Data security enhancement for online transactions involving payment card accounts

Abstract

Payment card information of a consumer is protected during online payment card based transactions by equipping a user device of the consumer with a control that, when activated by the consumer during an online shopping session, causes the user device automatically to request and receive, from a third-party payment processing service (PPS), temporary proxy payment card information, and to populate that information into an online transaction web interface of the merchant. The temporary proxy payment card information is associated in the third-party PPS with a real payment card account of the consumer. When the PPS receives a transaction authorization request from a merchant via a payment card network, the PPS uses the consumer's real payment card information to authorize the transaction. The consumer's real payment card information is never exposed to the merchant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a service provider remote from a merchant, and from an application associated with a user device of a user, a request to perform a transaction with the merchant via a user account of the user, the service provider configured to facilitate transactions involving user accounts of users of the service provider;   generating, based at least in part on the request and in near real-time, temporary payment card information, wherein the temporary payment card information:
 represents a temporary payment card; 
 is associated with the user account of the user; 
 includes information to permit processing of the transaction between the user and the merchant; and 
 is configured to be utilized by the merchant as an approval of the transaction; 
   generating instructions for presenting the temporary payment card information on a user interface associated with the application; and   sending the temporary payment card information and the instructions to the user device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the temporary payment card information is based at least in part on receiving previous user input requesting use of the temporary payment card information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the temporary payment card information is based at least in part on determining that a payment instrument is unassociated with the user account when the request is received. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the temporary payment card information is based at least in part on determining that a payment instrument of the service provider is absent from the user account when the request is received. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause, when received at the user device and without user input, the user device to populate the temporary card information into one or more payment fields of the user interface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a merchant device of the merchant, an indication that the temporary card information has been utilized to satisfy a cost of the transaction;   determining the user account associated with the temporary card information; and   withdrawing funds equal to the cost from the user account.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 associating a validity rule with the temporary card information, the validity rule indicating that the temporary card information is valid for exactly one transaction;   determining that the temporary card information has yet to be used; and   wherein sending the temporary card information is based at least in part on the temporary card information not yet being used.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the temporary card information is based at least in part on an indication that the merchant corresponds to a predetermined merchant and the transaction is set to occur at a predetermined time. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at a service provider and from a merchant interface associated with a merchant, a request to perform a transaction with the merchant via a user account of a user, the service provider configured to facilitate transactions involving user accounts of users of the service provider; 
 generating, based at least in part on the request and in near real-time, temporary payment card information, wherein the temporary payment card information:
 is associated with the user account of the user; and 
 includes information to permit processing of the transaction; and 
 is configured to be utilized by the merchant as an approval of the transaction; 
 
 generating data configured to cause presentation of the temporary payment card information on the merchant interface; and 
 sending the temporary payment card information and the data to the merchant interface. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the merchant interface is presented in association with a payment application on a user device; and   sending the temporary card information and the data comprises sending the temporary card information and the data to the user device.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the merchant interface is associated with a merchant ecommerce website; and   sending the temporary card information and the data comprises sending the temporary card information and the data to the merchant ecommerce website.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the payment service is separate and remote from a device where the merchant interface is being displayed. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 causing display, on the merchant interface, of a selectable element corresponding to a plug-in for the payment service;   receiving user input data indicating selection of the selectable element; and   wherein generating the temporary card information is based at least in part on receiving the user input data.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 in response to receiving the request, requesting authentication input from the user;   receiving the authentication input; and   wherein sending the temporary card information and the data is based at least in part on receiving the authentication input.   
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a service provider and from a merchant interface associated with a merchant, a request to perform a transaction with the merchant via a user account of a user, the service provider configured to facilitate transactions involving user accounts of users of the service provider;   generating, based at least in part on the request and in near real-time, temporary payment card information, wherein the temporary payment card information:
 is associated with the user account of the user; and 
 includes information to permit processing of the transaction; and 
 is configured to be utilized by the merchant as an approval of the transaction; 
   generating data configured to cause presentation of the temporary payment card information on the merchant interface; and   sending the temporary payment card information and the data to the merchant interface.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the merchant interface is associated with a merchant ecommerce website; and   sending the temporary card information and the data comprises sending the temporary card information and the data to the merchant ecommerce website.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 associating a validity rule with the temporary card information, the validity rule indicating that the temporary card information is valid for exactly one transaction;   determining that the temporary card information has yet to be used; and   wherein sending the temporary card information is based at least in part on the temporary card information not yet being used.   
     
     
         18 . The method of clam  15 , wherein generating the temporary card information is based at least in part on an indication that the merchant corresponds to a predetermined merchant and the transaction is set to occur at a predetermined time. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating the temporary payment card information is based at least in part on determining that a payment instrument of the service provider is absent from the user account when the request is received. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the data are configured to cause, when received at the merchant interface and without user input, the merchant interface to populate the temporary card information into one or more payment fields of the merchant interface.