Secure payment and billing method using mobile phone number or account

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for processing payments for goods or services, including a payment processor that receives a payment request from a merchant for goods or services and that includes a mobile phone number or mobile phone account of a user, sends a payment authorization request text message to the mobile phone requesting payment authorization, and receives a payment authorization text message from the mobile phone authorizing or not authorizing the payment. If the payment is authorized, the payment processor pays the merchant and charges the mobile phone account for the payment. If the payment is not authorized or if the payment is not received within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor declines to pay the merchant for the goods or services.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented system for processing payments for goods or services, the system comprising:
 a mobile phone of a user including a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of the user, wherein a payment processor is configured to receive a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, the payment request includes the mobile phone number associated with the mobile phone account of the user;   the payment processor based on the payment request is configured to send a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;   the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request is configured to send over a mobile network of the mobile operator a payment authorization request text message to the mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;   the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message is configured to send over the mobile network of the mobile operator a payment authorization text message including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;   the mobile operator is configured to receive the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;   the payment processor is configured to receive a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;   if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment; and   if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and   wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile operator is configured to check an account balance and/or charge protocols of the mobile phone account for payment for the goods or services and additional charges levied by the mobile operator. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payment authorization request text message includes details of the merchant and a total amount payable which can include additional charges by the mobile operator. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant is configured to send a message to the user including shipping information, promotional messages and/or coupons along with or following a receipt to the user. 
     
     
         5 . A computer implemented method for processing payments for goods or services, the method comprising:
 providing a mobile phone of a user including a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of the user, wherein a payment processor is configured to receive a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, and the payment request includes the mobile phone number associated with the mobile phone account of the user;   sending by the payment processor based on the payment request a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;   sending by the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request a payment authorization request text message over a mobile network of the mobile operator to the mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;   sending by the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message a payment authorization text message over the mobile network of the mobile operator including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;   receiving by the mobile operator the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;   receiving by the payment processor a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;   if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment; and   if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and   wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the mobile operator is configured to check an account balance and/or charge protocols of the mobile phone account for payment for the goods or services and additional charges levied by the mobile operator. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the payment authorization request text message includes details of the merchant and a total amount payable which can include additional charges by the mobile operator. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the merchant is configured to send a message to the user including shipping information, promotional messages and/or coupons along with or following a receipt to the user. 
     
     
         9 . A computer program product for processing payments for goods or services and including one or more computer readable instructions embedded on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to cause one or more computer processors to perform the steps of:
 providing a mobile phone of a user including a mobile phone number associated with a mobile phone account of the user, wherein a payment processor is configured to receive a payment request for goods or services from a merchant, and the payment request includes the mobile phone number associated with the mobile phone account of the user;   sending by the payment processor based on the payment request a payment authorization request to a mobile operator servicing the mobile phone account of the user;   sending by the mobile operator based on the payment authorization request a payment authorization request text message over a mobile network of the mobile operator to the mobile phone of the user connected to the mobile network of the mobile operator requesting authorization for payment of the payment request;   sending by the mobile phone of the user based on payment authorization request text message a payment authorization text message over the mobile network of the mobile operator including a personal identification number of the user associated with the mobile phone number of the user to the mobile phone operator for authorization of payment of the payment request;   receiving by the mobile operator the payment authorization text message including the personal identification number of the user over the mobile network of the mobile operator for verification;   receiving by the payment processor a payment authorization from the mobile phone operator based on the payment authorization text message for authorizing or not authorizing the payment of the payment request;   if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator authorizes the payment of the payment request, the payment processor is configured to pay the merchant for the goods or services from an account of the mobile phone operator, wherein the mobile phone operator charges the mobile phone account of the user for the payment; and   if the payment authorization from the mobile phone operator does not authorize the payment of the payment request or if the payment authorization text message is not received by the mobile operator over the mobile network of the mobile operator within a predetermined period of time, the payment processor is configured to decline to pay the merchant for the goods or services, and   wherein no financial information of the user nor the personal identification number of the user are sent to the payment processor.   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the mobile operator is configured to check an account balance and/or charge protocols of the mobile phone account for payment for the goods or services and additional charges levied by the mobile operator. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the payment authorization request text message includes details of the merchant and a total amount payable which can include additional charges by the mobile operator. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the merchant is configured to send a message to the user including shipping information, promotional messages and/or coupons along with or following a receipt to the user.