only for one transaction.
3) At the same time, SCPP interface receives, via computer, the OrderlD and the total sum of selected commodities.
4) Buyer sends an SMS message containing the OrderlD using the number 101101 as illustrated by point 2. 5) SMSC transmits the message to SCPP SMS receiver. SCPP SMS receiver finds the corresponding OrderlD in the SCPP database and saves, for exemple the number of the mobile phone from which Buyer sent the message and which thereby represents Buyer's mobile phone.
6) SCPP PG interface transmits the order to PGS Operator to put the costs of the order onto Buyer's account.
7) PGS Operator sends an SMS message to Buyer asking him to give autorisation for the transaction by sending his mPIN.
8) Buyer answers the message with his mPIN.
9) After PGS Operator has received from Buyer a message containing the correct mPIN, PGS Operator transmits to Card issuer a demand to authorise the transaction, sending the data necessary for issuing a transaction authorisation. Card issuer makes out a transaction authorisation by which the costs are put onto Buyer's account, and transmits the information to PGS Operator.
10) If the transaction has been succesfully charged for, SCPP PG interface finds the corresponding number in the database and gives a TAN number.
11) The same TAN is transmitted to Seller via computer and saved into Seller's system.
12) The same TAN is transmitted by SCPP via SMS sender to for example Buyer's mobile phone as a part of the following message : « Thank you for using the service... Your TAN number for the OrderlD : 12345 is 178465263. » 13) Buyer, if necessary, notifies Seller about his TAN number by phone, by computer via a network, by personally telling the information or by entering the number into a corresponding automated machine or in some other way. 14) Seller checks the information if necessary by comparing the TAN sent by Buyer, defined by point 11, to see if it matchs the previously given TAN SCPP interface, defined by point 11. After the check is completed, commodities are delivered or in other words the order is carried out. The time estimated for the procedure is between 40 and 50 seconds.
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE APPLICATIONS
The following text describes some ways in which the invention can be applied for industrial purposes. Each of the described applications is conducted in the same way the first and the second type of payment are done. Transaction via internet
The possibility of buying via internet is a common thing nowdays. However, inspite of the rapid developement of the system of buying via internet, the main disadvantage of these methods of buying, which obstructs a more significant developement in Croatia as well as elsewhere in the world, are frauds. They usually appear when the information contained on credit cards given to Salesmen by Buyers themselves in order to pay goods and services. Considering that the payment with credit cards is the only way of paying goods and services offered on the internet, Buyers reluctantly make purchases in this way. This invention is very easy to implement into the existing Internet infrastructure, and offers an absolute safety while paying goods and services. It means that buyers don't have to send any personal data or data contained on credit cards or any other means of cashless payment, neither to Seller nor to any other subject operating via Internet. Instead, Seller gives to Buyer an OrderlD number by means of the Web page displayed on Buyer's computer monitor. After the procedure of payment has been completed, Buyer returns to Seller the TAN number which functions as a confirmation that services/goods have been paid. That way Buyer stays completely annonimous to Seller, or in other words, no personal data or data contained on credit cards have been exchanged, not even e-mail addresses, phone numbers or numbers of any other device used for the purpose of making payments. Buying a plane ticket by phone The invention can be used for making transactions via Internet in the same way as for all other transactions which offer a possibility of cashless payment. Making reservations of plane or other tickets by phone is nothing new. However, the main disadvantage is that buyers must pay the plane ticket usually 72 hours after a reservation has been made, or even weeks before the actual flight, in order to avoid doubts which an airline company can have of a « blank reservation ». At the same time, airline companies can make sure planes are not flying empty. The problem lies in the fact that it is not in the interest of Buyer to make arrangements of paying and picking up tickets immediately after a reservation has been made. It is easier for Buyer to get the plane ticket at the airport short
time before the actual flight. The invention is easily implemented into the existing system of an airline company and offers .an easy solution to the problem. Buying cinema tickets by phone
The main problem while making reservations for cinema tickets is that Buyer must pay for the ticket a considerable period of time before the show starts in order to assure the service provider that he is not dealing with a « blank reservation » and who can make sure that cinema halls are not empty. The problem lies in the fact that it is not in Buyer's interest to come to the cinema early before the show and pick up the ticket bacause it simply defies the meaning of the term « reservation ». It is preferable for Buyer to pick up the ticket short time before the show. This invention is easy to implement into the present system of service providers and offers a more simple solution to the problem.
Paying for a hotel room or any other commodity immediately after a reservation has been made Although the innovation is not so sophisticated when it comes to making reservations for a hotel room, it still offers a solution to problems of insecurity and frauds while making cashless payments with credit or debit cards etc. Nowdays frauds are unfortunately a common thing in the entire world. They usually appear when Seller « swips through » Buyer's card several times making sure that all necessary data has passed through in order to make counterfeits of the cards which they would use to pay for goods and services on their behalf without Buyer knowing anything about it. Not until Buyer receives a monthly bill from Card issuers does he become aware of the damages and the fraud and starts a long process of providing evidence of the fraud.
This invention can easily be implemented into existent Seller's system and offers a simple solution to the problem. Other features common to all types of application in the industrial purposes
It is important to mention once more that Buyer gives no information to Seller when using this system nor he gives .any information about the type of cashless payment he applies. Thus Seller can not make any unauthorised transactions with Buyer's means of cashless payment. This is the major advantage of this patent when compared with the classic cashless payment.
Any mistake which should appear in any of the two types of payment procedure can be detected by specially designed detailed record of the operation made by Buyer, SCPP, Operator, Card issuer or Seller and which led to the mistake. Analysing the record, the
exact cause of the mistake can be established and the description of the operation unables Buyer to get the final message containig a TAN number needed for making a purchase before the process is completely restored.
The system can be employed in the same way for purchases of any goods or services. If Buyer using the invention for instant reservation payment decides not to proceed with the payment after a reservation has been made, the reservation is automatically deleted from Seller's system. This means that Seller's System undergoes some activities similar to those performed by Buyer when he, making a purchase in a classic way, fails to pay and collect the goods and services put on reservation in a defined period of time. This leads to the conclusion that the present Seller's reservations system needs no changes at all.
A further process of payment, taking over some products and services, can be completely automized. This emplies that the delivery of this products and services can be carred out after the payment is made without Salesmnan's intervention. Let us go back to the exemple of using the patent for the purchase of a plane ticket. Buyer can pick up his ticket by approaching an automated machine designed for this purpose .and whose technical abilities are similar to cash machines . Using a numeric or other keyboard, Buyer types in his TAN number received from SCPP. The machine verifies if Buyer's TAN matches the TAN saved in it's or Seller's system, and after the verification is completed, the machine slides out the plane ticket over to Buyer. The same can be done, even more easily while buying a cinema ticket. Tickets could look like paper receipts issued by machines. Besides, the ticket control at the entrance of a cinema hall can be automatized as well, similarly to the already existing system of ticket verification for exemple at the entrance of fairs such as the great Fair in Zagreb, CeBit and others that have already introduced machines for these purposes. It is possible to organize in the same way both purchase and verification of, for exemple tram tickets, and many other things.