Method and system for authorizing use of a transaction card

1. A method for authorizing purchases by an owner of an account previously established with a bank, the owner wanting to purchase an item from a merchant, the method comprising the step(s) of:

providing a plurality of authorization parameters available for use in calculating an authorization code associated with a specific transaction to purchase the item;

defining a selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters;

establishing respective authorization parameter data for each of the selected authorization parameters;

calculating the authorization code corresponding to the established respective authorization parameter data associated with said specific transaction;

providing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction to the owner;

providing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction to the merchant;

receiving the authorization code associated with said specific transaction and transaction data from the merchant at the bank;

calculating a confirmation authorization code from the transaction data corresponding to the established respective authorization parameter data; and

comparing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction with the confirmation authorization code to determine whether or not to approve the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step(s) of:

allowing the owner to define the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and establish the respective authorization parameter data for each of the selected authorization parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step(s) of:

comparing the authorization code with the confirmation authorization code at the bank; and

if the authorization code and the confirmation authorization code do not match, then transmitting a rejection notice from the bank to the merchant.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step(s) of:

storing a plurality of transaction authentication records at the bank where each transaction record is representative of a respective transaction and has associated therewith a respective authorization code; and

using the authorization code received at the bank from the merchant to locate a corresponding one of the plurality of transaction authentication records for use in determining whether or not to approve the transaction.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step(s) of:

including with the plurality of authorization parameters a transaction sequence parameter.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step(s) of:

providing an owner selections indicator representative of the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data with the authentication code;

receiving the owner selections indicator from the merchant at the bank; and

using the owner selections indicator to identify the transaction data corresponding to the selected parameter data.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step(s) of:

providing an owner selections indicator representative of the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data with the authentication code;

receiving the owner selections indicator from the merchant at the bank; and

using the owner selections indicator to identify the transaction data corresponding to the selected parameter data.

8. A method of operating a transaction processing data center for authorizing purchases by an owner of an account previously established with a data center, the owner wanting to purchase an item from a merchant, the method comprising the step(s) of:

providing a plurality of authorization parameters available for use in calculating an authorization code associated with a specific transaction to purchase the item;

receiving an input from the owner of a selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters;

receiving from the owner respective authorization parameter data for each of the selected authorization parameters;

calculating the authorization code corresponding to the received respective authorization parameter data associated with said specific transaction;

providing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction to the owner;

providing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction to the merchant;

receiving the authorization code associated with said specific transaction and transaction data from the merchant;

calculating a confirmation authorization code from the transaction data corresponding to the received respective authorization parameter data; and

comparing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction with the confirmation authorization code to determine whether or not to approve the transaction.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step(s) of:

establishing a real time connection with the owner for receiving the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data for each of the selected authorization parameters.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step(s) of:

if the authorization code and the confirmation authorization code do not match, then transmitting a rejection notice to the merchant.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step(s) of:

storing a plurality of transaction authentication records where each transaction record is representative of a respective transaction and has associated therewith a respective authorization code; and

using the authorization code received from the merchant to locate a corresponding one of the plurality of transaction authentication records for use in determining whether or not to approve the transaction.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step(s) of:

including with the plurality of authorization parameters a transaction sequence parameter.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step(s) of:

providing an owner selections indicator representative of the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data with the authentication code;

receiving the owner selections indicator from the merchant; and

using the owner selections indicator to identify the transaction data corresponding to the selected parameter data.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step(s) of:

providing an owner selections indicator representative of the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data with the authentication code;

receiving the owner selections indicator from the merchant; and

using the owner selections indicator to identify the transaction data corresponding to the selected parameter data.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step(s) of:

providing an owner selections indicator representative of the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data with the authentication code;

receiving the owner selections indicator from the merchant; and

using the owner selections indicator to identify the transaction data corresponding to the selected parameter data.

16. A system for authorizing purchases by an owner of an account previously established with a bank, the owner wanting to purchase an item from a merchant, the system comprising:

means for providing a plurality of authorization parameters available for use in calculating an authorization code associated with a specific transaction to purchase the item;

means for defining a selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters;

means for establishing respective authorization parameter data for each of the selected authorization parameters;

means for calculating the authorization code corresponding to the established respective authorization parameter data associated with said specific transaction;

means for providing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction to the owner;

means for providing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction to the merchant;

means for receiving the authorization code associated with said specific transaction and transaction data from the merchant at the bank;

means for calculating a confirmation authorization code from the transaction data corresponding to the established respective authorization parameter data; and

means for comparing the authorization code associated with said specific transaction with the confirmation authorization code to determine whether or not to approve the transaction.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

means for allowing the owner to define the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and establish the respective authorization parameter data for each of the selected authorization parameters.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:

the means for comparing the authorization code with the confirmation authorization code is located at the bank; and

further comprising:

if the authorization code and the confirmation authorization code do not match, means for transmitting a rejection notice from the bank to the merchant.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:

means for storing a plurality of transaction authentication records at the bank where each transaction record is representative of a respective transaction and has associated therewith a respective authorization code; and

means for using the authorization code received at the bank from the merchant to locate a corresponding one of the plurality of transaction authentication records for use in determining whether or not to approve the transaction.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:

means for including with the plurality of authorization parameters a transaction sequence parameter.

21. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:

means for providing an owner selections indicator representative of the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data with the authentication code;

means for receiving the owner selections indicator from the merchant at the bank; and

means for using the owner selections indicator to identify the transaction data corresponding to the selected parameter data.

22. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

means for providing an owner selections indicator representative of the selected subset of the plurality of authorization parameters and the respective authorization parameter data with the authentication code;

means for receiving the owner selections indicator from the merchant at the bank; and

means for using the owner selections indicator to identity the transaction data corresponding to the selected parameter data.