Location based authorization of financial card transactions systems and methods

1. A system for authorization of a transaction with a financial card, the system comprising:

a mobile communications device, wherein the mobile communications device is configured to:

receive a set of data identifying the location of the mobile communications device; and

in response to a query from a location comparison server, transmit, via Internet Protocol over a data network, a communications signal from the mobile communications device to the location comparison server, the signal comprising the set of data and an identifier unique to the mobile communications device; and

a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table is unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices;

each identifier in the table is associated with at least one financial card number; and

the table of identifiers includes the identifier unique to the mobile communications device;

the location comparison server, in communication with the mobile communications device and the database, wherein the server is configured to:

receive the communications signal;

store the set of data from the communications signal in the database;

receive a request for authorization of a transaction with a financial card number and data identifying the location of the transaction, wherein the financial card number is associated with the identifier unique to the mobile communications device; and

authorize the transaction when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located within limited geographic regions, the regions determined at least in part by the location of the transaction, wherein the one or more limited geographic regions at least encompass a home region of a user associated with the mobile communications device, and wherein authorizing the transaction comprises:

determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a first predetermined radial distance from the home region;

determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a city in which the home region is located;

based on a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region and occurs within the city in which the home region is located, authorizing the transaction;

based on a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction does not occur within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region, determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction, the second predetermined radial distance being significantly smaller than the first predetermined radial distance, and authorizing the transaction in response to a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within the second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction; and

deny the request for authorization of a transaction based on one of a determination that the transaction occurs within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region but occurs outside of the city in which the home region is located or a determination that the transaction occurs outside the first predetermined radial distance from the home region and outside the second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile communications device comprises a cellular phone.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of data is received by hardware configured to receive the set of data, wherein the hardware is coupled with the device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the hardware configured to receive the set of data comprises a GPS receiver.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identifier unique to the device is selected from the group consisting of: a MAC address, an IP address, a telephone number, and any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the financial card comprises a credit card.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications signal comprises more than one signal, each signal transmitted at different times.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request to authorize is transmitted from the device, and in the communications signal.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request to authorize is made by a person or entity other than a user of the device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the request to authorize is made by a retail merchant.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the request to authorize is made by a financial services company.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the authorize step comprises validating the location of the device.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein a size and shape of the limited geographic regions are variable with time.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the limited geographic regions are further determined by the location of the device.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server will authorize the transaction if the database indicates that the device and the transaction are each located within one of the limited geographic regions.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein an identifier in the table associated with the device is further associated with a specified maximum allowed distance between the location of the device and a location of the transaction, and the server will authorize the transaction if the database indicates that the device and the transaction are within the specified maximum allowable distance.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the identifier in the table associated with the device is further associated with a plurality of specified maximum allowed distances, including a first specified maximum allowed distance when the device is in a first specified location and a second specified maximum allowed distance when the device is in a second specified location.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first specified location is a home location of a user of the device, and wherein the second specified location is a work location of a user of the device.

19. The system of claim 18 , the other rules are established by a financial services company associated with the financial card number.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server will not authorize the transaction because the database indicates that the device and the transaction are not each located within one of the limited geographic regions.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the database further comprises other rules associated with each identifier in the table, the rules dictating how the location of the transaction will determine the limited geographic regions.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the database further comprises user preferences associated with each identifier in the table, the user preferences dictating how the location of the transaction will define the limited geographic regions.

23. A method for authorization of a transaction with a financial card, the method comprising:

maintaining a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table is unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices; and

each identifier in the table is associated with at least one financial card number;

querying, with a location comparison server, one mobile communications device of the plurality of mobile communication devices for location information;

receiving, at the location comparison server via Internet Protocol over a data network, a communications signal from the one mobile communications device of the plurality of mobile communications devices in response to the query, the signal including information comprising a set of data identifying the location of the one mobile communications device and an identifier unique to the one mobile communications device;

storing the set of data in the database;

receiving a request for authorization of a transaction with a financial card number and data identifying the location of the transaction, wherein the financial card number is associated with the identifier unique to the one mobile communications device; and

authorizing the transaction when the database indicates that the one mobile communications device is located within limited geographic regions, the regions determined at least in part by the location of the transaction, wherein the one or more limited geographic regions at least encompass a home region of a user associated with the mobile communications device, and wherein authorizing the transaction comprises:

determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a first predetermined radial distance from the home region;

determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a city in which the home region is located;

based on a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region and occurs within the city in which the home region is located, authorizing the transaction;

based on a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction does not occur within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region, determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction, the second predetermined radial distance being significantly smaller than the first predetermined radial distance, and authorizing the transaction in response to a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within the second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction; and

denying the request for authorization of a transaction based on one of a determination that the transaction occurs within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region but occurs outside of the city in which the home region is located or a determination that the transaction occurs outside the first predetermined radial distance from the home region and outside the second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction.

24. A computer program embodied on at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by a computer to:

maintain a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table is unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices; and

each identifier in the table is associated with at least one financial card number;

query one mobile communications device of the plurality of mobile communication devices for location information;

receive, via Internet Protocol via a data network, a communications signal from one mobile communications device of the plurality of mobile communications devices in response to the query, the signal including information comprising a set of data identifying the location of the one mobile communications device and an identifier unique to the one mobile communications device;

store the set of data in the database;

receive a request for authorization of a transaction with a financial card number and data identifying the location of the transaction, wherein the financial card number is associated with the identifier unique to the one mobile communications device; and

authorize the transaction when the database indicates that the one mobile communications device is located within limited geographic regions, the regions determined at least in part by the location of the transaction, wherein the one or more limited geographic regions at least encompass a home region of a user associated with the mobile communications device, and wherein authorizing the transaction comprises:

determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a first predetermined radial distance from the home region;

determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a city in which the home region is located;

based on a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region and occurs within the city in which the home region is located, authorizing the transaction;

based on a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction does not occur within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region, determining whether the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within a second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction, the second predetermined radial distance being significantly smaller than the first predetermined radial distance, and authorizing the transaction in response to a determination that the request for authorization of a transaction occurs within the second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction; and

deny the request for authorization of a transaction based on one of a determination that the transaction occurs within the first predetermined radial distance from the home region but occurs outside of the city in which the home region is located or a determination that the transaction occurs outside the first predetermined radial distance from the home region and outside the second predetermined radial distance from the location of the transaction.