Systems and methods for authenticating a user commerce account associated with a merchant of a commerce platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9779405-B1
Application number	US-201615276334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for authenticating a user commerce account associated with a merchant of a commerce platform are described. The method may include initiating authentication of the user commerce account associated with the merchant of the commerce platform from a commerce platform user interface of a user device, the user commerce account established for a user of the merchant. The method may also include sending an electronic message to a mobile device associated with the user account at the commerce platform, wherein the electronic message comprises an authentication code, and receiving the authentication code from the commerce platform user interface. Furthermore, the method may include generating an authentication key for the mobile device in response to matching the received authentication code with the sent authentication code and receiving a cookie provided from the commerce platform to the mobile device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for authenticating a user commerce account associated with a merchant of a commerce platform, the method comprising:
initiating, by the commerce platform comprising one or more server computer systems, authentication of the user commerce account associated with the merchant of the commerce platform in response to a receipt of a first electronic message sent by a commerce platform user interface of a user device over a first communications channel, the user commerce account established for a user of the merchant;
sending a second electronic message from the commerce platform to a user mobile device associated with the user account at the commerce platform, wherein the second electronic message is sent over a second communications channel and comprises an authentication code generated by the commerce platform;
receiving, by the commerce platform over the first communications channel, the authentication code from the commerce platform user interface;
generating, by the commerce platform, an authentication key for the user mobile device in response to: matching the received authentication code with the sent authentication code, and receiving a cookie provided from the commerce platform to the user mobile device indicative of a matching of the received authentication code with the sent authentication code; and
providing, by the commerce platform, the authentication key to the user mobile device for authentication of the user mobile device on behalf of the user commerce account when interacting with the commerce platform through a merchant application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating authentication of the user further comprises:
receiving a request to open or update the user commerce account associated with the merchant for the user from a merchant application user interface displayed by the user device;
redirecting the user device from the merchant application user interface to the commerce platform user interface in response to the initiation of the authentication of the user; and
redirecting the user device back to the merchant application user interface after the authentication key is provided to the user mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the second electronic message to the user mobile device comprises:
causing the commerce platform user interface to display a request to enter a mobile number purported to be for the user mobile device;
receiving the mobile number entered into the commerce platform user interface;
transmitting a text message that includes the authentication code to the mobile number;
detecting entry of the authentication code in the commerce platform user interface; and
authenticating the user mobile device in response to detecting the entry of the authentication code.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is an existing user of the commerce platform, further comprising:
initiating the authentication of the user commerce account for the existing user of the commerce platform, wherein the existing user has a second user commerce account associated with a second merchant of the commerce platform prior to initiation of the authentication;
authenticating the existing user to the commerce platform for the merchant; and
maintaining separate records for the existing user at the user commerce platform for the user commerce account and the second user commerce account.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving a request for a summary of accounts associated with the existing user at the commerce platform;
aggregating the user commerce account and the second user commerce account into a single accounts user interface based on user identification data for the existing user in record for each of the user commerce account and the second user commerce account; and
causing the user device to display the single accounts user interface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the commerce platform provides one or more financial processing services in response to a financial services request received from the merchant application for a good or service supplied by the user to a consumer on behalf of the merchant, and wherein the commerce platform pays the user on behalf of the merchant based on the processing of the provided financial services.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing the commerce platform user interface to display a user interface for collection of additional user data after providing the authentication key, the user data comprising user biographical information, user financial information, or a combination thereof;
receiving the additional user data from the commerce platform user interface; and
associating the additional user data with the user commerce account at the commerce platform.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic message comprises a short message service message, a multimedia messaging service message, or an electronic mail message.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device is the user mobile device.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for authenticating a user commerce account associated with a merchant of a commerce platform, the method comprising:
initiating, by the commerce platform comprising one or more server computer systems, authentication of the user commerce account associated with the merchant of the commerce platform in response to a receipt of a first electronic message sent by a commerce platform user interface of a user device over a first communications channel, the user commerce account established for a user of the merchant;
sending a second electronic message from the commerce platform to a user mobile device associated with the user account at the commerce platform, wherein the second electronic message is sent over a second communications channel and comprises an authentication code generated by the commerce platform;
receiving, by the commerce platform over the first communications channel, the authentication code from the commerce platform user interface;
generating, by the commerce platform, an authentication key for the user mobile device in response to: matching the received authentication code with the sent authentication code, and receiving a cookie provided from the commerce platform to the user mobile device indicative of a matching of the received authentication code with the sent authentication code; and
providing, by the commerce platform, the authentication key to the user mobile device for authentication of the user mobile device on behalf of the user commerce account when interacting with the commerce platform through a merchant application.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the user device is the user mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the electronic message comprises a short message service message, a multimedia messaging service message, or an electronic mail message.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein initiating authentication of the user further comprises:
receiving a request to open or update the user commerce account associated with the merchant for the user from a merchant application user interface displayed by the user device;
redirecting the user device from the merchant application user interface to the commerce platform user interface in response to the initiation of the authentication of the user; and
redirecting the user device back to the merchant application user interface afte

Assignees

• Stripe
• Stripe Inc

Inventors

• Krausz Brian David
• Chen Jieren
• Doshi Shreyas Surendra
• Villar Michael

Classifications

• G06Q20/322 Primary

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title

• G06Q20/3829

  involving key management · CPC title

• G06Q20/405 Primary

  Establishing or using transaction specific rules · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04L63/061

  for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838) · CPC title