Electronic wallet apparatus, method, and computer program product

Abstract

Registration information for a plurality of consumers is obtained at an electronic wallet platform. A mechanism is provided to integrate the electronic wallet platform with a plurality of merchants. Via the electronic wallet platform, a given one of the consumers is afforded an option to select from multiple methods to pay for a transaction with a given one of the merchants. The multiple methods are based, at least in part, on the registration information. At least one of the multiple methods includes a virtual card number. Further steps include obtaining, from the given one of the consumers, a selection of the virtual card number for payment for the transaction; and providing the given one of the merchants with the virtual card number.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining, at an electronic wallet platform, registration information for a plurality of consumers;   making available to said consumers a secure application for portable devices of said consumers which affords said consumers an option to select from multiple methods to pay for transactions with merchants, said multiple methods being based, at least in part, on said registration information, at least one of said multiple methods comprising a virtual card number;   intercepting an authorization request, from a given one of said merchants, for an amount of a given one of said transactions to be charged against a given one of said virtual card numbers, said given one of said transactions comprising a given one of said consumers presenting a given one of said portable devices, having said secure application thereon, at a point-of-sale terminal of said given one of said merchants, said virtual card number having been provided to said merchant via communication between said given one of said portable devices and said point-of-sale terminal of said given one of said merchants;   translating said given one of said virtual card numbers into an actual card number which is not provided to said given one of said merchants; and   passing said authorization request to an issuer, with said actual card number therein.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a system, wherein the system comprises distinct software modules, each of the distinct software modules being embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a registration module, a user interface module, an application store module, and an account number mapping engine module;
 wherein:   said obtaining of said registration information is carried out by said registration module and said user interface module executing on at least one hardware processor;   said making available of said secure application is carried out by said application store module executing on said at least one hardware processor;   said intercepting of said authorization request, said translating of said virtual card number, and said passing of said authorization request are carried out by executing said account number mapping engine module on said at least one hardware processor.