Automated application programming interface (API) system and method
A method for leveraging email to complete an online transaction from a third party vendor, the method comprising: storing customer information, the customer information including a customer name, customer email address, customer shipping address, and customer billing information. The method further comprises receiving an authorization request from an application programming interface associated with a third party vendor requesting access to a portion of the customer information and receiving confirmation from a customer to allow the third party vendor to access the portion of the customer information. The method further comprising transmitting an access code to the third party vendor and receiving a request message from the third party vendor, wherein the request message comprises the access code, and wherein the request message requests an authorization token. The method may further comprise confirming the received access code and transmitting an authorization token to the third party vendor.
1 . A method for improving security of an e-commerce network using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), the method comprising:
transmitting, by a vendor server hosting a webpage and via an application programming interface (API) of an e-commerce system, a request to perform a transaction to the e-commerce system, wherein the request identifies a user e-mail address of a registered user;
determining, by the e-commerce system in response to the request received via the API, whether the registered user has authorized the e-commerce system to perform the transaction;
in response to determining that the registered user has authorized the e-commerce system to perform the transaction, transmitting, via the API and from the e-commerce system to the vendor server, link data that defines a mailto link for the transaction;
displaying, by the vendor server on the webpage based on the link data received via the API, the mailto link, wherein the mailto link, when activated, causes an e-mail client of a user device to generate an e-mail message that is sent to the e-commerce system and contains a token for the transaction;
receiving, by the e-commerce system, the e-mail message containing the token;
completing, by the e-commerce system, the transaction based on the token contained in the e-mail message;
transmitting, via the API and from the e-commerce system to the vendor server, a confirmation message indicating successful completion of the transaction; and
displaying, by the vendor server on the webpage, an indication that the transaction was successfully completed in response to the confirmation message received via the API,
wherein, in response to determining that the user e-mail address is not associated with the registered user authorized to perform the transaction, the e-commerce system transmits, via the API and to the vendor server, alternative link data for presentation on the webpage instead of the mailto link.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the token is an encrypted string and is embedded in the e-mail message.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vendor server hosts an online retail website.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vendor server hosts a non-profit organization website and the transaction includes at least one item to be purchased or a donation to the non-profit organization.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to perform the transaction transmitted via the API further includes transaction information identifying at least one item associated with the transaction, and wherein the link data transmitted via the API is generated based on the transaction information.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the confirmation message transmitted via the API includes transaction-result data identifying that the transaction was successfully completed and identifying the transaction associated with the token.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to determining that the user e-mail address is not associated with the registered user authorized to perform the transaction, the e-commerce system transmits, via the API and to the vendor server, alternative link data for presentation on the webpage instead of the mailto link.
8 . A system for improving security of an e-commerce network using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), the system comprising:
a memory that stores customer information;
a communication interface that is communicatively coupled to a vendor server via the e-commerce network; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the communication interface, the processor configured to:
receive, via an application programming interface (API), from the vendor server hosting a webpage, a request to perform a transaction to server, wherein the request identifies a user e-mail address of a registered user;
determine whether the registered user has authorized the server system to perform the transaction;
in response to determining that the registered user has authorized the system to perform the transaction,
transmit, via the API to the vendor server, link data that defines a mailto link for the transaction, wherein the vendor server is configured to display the mailto link on the webpage, and wherein activation of the mailto link causes an e-mail client of a user device to generate an e-mail message that is sent to the system and contains a token for the transaction;
receive the e-mail message containing the token;
complete the transaction based on the token;
transmit, via the API to the vendor server, a confirmation message indicating successful completion of the transaction, wherein the vendor server is configured to display an indication that the transaction was successfully completed in response to the confirmation message; and
in response to determining that the user e-mail address is not associated with the registered user authorized to perform the transaction, transmit, via the API to the vendor server, alternative link data for presentation on the webpage instead of the mailto link.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the token is an encrypted string and is embedded in the e-mail message.
10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the vendor server hosts an online retail website.
11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the vendor server hosts a non-profit organization website and the transaction includes at least one item to be purchased or a donation to the non-profit organization.
12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the confirmation message is communicated from the system to the vendor server through the API after the system completes the transaction based on the token contained in the e-mail message is received.
13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the link data such that the mailto link is specific to the transaction identified in the request received via the API.
14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide, via the API to the vendor server, transaction-result data associated with the token, wherein the vendor server is configured to update the webpage based on the transaction-result data.
15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for improving security of an e-commerce network using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), wherein execution of the instructions causes one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving, via an application programming interface (API) from a vendor server hosting a webpage, a request to perform a transaction, wherein the request identifies a user e-mail address of a registered user;
determining whether the registered user has authorized an e-commerce system to perform the transaction;
in response to determining that the registered user has authorized the e-commerce system to perform the transaction, transmitting, via the API to the vendor server, link data that defines a mailto link for the transaction, wherein the vendor server is configured to display the mailto link on the webpage, and wherein activation of the mailto link causes an e-mail client of a user device to generate an e-mail message that is sent to the e-commerce system and contains a token for the transaction;
receiving the e-mail message containing the token;
completing the transaction based on the token;
transmitting, via the API to the vendor server, a confirmation message indicating successful completion of the transaction, wherein the vendor server is configured to display an indication that the transaction was successfully completed in response to the confirmation message; and
in response to determining that the user e-mail address is not associated with the registered user authorized to perform the transaction, transmitting, via the API to the vendor server, alternative link data for presentation on the webpage instead of the mailto link.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein completing the transaction comprises performing a validation of a sender address by using at least one of DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF), wherein the sender address is an address from which the e-mail message is received.
17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the validation of the sender address using the at least one of and SPF is performed before the e-commerce system completes the transaction based on the token contained in the e-mail message.
18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to generate the confirmation message for transmission through the API in response to successful completion of the transaction and to include, in the confirmation message, data identifying the transaction associated with the token.
19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to, in response to receiving the request via the API, generate the link data without transmitting the mailto link to the user in an e-mail from the e-commerce system prior to display of the mailto link on the webpage.
20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the confirmation message is transmitted to the vendor server through the API only after validation of the sender address and completion of the transaction based on the token.