Method and system for maintaining privacy and compliance in the use of account reissuance data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016005041-A1
Application number	US-201414323362-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for linking payment accounts includes: storing a plurality of account profiles, each profile including data related to a payment account including an account number and account data; encrypting the account number included in each account profile using a method of encryption to obtain an encrypted account number; receiving account linkage data, the data including a plurality of encrypted account identifiers, each identifier being indicated as being linked to another identifier, and each identifier being encrypted using the method of encryption; matching each of the encrypted account identifiers to an encrypted account number; and updating one or more account profiles to indicate a link to another account profile where the encrypted account number included in the profile being updated matches an encrypted account identifier that is indicated as being linked to an encrypted account identifier that matches the encrypted account number included in the other profile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for linking accounts, comprising:
storing, in an account database, a plurality of account profiles, wherein each account profile includes data related to a transaction account including at least an account number and account data; encrypting, by a processing device, the account number included in each account profile of the plurality of account profiles using a method of encryption to obtain an encrypted account number; receiving, by a receiving device, account linkage data, wherein the account linkage data includes a plurality of encrypted account identifiers, each encrypted account identifier is indicated as being linked to another encrypted account identifier, and each encrypted account identifier is encrypted using the method of encryption; matching, by the processing device, each of the encrypted account identifiers to an encrypted account number; and updating, in the account database, one or more account profiles to indicate a link to another account profile where the encrypted account number included in the account profile being updated matches an encrypted account identifier that is indicated as being linked to an encrypted account identifier that matches the encrypted account number included in the another account profile.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the account data includes a plurality of transaction data entries, wherein each transaction data entry includes data related to a payment transaction involving the related payment account including at least transaction data.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each encrypted account identifier corresponds to a payment card associated with a payment account, and wherein the another encrypted account identifier indicated as being linked to the encrypted account identifier corresponds to a reissued payment card associated with the payment account.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the one or more account profiles to indicate a link to another account profile includes merging each of the one or more account profiles with the linked another account profile.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the received account linkage data is de-identified prior to receipt by the receiving device.

6 . A method for linking accounts, comprising:
storing, in a memory of a first computing device, a plurality of account profiles, wherein each account profile includes data related to a transaction account including at least an account number and account data; encrypting, by a processor of the first computing device, the account number included in each account profile of the plurality of account profiles using a method of encryption to obtain an encrypted account number; receiving, by a receiver of a second computing device, the encrypted account number included in individual account profiles of the plurality of account profiles; receiving, by the receiver of the second computing device, account linkage data, wherein the account linkage data includes a plurality of encrypted account identifiers, each encrypted account identifier is indicated as being linked to another encrypted account identifier, and each encrypted account identifier is encrypted using the method of encryption; matching, by a processor of the second computing device, at least one of the plurality of encrypted account identifiers to an encrypted account number encrypted by the first computing device; and identifying, by the processor of the second computing device, one or more account number pairs, wherein each account number pair includes a first account number whose corresponding encrypted account number matches a first encrypted account identifier and a second account number whose corresponding encrypted account number matches a second encrypted account identifier that is indicated as being linked to the first encrypted account identifier.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
storing, in a memory of the second computing device, the plurality of account profiles, wherein each account profile includes at least the respective encrypted account number and account data; and updating, by the processor of the second computing device, one or more account profiles stored in the memory to indicate a link to another account profile, wherein the account number included in the account profile being updated is a first account number in a specific account number pair, and the account number included in the another account profile is a second account number in the specific account number pair.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each encrypted account identifier corresponds to a payment card associated with a payment account, and wherein the another encrypted account identifier indicated as being linked to the encrypted account identifier corresponds to a reissued payment card associated with the payment account.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein updating the one or more account profiles to indicate a link to another account profile includes merging each of the one or more account profiles with the linked another account profile.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the received account linkage data is de-identified prior to receipt by the receiver of the second computing device.

11 . A system for linking accounts, comprising:
an account database configured to store a plurality of account profiles, wherein each account profile includes data related to a transaction account including at least an account number and account data; a processing device configured to encrypt the account number included in each account profile of the plurality of account profiles using a method of encryption to obtain an encrypted account number; and a receiving device configured to receive account linkage data, wherein the account linkage data includes a plurality of encrypted account identifiers, each encrypted account identifier is indicated as being linked to another encrypted account identifier, and each encrypted account identifier is encrypted using the method of encryption, wherein the processing device is further configured to
match each of the encrypted account identifiers to an encrypted account number, and
update, in the account database, one or more account profiles to indicate a link to another account profile where the encrypted account number included in the account profile being updated matches an encrypted account identifier that is indicated as being linked to an encrypted account identifier that matches the encrypted account number included in the another account profile.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the account data includes a plurality of transaction data entries, wherein each transaction data entry includes data related to a payment transaction involving the related payment account including at least transaction data.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein each encrypted account identifier corresponds to a payment card associated with a payment account, and wherein the another encrypted account identifier indicated as being linked to the encrypted account identifier corresponds to a reissued payment card associated with the payment account.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein updating the one or more account profiles to indicate a link to another account profile includes merging each of the one or more account profiles with the linked another account profile.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the received account linkage data is de-identified prior to receipt by the receiving device.

16 . A system for linking accounts, comprising:
a first computing device including
a memory configured to store

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

• Reiskind Andrew

Classifications

• G06Q20/383

  Anonymous user system · CPC title

• G06Q20/34 Primary

  using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards · CPC title

• G06Q20/409 Primary

  Device specific authentication in transaction processing · CPC title

• G06Q20/401

  Transaction verification · CPC title

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title