Real-time enrichment of raw merchant data from iso transactions on data communication networks for preventing false declines in fraud prevention systems

Abstract

Raw merchant data of real-time ISO transactions is enriched with normalized merchant data, including a normalized merchant name, a normalized merchant location, by transmitting the raw merchant data to an external resource and receiving the normalized raw merchant data from the external resource. An authorization request from a real-time ISO transaction concerning a specific mobile user can be initiated by a specific merchant device at a merchant location. A user location is obtained and utilized to identify enriched merchant data. It is the enriched merchant data that is used for deciding whether to approve or deny a transaction with more accuracy.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method in a data enrichment server device improving a fraud prevention system on a data communication network by reducing false declines associated with real-time approval of ISO transactions based on enrichment of raw merchant data, the method comprising:
 receiving in real-time, at a network communication interface of the data enrichment server device, a specific ISO authorization request having data fields formatted according to an ISO 8583 format, the transaction concerning a specific mobile user and initiated by a specific merchant device at a merchant location, wherein the merchant device controls values within the data fields formatted according to the specific ISO authorization request;   receiving, at the network communication interface, a geo-location of the specific mobile user associated with the specific ISO authorization request from a specific mobile device authenticated by the specific mobile user;   parsing, with a processor of the data enrichment server, raw merchant data from data fields of the specific ISO authorization request using the ISO 8583 format as a template for specific locations of the data fields;   augmenting the raw merchant data of the specific ISO authorization request with enriched merchant data by searching a location-based index of normalized merchant data according to the mobile user location and the raw merchant data, wherein transaction controls available to a merchant name of the enriched merchant data are distinct from transaction controls available to a merchant name of the raw merchant data; and   responding in real-time to the specific ISO authorization request with an approval recommendation based on the enriched merchant data responsive to a cache hit with respect to the location-based index and responding in real-time to the specific ISO authorization request with a denial recommendation based on the raw merchant data responsive to a cache miss to the location-based index.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining the merchant device location from the ISO authorization request by parsing the raw merchant data from the ISO authorization request;   determining a mismatch between the merchant device location and the user device location; and   recommending denial to the specific ISO authorization request.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to the cache miss with respect to the location-based index, retrieving enriched merchant data from an external data source; and   updating the location-based index by storing the enriched merchant data.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the geographic location of the user device comprises:
 responsive to receiving the specific ISO authorization request, sending a request to the user device for the user device location.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the geographic location of the user device comprises:
 prior to receiving the specific ISO authorization request, receiving the user device location.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating in batch mode, at a processor of the network communication interface, a location-based index of merchant data from a batch of previous ISO transactions on the data communication network.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the augmenting step comprises:
 augmenting the raw merchant data of the specific ISO authorization request with enriched merchant data by searching a location-based index of normalized merchant data according to the mobile user location and the raw merchant data, wherein transaction controls available to a merchant name of the enriched merchant data are distinct from transaction controls available to a merchant name of the raw merchant data, and wherein the normalized merchant data includes a normalized merchant name, and a normalized merchant address.   
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising source code that, when executed by a processor, performs a computer-implemented method in a data enrichment server device of a fraud prevention system on a data communication network for reducing false declines with real-time approval of ISO transactions based on enrichment of raw merchant data, the method comprising:
 receiving in real-time, at a network communication interface of the data enrichment server device, a specific ISO authorization request having data fields formatted according to an ISO 8583 format, the transaction concerning a specific mobile user and initiated by a specific merchant device at a merchant location, wherein the merchant device controls values within the data fields formatted according to the specific ISO authorization request;   receiving, at the network communication interface, a geo-location of the specific mobile user associated with the specific ISO authorization request from a specific mobile device authenticated by the specific mobile user;   parsing, with a processor of the data enrichment server, raw merchant data from data fields of the specific ISO authorization request using the ISO 8583 format as a template for specific locations of the data fields;   augmenting the raw merchant data of the specific ISO authorization request with enriched merchant data by searching a location-based index of normalized merchant data according to the mobile user location and the raw merchant data, wherein transaction controls available to a merchant name of the enriched merchant data is distinct from transaction controls available to a merchant name of the raw merchant data; and   responding in real-time to the specific ISO authorization request with an approval recommendation based on the enriched merchant data responsive to a cache hit with respect to the location-based index and responding in real-time to the specific ISO authorization request with a denial recommendation based on the raw merchant data responsive to a cache miss to the location-based index.