Global External Code Authorization System

Abstract

A method and a system are provided for preventing unauthorized access to financial accounts. A financial services system creates and stores a global external number corresponding to a funding account number that is associated with a financial account. A vendor system requests the corresponding global external number from the financial services system, which returns the corresponding global external number. The vendor system stores the global external number with customer identification information and/or transaction records. The vendor system requests payments for transactions by supplying the global external number stored in a transaction record to the financial services system. The financial services system authenticates the vendor system, and returns the corresponding funding account number. The vendor system generates a transaction settlement request using the funding account number. If the vendor system is compromised, no financial accounts can be accessed, since the vendor system does not store funding account numbers.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by the processor and from a vendor system, a funding account code and a request for a global external code, 
 determining, by the processor, the global external code based on the funding account code; 
 transmitting, by the processor and to the vendor system, the global external code in response to the request; and 
 authorizing, by the processor, a transaction request received from the vendor system and based on the global external code. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the processor, the funding account code as an authorized code that accesses funds from a financial account, and   establishing, by the processor, the global external code that is restricted from accessing the funds from the financial account.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor and from the vendor system, a request for the funding account code to include with the transaction request; and   transmitting, by the processor and to the vendor system, the funding account code.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the funding account code corresponds to the global external code and a vendor identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vendor system received the funding account code from a customer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vendor system does not retain the funding account code. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, by the processor, an IP address of the vendor system based on a vendor identifier;   determining, by the processor, that the IP address is on a list of authorized IP addresses; and   authorizing, by the processor, the transaction request based on the IP address being on the list of authorized IP addresses.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the processor and from the vendor system, the transaction request including transaction information and the global external code. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising authorizing, by the processor, the global external code. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor, the global external code as part of the transaction request to obtain the funding account code associated with the global external code;   transmitting, by the processor, the funding account code associated with the global external code;   receiving, by the processor, as part of the transaction request, transaction information that includes the funding account code and an amount; and   charging, by the processor, a financial account associated with the funding account code based on the amount.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor, the global external code as part of the transaction request to obtain the funding account code associated with the global external code;   transmitting, by the processor, the funding account code associated with the global external code;   receiving, by the processor, transaction information that includes the funding account code and an amount; and   crediting, by the processor, as part of the transaction request, a financial account associated with the funding account code based on the amount associated with the transaction information.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor, a request for the funding account code associated with the global external code;   receiving, by the processor, transaction information that includes the funding account code, identification information, and an amount;   accessing, by the processor, funding account information associated with the funding account code;   determining, by the processor, that identification information is included in funding account information associated with the funding account code;   charging, by the processor, a funding account associated with the funding account code; and   providing, by the processor, payment in the amount included in the transaction information if the identification information is included in the funding account information associated with the funding account code.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vendor system stores the global external code, without storing the funding account code. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising rejecting, by the processor, the authorizing of the funding account code, in response to the global external code being unauthorized. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising preventing, by the processor, the global external code from accessing a financial account due to the global external code having an invalid checksum appended to the global external code. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising preventing, by the processor, the global external code from accessing a financial account due to the global external code being restricted from being used based on the global external code being matched to a list of restricted numbers. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising preventing, by the processor, the global external code from accessing a financial account due to a number of digits in the global external code being recognized as incompatible with a transaction standard. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising preventing, by the processor, the global external code from accessing a financial account due to an arrangement of digits in the global external code being recognized as incompatible with a transaction standard. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor and from a vendor system, a funding account code and a request for a global external code,   determining, by the processor, the global external code based on the funding account code;   transmitting, by the processor and to the vendor system, the global external code in response to the request; and   authorizing, by the processor, a transaction request received from the vendor system and based on the global external code.   
     
     
         20 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by the processor and from a vendor system, a funding account code and a request for a global external code,   determining, by the processor, the global external code based on the funding account code;   transmitting, by the processor and to the vendor system, the global external code in response to the request; and   authorizing, by the processor, a transaction request received from the vendor system and based on the global external code.