Electronic payment system

Abstract

An electronic payment system and method facilitates electronic commerce through controlled transfer of identification and value representations to wireless devices. The system includes a payment collection apparatus and a transaction apparatus, and provides for representation of user and transaction information via machine-readable indicia. In one embodiment, the machine-readable indicia is a barcode. The present invention is useful in such example applications as credit transactions, lottery system operations, and mobile top up applications.

1 . A method for increasing credit in an account, comprising the steps of:
 receiving, via a fulfillment component, a deposit payment and account identification information, said account identification information received by scanning identification indicia from a wireless communications device;   creating a message comprising said account identification information and value information corresponding to said payment;   delivering said message to a transaction processing component; and   crediting said account in accordance with said value information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said indicia is a barcode. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said barcode is recalled from a memory of said wireless device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said barcode is requested from an account maintaining entity. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said barcode is displayed on a display of said wireless device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said barcode is physically integrated into said wireless device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said message is created by said fulfillment component. 
     
     
         8 . A method for processing credit transactions in connection with received payment, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a deposit payment and transaction information, said transaction information including account identification information, transaction type, and transaction value information;   delivering said transaction information to a transaction processing component;   upon said transaction type being a credit request, crediting said account according to said transaction value information; and   upon said transaction type being a voucher request, issuing a voucher to a user in the amount determined by said transaction value information.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said voucher request is a barcode and the step of issuing said voucher includes issuing said barcode to a wireless device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein at least a portion of said transaction information is received by scanning a barcode from a wireless device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said barcode is recalled from a memory of said wireless device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said barcode is requested from an account maintaining entity. 
     
     
         13 . A system for facilitating credit transactions, comprising:
 a transaction database for storing information about transaction types in connection with electronic transactions for at least one service provider type;   a plurality of service provider account databases for respectively storing account information including at least account identification and account balance information for a plurality of users associated with each of said service providers;   a transaction apparatus for receiving a deposit payment and scanning code information displayed on a wireless communications device, said code information corresponding to a stored transaction type and at least one of said accounts associated with at least one of said service provider databases; and   a transaction processor in two-way communication with said transaction database, account databases and said transaction apparatus for receiving information from said transaction apparatus, said received information representing account identification information, transaction type information and transaction amount information corresponding to said deposit payment, said transaction processor adapted to process said received information and perform at least one of: crediting said account identified by said account identification information according to said transaction amount, delivering a credit or voucher corresponding to said payment to a wireless device.   
     
     
         14 . A method for transferring credit among multiple accounts, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a request to transfer credit from a first credit account to a second account;   receiving identification information sufficient to identify said first and second accounts; and   receiving transaction information indicative of transaction type and transaction amount, wherein at least one of said identification information and said transaction information is received by scanning a barcode displayed on a wireless device.   
     
     
         15 . A method for facilitating credit transactions, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a request from a user for a credit transfer;   attributing said request to said account for said user;   delivering a transaction code to said user's mobile device; and   upon receiving payment and decoding said transaction code, automatically crediting said user's account.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of attributing the request is based upon identification information provided by said user. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of receiving the request includes receiving a telephone call from said user and wherein the step of attributing the request is based upon identification of the user's telephone number when receiving the request. 
     
     
         18 . A method for processing transactions in connection with received payment, comprising the steps of:
 receiving, via a fulfillment component, a deposit payment and account identification information;   creating a message comprising said account identification information and value information corresponding to said payment;   delivering said message to a transaction processing component; and   issuing a credit voucher in the form of a barcode.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said barcode is issued to and capable of display on a wireless device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said barcode is embedded within a wireless device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said credit voucher is delivered to a first user, and including the steps of receiving instructions to transfer said voucher to a second user and transferring said barcode to the display of a wireless device of a second user. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  including the further step of scanning, by a fulfillment component, said barcode from said wireless device of said second user and crediting an account of said second user. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said deposit payment is an electronic representation of an account from which to draw funds. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said credit voucher barcode is capable of being displayed on and optically scanned from a visual display of a wireless device, and wherein said barcode represents a lottery ticket. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  including the further step of scanning said barcode so as to activate said lottery ticket. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  including the further step of scanning said barcode so as to play said lottery ticket. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  including the further step of scanning said barcode so as to redeem said lottery ticket. 
     
     
         28 . A method for facilitating credit transactions, comprising the steps of:
 providing a user with at least one transaction code representing an account to which funds can be deposited, and at least one transaction code representing a transaction type request, each of said codes being provided in the form of a barcode capable of being presented on and read from the display a wireless device;   receiving a payment and at least one of said transaction codes from said user.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said transaction type request is a credit voucher request. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said transaction type request is an account deposit request. 
     
     
         31 . A mobile device, comprising:
 a display portion;   a memory for storing a plurality of barcodes indicative of at least one account identifier, at least one transaction type and a plurality of value representations;   means for displaying a first barcode on said display portion, said first barcode corresponding to said at least one account identifier;   means for displaying a second barcode on said display portion, said second barcode corresponding to said at least one transaction type and a value representation.   
     
     
         32 . A system for facilitating wireless transactions, comprising:
 a cellular network;   a database of user accounts and transaction types;   an electronic infrastructure whereby messages can be sent to mobile devices, said messages capable of including transaction and account codes which can be displayed on and read from a visual display of said mobile devices, said transaction codes including information corresponding to a transaction type and a value representation;   means for receiving information about at least one transaction code and at least one account code as said codes are read from a mobile device display;   means for processing said received transaction and account code information;   means for attributing said received account code information to an individual user.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  including means for transferring transaction codes among a plurality of users. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32  further including means for invalidating codes once they have been read by said payment collection apparatus. 
     
     
         35 . A method for facilitating wireless transactions for a lottery account, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a payment and lottery account identifying information; and   receiving a request to credit said lottery account in the amount of said payment, wherein at least one of said account identifying information and said request is received by scanning a barcode displayed on a wireless device.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said payment is an electronic representation of lottery winnings. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein said representation is a barcode representation on the display of said wireless device. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said account identifying information, said request and said payment are represented by a single barcode capable of being displayed on and scanned from a display of said wireless device.