Systems and Methods to Verify Payment Transactions

1 . An apparatus, comprising

a processor;

storage;

memory; and

a network connection, wherein the processor is configured to:

store user details in the storage including a plurality of telephone numbers, each associated with details of a payment card;

receive, via the network connection, a request including a first telephone number related to a transaction;

identify payment card details based on the first telephone number, in response to the request;

obtain an indication as to whether the transaction is valid using the first telephone number; and

send the payment card details via the network connection to a payment server to process the request if the transaction is determined to be valid.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain an indication as to whether the transaction is valid by:

sending a message to the first telephone number; and

determining whether a valid reply to the message has been received from the first telephone number.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the message is sent via Short Message Service (SMS) and the valid reply is received via SMS.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the user details include a stored password associated with each of the telephone numbers, and the processor is configured to determine whether a valid reply has been received by:

receiving a reply including a received password;

retrieving a first stored password associated with the first telephone number; and

comparing the received password with the first stored password.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein if no reply has been received within a specified period of time, the transaction is considered to be invalid.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the payment card details comprises:

searching the user details to find the first telephone number; and

retrieving details of a payment card associated with the first telephone number.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request to set up a user account;

store new user details including contact details and an identification of at least one payment card;

generate a password and store the password in the new user details; and

obtain a postal address associated with the at least one payment card to send the password.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to return an indication via the network connection to an issuer of the request if the transaction is determined to be not valid.

9 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a request from a network-connected device, the request including an identification of a telephone number;

retrieving, by the processor from storage coupled to the processor, stored payment card details based on the telephone number;

sending a message to the telephone number;

determining, by the processor, whether a valid reply to the message has been received from the telephone number; and

sending, by the processor, the payment card details to a payment server to process the request in response to the valid reply to the message.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the message is sent to the telephone number via Short Message Service (SMS).

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the valid reply is received from the telephone number via SMS.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising identifying a stored password associated with the telephone number, and the determining whether a valid reply has been received comprises:

receiving a reply including a received password; and

comparing the received password with the stored password.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein if no reply has been received within a specified period of time, the payment card details is not sent to the payment server.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the retrieving the stored payment card details comprises:

interrogating stored data to find the telephone number; and

retrieving a payment card identification associated with the telephone number.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the payment card details comprise an identification of a payment card.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the network-connected device is a server at which a user makes a purchase.

17 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving a request to set up a user account;

storing an identification of at least one payment card in the user account;

storing contact details and associating the contact details with the identification of the payment card;

generating and storing a password and associating the password with the payment card; and

obtaining a postal address associated with the payment card to send the password.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the contact details include a telephone number of a mobile phone.

19 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the message is sent to a mobile device at the telephone number.

20 . A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer such that, when executing the instructions, the computer will perform a method comprising:

receiving a request from a network-connected device, the request including an identification of a telephone number;

retrieving stored payment card details based on the telephone number;

sending a message to the telephone number;

determining whether a valid reply to the message has been received from the telephone number; and

sending the payment card details to a payment server to process the request in response to the valid reply to the message.