Authorizing transactions using negative pin messages

Abstract

A method for authenticating a transaction includes: receiving, by a transaction processing unit of a computing system, a request for a transaction on a user account; generating, by the transaction processing unit, a personal identification number (PIN) and/or alert message; transmitting the PIN to a mobile device associated with the user account after a person requesting the transaction refuses authentication by a PIN-to-device process; and cancelling, by the transaction processing unit, the transaction when a response to the PIN and/or alert message is received from the mobile device within a specified period of time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for authenticating a transaction, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a processing system including a processor, an indication from a transaction processing system that a communication device associated with a user account of a communication service provider is not available for an authentication step due to being lost or stolen; and   responsive to the receiving the indication that the communication device associated with the user account is not available for the authentication step due to being lost or stolen:
 transmitting, by the processing system, an alert message to the communication device associated with the user account, wherein the alert message includes a personal identification number (PIN); 
 monitoring, by the processing system, for a response message from the communication device associated with the user account; 
 determining, by the processing system, whether the response message from the communication device associated with the account is received within a time period and includes the PIN; 
 canceling, by the processing system, the transaction responsive to the determining that the response message from the communication device associated with the user account is received within the time period and includes the PIN; and 
 completing, by the processing system, the transaction responsive to the determining that the response message from the communication device associated with the user account is not received within the time period or does not include the PIN. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the authentication step requires access to the communication device associated with the user account. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the processing system, a prompt to the transaction processing system to perform an authentication step for the transaction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the user account is associated with a communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the processing system, a request from the transaction processing system for the transaction associated with a user account of a communication service provider. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the processing system, the PIN responsive to the receiving the indication that the communication device associated with the user account is not available for the authentication due to being lost or stolen. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the processing system, the time period based on a transaction channel associated with the response message. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the transaction channel is one of a retail transaction channel, an online transaction channel, or a contact center transaction channel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time period is an amount of time less than a time for completing the transaction. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the canceling the transaction further comprises routing, by the processing system, the response message received from the communication device associated with the user account to the transaction processing system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the alert message to the communication device associated with the user account is via short message service (SMS) or push notification. 
     
     
         12 . A device, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:   receiving an indication from a transaction processing system that a communication device associated with a user account of a communication service provider is not available for an authentication step due to being lost or stolen; and   responsive to the receiving the indication that the communication device associated with the user account is not available for the authentication step due to being lost or stolen:
 transmitting an alert message to the communication device associated with the user account; 
 monitoring for a response message from the communication device associated with the user account; 
 determining whether the response message from the communication device associated with the account is received within a time period and includes the PIN; 
 canceling the transaction responsive to the determining that the response message from the communication device associated with the user account is received within the time period and includes a personal identification number (PIN); and 
 completing the transaction responsive to the determining that the response message from the communication device associated with the user account is not received within the time period or does not include the PIN 
   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the alert message includes the PIN. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the authentication step requires access to the communication device associated with the user account. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising transmitting, by the processing system, a prompt to the transaction processing system to perform an authentication step for the transaction, wherein the user account is associated with a communication device. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving, by the processing system, a request from the transaction processing system for the transaction associated with a user account of a communication service provider. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising generating, by the processing system, the PIN responsive to the receiving the indication that the communication device associated with the user account is not available for the authentication due to being lost or stolen. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising determining, by the processing system, the time period based on a transaction channel associated with the response message. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving an indication from a transaction processing system that a communication device associated with a user account of a communication service provider is not available for an authentication step due to being lost or stolen; and   responsive to the receiving the indication that the communication device associated with the user account is not available for the authentication step due to being lost or stolen:
 transmitting an alert message to the communication device associated with the user account; 
 determining whether a response message is received from the communication device associated with the account and whether the response message is received within a time period and includes the PIN; 
 canceling the transaction responsive to the determining that the response message from the communication device associated with the user account is received within the time period and includes a personal identification number (PIN); and 
 completing the transaction responsive to the determining that the response message from the communication device associated with the user account is not received within the time period or does not include the PIN 
   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , transmitting, by the processing system, a prompt to the transaction processing system to perform an authentication step for the transaction, wherein the user account is associated with a communication device.