Systems and methods for verifying and processing transactions using virtual currency

Abstract

A payment processing system may be integrated with a centralized virtual currency issuing and transaction processing system to provide a standardized and more efficient virtual currency that can provide easier tracking of and use of a consumer's virtual currency balance. The payment processing system may implement a network communications systems that may allow the payment processing system to obtain additional consumer, merchant and transaction information for a transaction by data fields transmitted in a network header portion of a network communications protocol packet. The additional information may be stored and cross-referenced to provide greater transaction tracking data.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a server computer, a virtual currency issuance request message for issuance of virtual currency for a consumer from an issuer;   generating, by the server computer, an issuer identifier for the issuer;   generating, by the server computer, a virtual currency identifier for the virtual currency, the virtual currency identifier being associated with the issuer identifier;   storing, by the server computer, the issuer identifier and the virtual currency identifier in an issuer profile associated with the issuer; and   providing, by the server computer, the issuer identifier and the virtual currency to the consumer;   wherein the server computer is configured to verify and process a transaction initiated by the consumer using the virtual currency by evaluating transaction data including a virtual currency token associated with the consumer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein providing the issuer identifier and the virtual currency to the consumer further comprises:
 determining, by the server computer, from the virtual currency issuance request message, a virtual currency amount requested by the issuer for the consumer;   generating, by the server computer, a consumer profile entry in a consumer profile, the consumer profile entry including a consumer identifier, the issuer identifier, a device identifier, the virtual currency identifier, and virtual currency data; and   crediting, by the server computer, the virtual currency amount to a consumer account associated with the consumer profile entry.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the virtual currency issuance request message further includes an account identifier for an issuer account for funding of the virtual currency amount requested by the issuer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 initiating, by the server computer, the debit of funds from the issuer account for the virtual currency amount requested by the issuer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the virtual currency is generated having a number of units equivalent to the requested virtual currency amount, wherein each unit has a fixed monetary value. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 performing, by the server computer, an authentication process for the issuer based on a merchant identifier and a location identifier received in the virtual currency issuance request message, the merchant identifier and the location identifier being received in a network header portion of a network protocol header of the virtual currency issuance request message.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein storing the issuer identifier and the virtual currency identifier in the issuer profile associated with the issuer comprises:
 generating, by the server computer, an issuer profile entry in the issuer profile, the issuer profile entry including the issuer identifier, the virtual currency identifier, a consumer identifier, and virtual currency data including a virtual currency amount.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the issuer identifier is associated with the issuer, is reusable in future virtual currency issuance requests, and is unique to the issuer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the issuer is one of a merchant, the consumer, or a payment network. 
     
     
         20 . A server computer comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the processor implementing a method comprising:
 receiving a virtual currency issuance request message for issuance of virtual currency for a consumer from an issuer; 
 generating an issuer identifier for the issuer; 
 generating a virtual currency identifier for the virtual currency, the virtual currency identifier being associated with the issuer identifier; 
 storing the issuer identifier and the virtual currency identifier in an issuer profile associated with the issuer; and 
 providing the issuer identifier and the virtual currency to the consumer, 
 wherein the server computer is configured to verify and process a transaction initiated by the consumer using the virtual currency by evaluating transaction data including a virtual currency token associated with the consumer. 
   
     
     
         21 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein providing the issuer identifier and the virtual currency to the consumer further comprises:
 determining, by the server computer, from the virtual currency issuance request message, a virtual currency amount requested by the issuer for the consumer;   generating, by the server computer, a consumer profile entry in a consumer profile, the consumer profile entry including a consumer identifier, the issuer identifier, a device identifier, the virtual currency identifier, and virtual currency data; and   crediting, by the server computer, the virtual currency amount to a consumer account associated with the consumer profile entry.   
     
     
         22 . The server computer of  claim 21 , wherein the virtual currency issuance request message further includes an account identifier for an issuer account for funding of the virtual currency amount requested by the issuer. 
     
     
         23 . The server computer of  claim 22 , wherein the method further comprises:
 initiating, by the server computer, the debit of funds from the issuer account for the virtual currency amount requested by the issuer.   
     
     
         24 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein the virtual currency is generated having a number of units equivalent to the requested virtual currency amount, wherein each unit has a fixed monetary value. 
     
     
         25 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises:
 performing, by the server computer, an authentication process for the issuer based on a merchant identifier and a location identifier received in the virtual currency issuance request message, the merchant identifier and the location identifier being received in the network header portion of a network protocol header of the virtual currency issuance request message.   
     
     
         26 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein storing the issuer identifier and the virtual currency identifier in the issuer profile associated with the issuer comprises:
 generating, by the server computer, an issuer profile entry in the issuer profile, the issuer profile entry including the issuer identifier, the virtual currency identifier, a consumer identifier, and virtual currency data including a virtual currency amount.   
     
     
         27 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein the issuer identifier is associated with the issuer, is reusable in future virtual currency issuance requests, and is unique to the issuer. 
     
     
         28 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein the issuer is one of a merchant, the consumer, or a payment network. 
     
     
         29 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein the issuer identifier is a unique identifier assigned to a virtual currency requestor. 
     
     
         30 . The server computer of  claim 20 , wherein the virtual currency issuance request message includes fields for merchant data, location data, device data, and consumer device data.