Credit card validation for an interactive wireless network

Abstract

An apparatus and method for validating a credit card over a wireless network. The apparatus includes a gateway for sending a credit card validation reply message to a wireless device in response to receiving a credit card validation request message from the wireless device, the request message including credit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated. The method includes sending a first credit card validation request message to a gateway from a wireless device, the first request message including credit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated; sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information from the gateway over an external network in communication with the gateway to a credit card validation service provider for processing the credit card information; receiving by the gateway a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network; and sending a second credit card validation reply message from the gateway to the wireless device.

1. An apparatus for validating a credit card over a wireless data network, the apparatus comprising:
 a wireless communication gateway in communication configured to communicate with a wireless data network, the gateway configured for processing to process credit card validation data to be received from an external network and for sending configured to send a credit card validation reply message to a wireless device in communication with the wireless data network in response to receiving a credit card validation request message from the wireless device, the request message including credit card information for identifying to identify a credit card to be validated; 
 wherein the gateway comprises a database for storing the credit card validation reply message; and 
 wherein the database has a directory structure for associating the wireless device with the credit card validation reply message. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the gateway transmits is configured to transmit the credit card validation request message over the external network to a credit card validation service provider for processing to process the credit card information. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the external network is the Internet. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit card validation request message is a text message. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit card validation request message is to be sent via e-mail to a predetermined validation e-mail address. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the credit card information is to be provided in a subject portion of the e-mail message. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit card information includes a credit card number of the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit card information includes a credit card expiration date of the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit card information includes an identifier associated with the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit card validation reply message is a text message. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit card validation reply message is to be sent via e-mail to the wireless device. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is a pager. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is configured to be interfaced to a keypad. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless device in is configured to be interfaced to a credit card swipe reader. 
     
     
       15. A method of validating a credit card over a wireless data network, the method comprising:
 sending a first credit card validation request message to a wireless communication gateway in communication with a wireless data network from a wireless device in communication with the wireless data network, the gateway configured for processing credit card validation data received from an external network, the first request message including credit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated; 
 sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information from the gateway over the external network in communication with the gateway to a credit card information validation service provider for processing the credit card information; 
 receiving by the gateway a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network; 
 sending a second credit card validation reply message from the gateway to the wireless device; 
 storing the first credit card validation reply message in a database associated with the gateway; and 
 associating a second wireless device with the first credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising storing the second credit card validation reply message in a database associated with the gateway. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising associating a second wireless device with the second credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending the second request message from the gateway over an external network in communication with the gateway for processing the credit card information further comprises transmitting the second request message to the Internet. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a first credit card validation request message further comprises sending a text message. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a second credit card validation request message further comprises sending the credit card information via e-mail to a predetermined validation e-mail address. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending the credit card validation information in a subject portion of the e-mail message. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending a credit card number of the credit card to be valid validated. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending a credit card expiration date of the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending an identifier associated with the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a first credit card validation reply message further comprises sending a text message. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a second credit card validation reply message further comprises sending an e-mail message to the wireless device. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a first credit card validation request message from a wireless device further comprises sending the first credit card validation request message from a pager. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a second credit card validation reply message to a wireless device further comprises sending the second credit card validation reply message to a pager. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a first credit card validation request message further comprises sending a first credit card validation message that is independent of a credit card service provider validation process. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29 , wherein software applications for processing credit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated operate independently of the credit card service provider validation process. 
     
     
       31. A method for validating a credit card over a wireless data network, the method comprising:
 processing credit card information associated with a credit card to be validated at a wireless communication gateway to be in communication with a wireless data network, the gateway configured for processing to process credit card validation data to be received from an external network, the gateway sending to send a credit card validation reply message to a wireless device in communication with the wireless network in response to receiving a credit card validation request message from the wireless device, the request message including the credit card information for identifying the credit card to be validated; 
 wherein, the credit card information is to be processed at the gateway by a software application developed independently of external credit card validation processes to be provided remotely from the gateway; and 
 storing the credit card validation reply message in a database associated with the gateway; 
 wherein storing further comprises storing the credit card validation reply message in a database that includes a directory structure for associating the wireless device with the credit card validation reply message. 
 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising transmitting the credit card validation request message from the gateway over the external network to the credit card validation service provider for processing to process the credit card information. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32 , wherein transmitting the credit card validation request message further comprises transmitting over the Internet. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 31 , wherein processing the credit card validation request message further comprises processing a text message. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising sending the credit card validation request message via e-mail to a predetermined validation e-mail address. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35 , further comprising providing the credit card information in a subject portion of the e-mail message. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising providing a credit card number of the credit card to be validated in the credit card information. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising providing a credit card expiration date of the credit card to be validated in the credit card information. 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising providing an identifier associated with the credit card to be validated in the credit card information. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 31 , wherein processing the credit card validation reply message further comprises processing a text message. 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising sending the credit card validation reply message via e-mail to the wireless device. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising receiving the credit card information by the gateway from a pager. 
     
     
       43. A method of validating a credit card over a wireless data network, the method comprising:
 sending a first credit card validation request message to a wireless communication gateway in communication with a wireless data network from a wireless device in communication with the wireless data network, the gateway configured for processing credit card validation data received from an external network, the first request message including credit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated; 
 sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information from the gateway over the external network in communication with the gateway to a credit card information validation service provider for processing the credit card information; 
 receiving by the gateway a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network; 
 sending a second credit card validation reply message from the gateway to the wireless device; and 
 storing the second credit card validation reply message in a database associated with the gateway, wherein the second credit card validation reply message is associated in the database with a second wireless device. 
 
     
     
       44. The method of  claim 43 , further comprising associating a wherein the second wireless device is associated with the second credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database. 
     
     
       45. A method of validating a credit card over a wireless date network, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a gateway, a first credit card validation request message from a wireless device via a wireless date network, the gateway to process credit card validation data received from an external network, the first request message including credit card information to identify a credit card to be validated;   sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information from the gateway over the external network to a credit card information validation service provider to process the credit card information;   receiving by the gateway a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network;   sending a second credit card validation reply message from the gateway to the wireless device;   storing the first credit card validation reply message in a database associated with the gateway; and   associating a second wireless device with the first credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database.   
     
     
       46. The method of claim 45, further comprising storing the second credit card validation reply message in a database associated with the gateway. 
     
     
       47. The method of claim 46, further comprising associating a second wireless device with the second credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database. 
     
     
       48. The method of claim 45, wherein sending the second request message from the gateway over an external network in communication with the gateway to process the credit card information further comprises transmitting the second request message to the Internet. 
     
     
       49. The method of claim 45, wherein sending a first credit card validation request message further comprises sending a text message. 
     
     
       50. The method of claim 45, wherein sending a second credit card validation request message further comprises sending the credit card information via e-mail to a predetermined validation e-mail address. 
     
     
       51. The method of claim 50, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending the credit card validation information in a subject portion of the e-mail message. 
     
     
       52. The method of claim 45, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending a credit card number of the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       53. The method of claim 45, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending a credit card expiration date of the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       54. The method of claim 45, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending an identifier associated with the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       55. The method of claim 45, wherein sending a first credit card validation reply message further comprises sending a text message. 
     
     
       56. The method of claim 45, wherein sending a second credit card validation reply message further comprises sending an e-mail message to the wireless device. 
     
     
       57. The method of claim 45, wherein said first credit card validation request message is independent of a credit card service provider validation process. 
     
     
       58. The method of claim 57, wherein software applications for processing credit card information to identify a credit card to be validated are to operate independently of the credit card service provider validation process. 
     
     
       59. A method of validating a credit card over a wireless data network, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a gateway, a first credit card validation request message from a wireless device via a wireless data network, the gateway configured to process credit card validation data received from an external network, the first request message including credit card information to identify a credit card to be validated;   sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information from the gateway over the external network in communication with the gateway to a credit card information validation service provider to process the credit card information;   receiving by the gateway a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network;   sending a second credit card validation reply message from the gateway to the wireless device; and   storing the second credit card validation reply message in a database associated with the gateway, wherein the second credit card validation reply message is associated in the database with a second wireless device.   
     
     
       60. The method of claim 59, wherein the second wireless device is associated with the second credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database. 
     
     
       61. A computer-readable storage medium containing software code that, if executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first credit card validation request message from a wireless device via a wireless data network, the first request message including credit card information to identify a credit card to be validate;   sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information over an external network to a credit card information validation service provider to process the credit card information;   receiving a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network;   sending a second credit card validation reply message to the wireless device;   storing the first credit card validation reply message in a database; and   associating a second wireless device with the first credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database.   
     
     
       62. The medium of claim 61, further comprising software code such that the operations further comprise:
 storing the second credit card validation reply message in a database.   
     
     
       63. The medium of claim 62, further comprising software code such that the operations further comprise:
 associating a second wireless device with the second credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database.   
     
     
       64. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending the second request message over an external network further comprises transmitting the second request message to the Internet. 
     
     
       65. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending a first credit card validation request message further comprises sending a text message. 
     
     
       66. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending a second credit card validation request message further comprises sending the credit card information via e-mail to a predetermining validation e-mail address. 
     
     
       67. The medium of claim 66, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending the credit card validation information in a subject portion of the e-mail message. 
     
     
       68. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending a credit card number of the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       69. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending a credit card expiration date of the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       70. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sending an identifier associated with the credit card to be validated. 
     
     
       71. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending a first credit card validation reply message further comprises sending a text message. 
     
     
       72. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending a second credit card validation reply message further comprises sending an e-mail message to the wireless device. 
     
     
       73. The medium of claim 61, wherein said first credit card validation request message is independent of a credit card service provider validation process. 
     
     
       74. The medium of claim 73, wherein software applications for processing credit card information to identify a credit card to be validated are to operate independently of the credit card service provider validation process. 
     
     
       75. A computer-readable storage medium containing software code that, if executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first credit card validation request message from a wireless device via a wireless data network, the first request message including credit card information to identify a credit card to be validated;   sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information over an external network to a credit card information validation service provider to process the credit card information;   receiving a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network;   sending a second credit card validation reply message to the wireless device; and   storing the second credit card validation reply message in a database, wherein the second credit card validation reply message is associated in the database with a second wireless device.   
     
     
       76. The medium of claim 75, wherein the second wireless device is associated with the second credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database. 
     
     
       77. A method of reselling credit card validation services, the method comprising:
 arranging to purchase credit card validation services from a validation service provider;   receiving, from a wireless device of a subscriber, a first credit card validation request message via a wireless data network, the first request message including credit card information to identify a credit card to be validated;   sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information over an external network to said validation service provider to process the credit card information;   receiving a first credit card validation reply message from said validation service provider over the external network;   sending a second credit card validation reply message to the wireless device;   storing the first credit card validation reply message in a database; and   associating a second wireless device with the first credit card validation reply message in a directory structure of the database.