Authentication using application authentication element

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, an application authentication request;

generating, by the processor, an application authentication element comprising a pre-selected authentication element;

providing, by the processor, the application authentication element to a mobile communication device, the pre-selected authentication element of the application authentication element validating the authenticity of an application operating on the mobile communication device to a user; and

receiving, by the processor, a user authentication request from the mobile communication device, the user authentication request indicating that the user has validated the authenticity of the application operating on the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the application authentication request is an application authentication request message from the mobile communication device and wherein providing the application authentication element to the mobile communication device further comprises sending an application authentication response message comprising the application authentication element to the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user authentication request includes a secret token, the secret token being generated by the mobile communication device using a user authentication token entered by the user, and wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the secret token to a secret reference token;

authenticating the user by determining whether the secret token and the secret reference token are correlated; and

sending a user authentication message to the mobile communication device, the user authentication message indicating that the user is authenticated for a transaction.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the user authentication token is received by the mobile communication device in the form of a swipe input by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the application authentication element further comprises transaction data associated with a transaction conducted by the mobile communication device.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable storage medium comprising code which when executed by the processor implements a method comprising:

receiving an application authentication request;

generating an application authentication element comprising a pre-selected authentication element; and

providing the application authentication element to a mobile communication device, the pre-selected authentication element of the application authentication element validating the authenticity of an application operating on the mobile communication device to a user; and

receiving a user authentication request from the mobile communication device, the user authentication request indicating that the user has validated the authenticity of the application operating on the mobile communication device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the apparatus is a server computer, and wherein receiving the application authentication request further comprises receiving an application authentication request message from a mobile communication device; and wherein providing the application authentication element further comprises sending an application authentication response message comprising the application authentication element to the mobile communication device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the user authentication request includes a secret token, the secret token being generated by the mobile communication device using a user authentication token entered by the user, and wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the secret token to a secret reference token;

authenticating the user by determining whether the secret token and the secret reference token are correlated; and

sending a user authentication message to the mobile communication device, the user authentication message indicating that the user is authenticated for a transaction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the user authentication token is received by the mobile communication device in the form of a swipe input by the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the application authentication request includes transaction data associated with a transaction and the application authentication element further comprises some of the transaction data.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

after authenticating the user, sending a transaction authorization request message to an issuer associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein after providing the application authentication element to the mobile communication device, the application authentication element is displayed to the user on the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 3 , wherein the secret token is generated by the mobile communication device without the user's knowledge.

14. The method of claim 3 wherein the mobile communication device transmits the authentication message to an access device to initiate the transaction.

15. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:

after authenticating the user, sending a transaction authorization request message to an issuer associated with the user.

16. The method of claim 3 , wherein the secret token is derived from the user authentication token entered by the user.

17. The method of claim 3 , wherein the user authentication token is received by the mobile communication device in the form of one of a signature input by the user, a picture of a familiar item, and a voice input by the user.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-selected authentication element is selected by the user during registration of a payment account.