Anonymous online payment systems and methods

Abstract

In various embodiments, a server grants access to a plurality of anonymous one-time-usable, time-sensitive encrypted tokens that identify consumer purchase orders. A plurality of certified merchant servers are certified by being provided with an application to securely connect the certified merchant servers to the server for, among other things, transmitting purchase order data to the server for use in generating the tokens. A plurality of financial institution servers can also be certified by being configured for use with an application that enables secure connection to the server for, among other things, requesting the tokens.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method executed by a server in communication with a merchant, financial institution, and consumer, for executing a secure online transaction comprising:
 receiving purchase order data for a purchase order from a merchant, the purchase order having been initiated by a consumer;   issuing a token to the consumer in response to receiving the purchase order data, the token being associated with the purchase order data and not containing any personally identifying information regarding the consumer;   receiving a request for the token from a financial institution as a result of a request to view orders provided by the consumer while using a system of the financial institution;   retrieving the token from the consumer in response to the request from the financial institution and transmitting the token to the financial institution;   transmitting at least part of the purchase order data associated with the token for display to the consumer;   receiving an authorization to pay for the purchase order from the financial institution as a result of the consumer transmitting an authorization to the financial institution;   transmitting the authorization to pay to the merchant;   receiving notification from the merchant regarding execution of a transaction based on the purchase order; and   informing the financial institution of the execution of the transaction based on the purchase order after which the financial institution pays the merchant.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein no consumer identifying information or access code information is transmitted to or from the merchant throughout the recited steps of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein a processor of a server carries out one or more of the recited steps of  claim 1  and wherein no consumer identifying information or access code information is transmitted to or from the server throughout the recited steps of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the token expires n a pre-determined time period if an associated purchase order is not authorized. 
     
     
         5 . A system for use in executing a secure online transaction comprising:
 a memory;   a processor;   at least one communication port for communicating with remote devices in a network; and   wherein the processor is configured for use in reading purchase order data and for causing encrypted tokens to be issued to a remote consumer device in response to the receipt of purchase order data, the tokens containing purchase order information, the processor further being configured to cause the tokens to be retrieved from the remote consumer device in response to a request for the tokens.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the purchase order data is received from a remote merchant system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the request for the tokens is received from a remote financial institution system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the processor is further configured to cause purchase order information to be transmitted to a party requesting the tokens. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the processor is further configured to cause an authorization received from the party requesting the tokens to be transmitted to a merchant system. 
     
     
         10 . A computer implemented method for authorizing payment in a secure transaction comprising:
 receiving at a financial institution, a consumer's request to view order information previously submitted by the consumer to a merchant server;   transmitting a request to a server to retrieve one or more encrypted tokens from the consumer's computer, the tokens containing order information;   receiving order information and displaying the order information to the consumer;   receiving an authorization from the consumer for an order associated with the displayed order information; and   transmitting a notification of the authorization to the server, the server then transmitting notification to a corresponding merchant regarding the authorization.   
     
     
         11 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10  wherein the notification received at the server includes a payment authorization code. 
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10  wherein the tokens are set to expire within a set period of time if an associated order for the tokens is not authorized. 
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10  further comprising receiving a message from the merchant indicating that the order has been fulfilled. 
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13  further comprising electronically transmitting payment to the merchant. 
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10  wherein no consumer identifying information or access code information is transmitted to or from the merchant throughout the recited steps of  claim 10 . 
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10  wherein no consumer identifying information or access code information is transmitted to or from the server throughout the recited steps of  claim 10 .