Index structure and card network system for cross border real-time payments

1 . A computer-implemented method for constructing an index structure for a card network system for international real-time payments, RTPs, between differing domestic RTP systems, the method performed by the card network system and comprising:

creating a first data record in the index structure for a first participating domestic RTP system, wherein the first participating domestic RTP system is associated with a first country;

storing a first country identifier in the first data record;

assigning a first primary account number (PAN) to the first participating domestic RTP system in the first data record; and

publishing the first country identifier to allow other participating domestic RTP systems to select the first country to make an international real-time payment, wherein selection of the first country identifies the first PAN.

2 . A system, comprising:

a card network system configured to construct an index structure for international real-time payments, RTPs, between differing domestic RTP systems, the card network system configured to:

create a first data record in the index structure for a first participating domestic RTP system, wherein the first participating domestic RTP system is associated with a first country;

store a first country identifier in the first data record;

assign a first primary account number (PAN), to the first participating domestic RTP system in the first data record; and

publish the first country identifier to allow other participating domestic RTP systems to select the first country to make an international real-time payment, wherein selection of the first country identifies the first PAN,

wherein the index structure comprises respective data records for each of the other participating domestic RTP systems, wherein each of the other participating domestic RTP systems is associated with other countries respectively, and wherein each of the other participating domestic RTP systems has a respective country identifier and a respective PAN stored in their respective data record.

3 . The system of claim 2 further configured for an international real-time payment between a first domestic RTP system associated with a first country to a second domestic RTP system associated with a second country, wherein the first domestic RTP system and the second domestic RTP system are each participating domestic RTP systems in the card network system, wherein the card network system is configured to:

receive a payment request verification message from the first domestic RTP system to verify the account of a second user of the second domestic RTP system, wherein the payment request verification message comprises a PAN of the second domestic RTP system and a first identifier of the account of a first user of the first domestic RTP system and a second identifier of the account of the second user;

send the payment request verification message to the second domestic RTP system;

receive a payment request response message from the second domestic RTP system, wherein the payment request response message comprises an indication to confirm whether the second user account of the second domestic RTP system has been successfully verified or not; and

send the payment request response message to the first domestic RTP system.

4 . The system of claim 2 or 3 further configured for an international real-time payment between a first domestic RTP system associated with a first country to a second domestic RTP system associated with a second country, wherein the first domestic RTP system and the second domestic RTP system are each participating domestic RTP systems in the card network system, wherein the card network system is configured to:

receive a credit transfer request message from the first domestic RTP system, wherein the credit transfer request message comprises the PAN of the second domestic RTP system and the first identifier of the account of the first user and the second identifier of the account of the second user;

send the credit transfer request message to the second domestic RTP system;

receive a credit transfer response message from the second domestic RTP system, wherein the credit transfer response message comprises an indication to confirm whether the user account of the second domestic RTP system has been successfully credited or not; and

send the credit transfer response message to the first domestic RTP system.

5 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a first domestic RTP system configured to:

receive a first request message from an account of a first user of the first domestic RTP system to transfer funds to an account of a second user of a second domestic RTP system; and

communicate with the card network system to complete the international real-time payment to the second user of the second domestic RTP system.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein to communicate with the card network system, the first domestic RTP system is configured to:

select a primary account number (PAN) of the second domestic RTP system from the index structure of the card network system, wherein selecting the PAN comprises identifying a country associated with the second domestic RTP system; and

send a payment request verification message to the card network system to verify the account of the second user of the second domestic RTP system, wherein the payment request verification message comprises the PAN of the second domestic RTP system and a first identifier of the account of the first user and a second identifier of the account of the second user; and

receive a payment request response message from the card network system, wherein the payment request response message comprises a first indication to confirm whether the account of the second user of the second domestic RTP system has been successfully verified or not.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first domestic RTP system comprises a first banking entity and a first proxy banking entity,

wherein the first request message is received at the first banking entity, wherein the first banking entity comprises the account of the first user, and the first banking entity is configured to:

send the first request message to the first proxy banking entity,

wherein the first proxy banking entity is configured to select the PAN of the second domestic RTP system from the index structure of the card network system, send the payment request verification message to the card network system, receive the payment request response message from the card network system, and send the payment request response message to the first banking entity.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the first proxy banking entity is configured to retrieve exchange rate information for making the international real-time payment; and send the exchange rate information to the first banking entity.

9 . The system of claim 5 , wherein to communicate with the card network system, the first domestic RTP system is configured to:

send a credit transfer request message to the card network system, wherein the credit transfer request message comprises the PAN of the second domestic RTP system and the first identifier of the account of the first user and the second identifier of the account of a second user; and

receive a credit transfer response message from the card network system, wherein the credit transfer response message comprises a second indication to confirm whether the user account of the second domestic RTP system has been successfully credited or not.

10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a first banking entity configured to:

send a credit transfer request message to a first proxy banking entity,

wherein the first proxy banking entity is configured to send the credit transfer request message to the card network system, receive the credit transfer response message from the card network system, and send the credit transfer response message to the first banking entity.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first banking entity is configured to send a credit transfer confirmation message to the first user.

12 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a second domestic RTP system configured to:

receive one or more messages from the first domestic RTP system via the card network system; and

communicate with the card network system to complete the international real-time payment to a second user of the second domestic RTP system.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first domestic RTP system is configured to:

receive a payment request verification message from the card network system, wherein the payment request verification message comprises a primary account number (PAN) of the second domestic RTP system and a first identifier of the account of a first user of the first domestic RTP system and a second identifier of the account of a second user of the second domestic RTP system;

verify the account of the second user of the second domestic RTP system; and

send a payment request response message to the card network system, wherein the payment request response message comprises a first indication to confirm whether the account of the second user of the second domestic RTP system has been successfully verified or not.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the second domestic RTP system comprises a second banking entity and a second proxy banking entity,

wherein the payment request verification message is received at the second proxy banking entity, and wherein the second proxy banking entity is configured to:

send the payment request verification message to the second banking entity, wherein the second banking entity comprises the account of the second user,

wherein the second banking entity is configured to verify the account of the second user and send the payment request response message to the second proxy banking entity.

15 . The system of claim 12 or 13 , wherein the second domestic RTP system is configured to:

receive a credit transfer request message from the card network system, wherein the credit transfer request message comprises the PAN of the second domestic RTP system and the first identifier of the account of the first user of the first domestic RTP system and the second identifier of the account of the second user of the second domestic RTP system;

credit the account of the second user of the second domestic RTP system; and

send a credit transfer response message to the card network system, wherein the credit transfer response message comprises a second indication to confirm whether the account of the second user of the second domestic RTP system has been successfully credited or not.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a second proxy banking entity configured to send the credit transfer request message to the second banking entity,

wherein the second banking entity is configured to credit the account of the second user and send the credit transfer response message to the second proxy banking entity; and

wherein the second proxy banking entity is configured to send the credit transfer response message to the card network system.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are operable when executed by data processing apparatus of a participant in a secure communications system to:

create a first data record in an index structure for a first participating domestic RTP system, wherein the first participating domestic RTP system is associated with a first country;

store a first country identifier in the first data record;

assign a first primary account number (PAN) to the first participating domestic RTP system in the first data record; and

publish the first country identifier to allow other participating domestic RTP systems to select the first country to make an international real-time payment, wherein selection of the first country identifies the first PAN,

wherein the index structure comprises respective data records for each of the other participating domestic RTP systems, wherein each of the other participating domestic RTP systems is associated with other countries respectively, and wherein each of the other participating domestic RTP systems has a respective country identifier and a respective PAN stored in their respective data record.