Method and system for performing a commercial transaction by using a short message service terminal

1. A method for conducting a commercial transaction between a customer and a commercial server, the customer having a computer and an SMS terminal, the computer is connected to the commercial server through a public network, and the SMS terminal can receive and send SMS messages over a cellular network, said method comprising the steps of:

the customer ordering an article by using the computer to send an order to the commercial server through the public network;

sending an SMS message, through said cellular network, from said commercial server to the customer, via said SMS terminal, said SMS message including at least the address on said cellular network of a payment server, information about said article, and a public encryption key of the payment server; and

said customer, after receiving said SMS message on said SMS terminal, adding to said SMS message identification information enabling identification of a customer payment means, and encrypting said identification information using the public encryption key of the payment server received in said SMS message from the commercial server, wherein a modified SMS message is formed, and using the address of the payment server received from the commercial server, redirecting said modified message, including said encrypted identification information, to said payment server through said cellular network.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said SMS message includes an identification number (MSISDN) of said payment server on said cellular network.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said sending step includes said payment server authenticating said customer by using an identification number (MSISDN) of said customer on said cellular network.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said sending step includes said SMS message requesting said customer to input a customer card number into said SMS terminal, said card number being included in said modified SMS message sent to said payment server.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said sending step includes requesting said customer to input a PIN code into said SMS terminal, said PIN code being included in said modified SMS message sent to said payment server to retrieve said customer card number.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said redirecting step includes modifying said SMS message to include information such as order identifier, customer name and article price.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein after authenticating said customer by said payment server, a customer's account is debited and said payment server informs said commercial server that said transaction has been completed successfully and/or said customer that said customer's account has been debited.

8. A system for conducting a commercial transaction between a customer and a commercial server, the customer having a computer and an SMS terminal, the computer is connected to the commercial server through a public network, and the SMS terminal is able to receive and send SMS messages over a cellular network, and wherein the customer orders an article by using said computer to send an order to the commercial server through said public network;

said system comprising a payment server in charge of debiting a customer account with said article price; and means operating on the commercial server for sending an SMS message, through said cellular network, to the customer, via said SMS terminal, said SMS message including at least the address on said cellular network of said payment server, and a public encryption key of the payment server so that said SMS terminal, after the customer adds to said SMS message information enabling identification of a customer payment means and encrypts said information using the public encryption key of the payment server received in said SMS message from the commercial server, wherein a modified SMS message is formed using the address of the payment server received from the commercial server, redirects said modified SMS message, including said encrypted identification information, to said payment server through said cellular network.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein said customer payment means is a credit card.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said cellular network is a GSM network.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said SMS terminal is a mobile terminal.

12. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the further step of the payment server decrypting the information received from the customer through the cellular network, authenticating the customer, and informing the commercial server that the transaction has been completed.