System and method for formless, self-service registration for access to financial services

Abstract

A system for enabling users to register to use external financial services comprises a central office comprising an operating platform including a communication interface and a user database having a plurality of records for individual users; wherein the central office communicates via the communication interface with a plurality of remote formless, self-service registration stations; whereby a registration station scans an identification card with a card scanner, photographs the user to create a verification image and records a biometric parameter unique to the user, whereupon the registration station transmits an image of the identification card, the biometric parameter and the verification image to the central office; wherein the operating platform translates text from the identification card and creates a record for the user and wherein the operating platform uses the translated text to populate fields in the user record and retrieves and displays the record to an administrator for review.

1 . A method for enabling users to access financial services of subscribing financial services with a central verification system, comprises the steps:
 creating a verifiable user profile for a given user by the steps of:
 the given user presenting, at a fixed location, a verifiable identification (ID) with a photo attached thereto, which verifiable ID can be verified by a third party as being associated with the photograph on the verifiable ID; 
 inputting biometrics of the given user; 
 taking a photograph of the given user proximate to the fixed location at which the verifiable ID and the biometrics are input; and 
 transmitting the verifiable ID, biometrics and photograph to the central verification system; 
 providing a unique code from the central verification system to the given user after receipt of the verifiable ID, the input biometrics and the photograph; 
   initiating a financial transaction by the given user, comprising the steps of:
 presenting, at a financial transactions location a list of available financial services to the given user in response to the given user being proximate thereto, wherein at least one of the available financial services is from the group of the subscribing financial services; 
 selecting by the given user at least the subscribing financial service; 
 taking a photo with a camera disposed at the financial transactions location; 
 inputting the biometrics by the given user at the financial transactions location; 
 receiving the code from the user; 
 transmitting the code, biometrics and photo to the central verification system; 
 verifying that the received at least the biometrics and the received code that the user is in fact associated with the central verification system; and 
 allowing the transaction to go forward after verification. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising completing the transaction after verification allowing the financial transaction to go forward. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of creating the verifiable user profile is conducted at a physical kiosk having an input device for receiving a verifiable ID with photograph and the biometrics in addition to having a camera associated therewith for taking a photograph. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the physical kiosk includes the ability to take more than one photograph, at least one being known by the given user taken at the time of inputting the information, and the other photographs being capable of being taken at different times proximate to the time of input of the information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein there are provided multiple cameras at different angles, wherein at least one of the cameras is known to the given user to be taking a photograph of the given user proximate the time of input of the information during the creation operation and the other cameras being hidden from the given user's knowledge and possibly the view of the given user before taking pictures also proximate in time to the time of input of either verifiable IDs or biometrics. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the financial transactions location for conducting a transaction includes at least one additional camera for taking a photograph unknown to the given user at the time of initiating the financial transaction. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of presenting a list of financial services comprises providing an indicator for the at least one subscribing financial service to indicate to the given user the one of the available financial services associated with the verifiable user profile. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a display is provided at the fixed location. 
     
     
         9 . A system for enabling users to register to use third party external financial services, comprising:
 a central office comprising an operating platform including a processor and a communication interface, the central office including a user database including a plurality of records for individual users stored on a database, the user records each including a user customer identification number, the user's name and address, an image of an identification card of the user, a verification image of the user and an associated biometric parameter of the user;   wherein the central office is operative to communicate via the communication interface with a plurality of formless, self-service registration stations remote from the central office, each of the formless, self-service registration stations including a camera operable to create a user verification image, a card scanner operable to create an image of an identification card of the user, a biometric scanner operable to record a biometric parameter of the user and a user interface adapted to enable a user to initiate a registration procedure for registering the user for access to third party financial services;   whereby a self-service formless registration station scans a customer identification card with the card scanner, the customer identification card including text including the user's name and address, the self-service formless registration station further photographing the user to create a verification image of the user and recording a biometric parameter unique to the user, whereupon the self-service formless registration station transmits an image of the customer identification card, the biometric parameter and the verification image of the user to the central office;   wherein the operating platform is operable to translate text from the transmitted image of user's customer identification card including the user's name and address and wherein the operating platform is further operable to create a record for the user including a customer identification number for the user, the verification image of the user, the image of the user's identification card and the translated text from the user's identification card, the operating platform using the translated text to populate fields in the user record including the user's name and address; and   wherein the operating platform is operable to retrieve and display a user record including the user verification image, the image of the user identification card, the user's name and address to an administrator for review of the user record.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the self-serviced registration stations each include a user interface adapted to enable a user to initiate a registration procedure for registering the user. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the user interface is operable to enable a user to select a customer identification number. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the central office is operative to identify attempted duplicate registrations by means of comparing one or more of a user image captured from an identification card of the user, a verification image of the user and an associated biometric parameter of the user with existing user records. 
     
     
         13 . A method of registering potential users of financial services provided by multiple institutions with a single formless registration, the method comprising:
 identifying an unregistered potential user of services present at a terminal;   prompting the user to scan a photo identification card and capturing an image of the photo identification card;   prompting the user to enter a biometric parameter;   transmitting the captured image of the user photo identification card to a central office remote from the terminal;   creating a user record for the user at the central office;   populating the user record with data from the scanned user identification card and the biometric parameter;   transmitting a user customer identification number from the central office to the terminal; and   displaying the customer identification number to the user, the customer identification number enabling a user to access at least one of the plurality of service providers through the central office wherein the user enters the user's customer identification number along with the user's biometric at a terminal remote from the central office to access the service provider.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising capturing a photographic image of the unregistered potential user of services present at the terminal and transmitting the photographic image of the unregistered potential user to the central office and storing the photographic image in the user record.