SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR APPLYING A UNIQUE USER IDENTIFIER ACROSS MULTIPLE WEBSITES

1 . A system for registering a user with at least two websites, the system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to:

(a) receive a first set of attributes from a first website for the user, the first set of attributes comprising one or more attributes associated with the user;

(b) after receiving the first set of attributes:

(1) allocate a unique user identifier that is associated with the user;

(2) associate the unique user identifier and the first set of attributes; and

(3) store the unique user identifier and the first set of attributes in the memory;

(c) receive a second set of attributes from a second website for the user, the second set of attributes comprising one or more attributes associated with the user; and

(d) after receiving the second set of attributes:

(1) compare one or more attributes of the first set of attributes with one or more attributes of the second set of attributes; and

(2) in response to at least one attribute of the first set of attributes matching at least one attribute of the second set of attributes, associate the unique user identifier and the second set of attributes, wherein after associating the unique user identifier with the second set of attributes, at least one attribute of the first set of attributes is provided to the second website.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first website is independent from the second website.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein matching the at least one attribute of the first set of attributes with the at least one attribute of the second set of attributes involves determining whether the at least one attribute of the first set of attributes matches the at least one attribute of the second set of attributes based on a confidence level.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain a verification of the user's identity based on at least one attribute of the first set of attributes; and

store the verification in the memory, wherein the verification is provided to the first website after receiving a request from the first website to verify the user's identity.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain a verification of age for the user based on at least one attribute of the first set of attributes; and

store the age verification in the memory, wherein the age verification identifier is provided to the second website after receiving a request from the second website to verify the age of the user.

6 . A system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

(a) receive information from the first website, the information identifying the user and indicating the user is engaging in an interactive session with the first website; and

(b) after receiving the information:

(1) validate a plurality of transaction activities the user can engage in during the interactive session with the first website;

(2) issue a session identifier that is associated with the plurality of validated transaction activities, the unique user identifier, the first website, and the interactive session with the first website;

(3) store the session identifier along with the unique user identifier and information identifying the first website in the memory; and

(4) send the session identifier and a listing of the plurality of validated transaction activities to the first website.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the session identifier comprises a certificate that operates as proof the user was validated for conducting a purchase transaction activity; and

the processor is further configured to send the certificate to the first website for incorporation within purchase transaction data for the purchase transaction activity.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

(a) receive information from the first website, the information identifying the user and indicating the user is engaging in an interactive session with the first website;

(b) after receiving the information:

(1) validate a plurality of transaction activities the user can engage in during the interactive session with the first website;

(2) issue a session identifier that is associated with the plurality of validated transaction activities, the unique user identifier, the first website, and the interactive session with the first website; and

(3) store the session identifier along with the unique user identifier and information identifying the first website in the memory;

(c) receive information indicating the user wants to perform a first transaction activity while engaged in the interactive session with the first website; and

(d) after receiving the information indicating the user wants to perform the first activity:

(1) determine a first result indicating whether the first activity is included in the plurality of validated activities associated with the session identifier; and

(2) after determining the first result:

(a) inform the first website of the first result; and

(b) associate information indicating the first transaction activity with the session identifier,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to: (a) receive information indicating the user wants to perform one or more subsequent transaction activities while engaged in the interactive session with the first website, and (b) after receiving the information indicating the user wants to perform the one or more subsequent transaction activities, determine a subsequent result for each one of the one or more subsequent transaction activities indicating whether the subsequent transaction activity is included in the plurality of validated transaction activities associated with the session identifier, and (c) after determining the subsequent result, (1) inform the first website of the subsequent result, and (2) store information indicating the subsequent transaction activity with the session identifier, as long as the user remains engaged in the interactive session with the first website.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of attributes uniquely identifies the user.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one attribute of the first set of attributes is provided to the second website after the at least one processor receives the unique user identifier from the second website.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein after receiving the first set of attributes, the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether the user is listed in one or more exclusion databases based on one or more of the attributes in the first set of attributes; and

in response to the user being listed in the one or more exclusion databases, inform the first website the user is not permitted to register with the first website.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the first set of attributes received from the first website comprises self-exclusion attributes indicating the user has excluded himself from engaging in transaction activities on the first website;

(b) the at least one processor is configured to receive a request from the second website to verify whether the user is able to engage in transaction activities on the second website, the request comprising information identifying the user; and

(c) after receiving the request, the at least one processor is configured to:

(2) query the memory based on the unique user identifier; and

(3) in response to retrieving at least a portion of the self-exclusion attributes indicating the user is excluded from engaging in transaction activities on the first website, send the second website an indication that the user is excluded from engaging in transaction activities on the second website.

13 . A method for registering a user with at least two websites, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first set of attributes over a network from a first website for the user, the first set of attributes comprising one or more attributes associated with the user;

(b) after receiving the first set of attributes:

(1) allocating a unique user identifier that is associated with the user by at least one computing device comprising at least one processor;

(2) associating the unique user identifier and the first set of attributes; and

(3) storing the unique user identifier and the first set of attributes in a memory of the at least one computing device;

(c) receiving a second set of attributes over the network from a second website for the user, the second set of attributes comprising one or more attributes associated with the user; and

(d) after receiving the second set of attributes:

(1) comparing one or more attributes of the first set of attributes with one or more attributes of the second set of attributes by the at least one processor; and

(2) in response to at least one attribute of the first set of attributes matching at least one attribute of the second set of attributes, associating the unique user identifier and the second set of attributes in the memory, wherein after associating the unique user identifier with the second set of attributes, at least one attribute of the first set of attributes is provided to the second website over the network.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first website is independent from the second website.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein matching the at least one attribute of the first set of attributes with the at least one attribute of the second set of attributes involves determining whether the at least one attribute of the first set of attributes matches the at least one attribute of the second set of attributes based on a confidence level.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by the at least one processor, a verification of the user's identity based on at least one attribute of the first set of attributes; and

storing the verification in the memory, wherein the verification is provided to the first website after receiving a request from the first website over the network to verify the user's identity.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by the at least one processor, a verification of age for the user based on at least one attribute of the first set of attributes; and

storing the age verification in the memory, wherein the age verification is provided to the second website after receiving a request over the network from the second website to verify the age of the user.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving information over the network from the first website, the information identifying the user and indicating the user is engaging in an interactive session with the first website; and

after receiving the information:

validating, by the at least one processor, a plurality of transaction activities the user can engage in during the interactive session with the first website;

issuing, by the at least one processor, a session identifier that is associated with the plurality of validated transaction activities, the unique user identifier, the first website, and the interactive session with the first website;

storing the session identifier along with the unique user identifier and information identifying the first website in the memory; and

sending the session identifier and a listing of the plurality of validated transaction activities to the first website.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:

the session identifier comprises a certificate that operates as proof the user was validated for conducting a purchase transaction activity; and

the method further comprises the step of sending the certificate to the first website for incorporation within purchase transaction data for the purchase transaction activity.

20 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving information over the network from the first website, the information identifying the user and indicating the user is engaging in an interactive session with the first website;

after receiving the information:

validating, by the at least one processor, a plurality of transaction activities the user can engage in during the interactive session with the first website;

issuing, by the at least one processor, a session identifier that is associated with the plurality of validated transaction activities, the unique user identifier, the first website, and the interactive session with the first website; and

storing the session identifier along with the unique user identifier and information identifying the first website in the memory;

receiving information over the network indicating the user wants to perform a first transaction activity while engaged in the interactive session with the first website; and

after receiving the information indicating the user wants to perform the first activity:

determining, by the at least one processor, a first result indicating whether the first transaction activity is included in the plurality of validated transaction activities associated with the session identifier; and

after determining the first result:

informing the first website of the first result; and

associating information indicating the first transaction activity with the session identifier,

wherein the method further comprises the steps of: (a) receiving information over the network indicating the user wants to perform one or more subsequent transaction activities while engaged in the interactive session with the first website, and (b) after receiving the information indicating the user wants to perform the one or more subsequent transaction activities, determining, by the at least one processor, a subsequent result for each one of the one or more subsequent transaction activities indicating whether the subsequent transaction activity is included in the plurality of validated transaction activities associated with the session identifier, and (c) after determining the subsequent result, (1) informing the first website of the subsequent result, and (2) storing information indicating the subsequent transaction activity with the session identifier, as long as the user remains engaged in the interactive session with the first website.

21 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first set of attributes uniquely identifies the user.

22 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one attribute of the first set of attributes is provided to the second website after receiving the unique user identifier over the network from the second website.

23 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

after receiving the first set of attributes,

determining, by the at least one processor, whether the user is listed in one or more exclusion databases based on one or more of the attributes in the first set of attributes; and

in response to the user being listed in the one or more exclusion databases, informing the first website the user is not permitted to register with the first website.

24 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first set of attributes received from the first website comprises self-exclusion attributes indicating the user has excluded himself from engaging in transaction activities on the first website, and the method comprises the steps of:

receiving a request from the second website over the network to verify whether the user is able to engage in transaction activities on the second website, the request comprising information identifying the user; and

after receiving the request,

querying, by the at least on processor, the memory based on the unique user identifier; and

after retrieving at least a portion of the self-exclusion attributes indicating the user is excluded from engaging in transaction activities on the first website, sending, by the at least one processor, the second website an indication that the user is excluded from engaging in transaction activities on the second website.

25 . A system for registering a user with at least two websites, the system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to:

(a) receive user registration information from the user;

(b) after receiving the user registration information:

(1) allocate a unique user identifier that is associated with the user;

(2) associate the unique user identifier and the user registration information;

(3) store the unique user identifier and the user registration information in the memory; and

(4) provide the unique user identifier to the user;

(c) receive first registration information from a first website;

(d) after receiving the first registration information, register the first website for a validation service;

(e) receive second registration information from a second website;

(f) after receiving the second registration information, register the second website for the validation service;

(g) receive the unique user identifier from the first website;

(h) after receiving the unique user identifier from the first website:

(1) apply the validation service to obtain a first validation result indicating what transaction activities the user can conduct on the first website; and

(2) communicate the first validation result to the first website;

(i) receive the unique user identifier from the second website; and

(j) after receiving the unique user identifier from the second website:

(1) apply the validation service to obtain a second validation result indicating what transaction activities the user can conduct on the second website; and

(2) communicate the second validation result to the first website.

26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the first website is independent from the second website.

27 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to issue and communicate a certificate along with the first validation result to the first website for inclusion in purchase transaction data for a purchase transaction activity associated with the plurality of validated transaction activities, wherein the certificate operates as proof the user was validated for conducting the purchase transaction activity.

28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the certificate comprises an indication that the user satisfied an age requirement for conducting the purchase transaction activity.

29 . A method for registering a user with at least two websites, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving user registration information from the user;

(b) after receiving the user registration information:

(1) allocating a unique user identifier that is associated with the user by at least one computing device comprising at least one processor;

(2) associating the unique user identifier and the user registration information;

(3) storing the unique user identifier and the user registration information in a memory of the at least one computing device; and

(4) providing the unique user identifier to the user;

(c) receiving first registration information from a first website;

(d) after receiving the first registration information, registering the first website for a validation service by the at least one processor;

(e) receiving second registration information from a second website;

(f) after receiving the second registration information, registering the second website for the validation service by the at least one processor;

(g) receiving the unique user identifier from the first website;

(h) after receiving the unique user identifier from the first website:

(1) applying the validation service, by the at least one processor, to obtain a first validation result indicating what transaction activities the user can conduct on the first website; and

(2) communicating the first validation result to the first website;

(i) receiving the unique user identifier from the second website; and

(j) after receiving the unique user identifier from the second website:

(1) applying the validation service, by the at least one processor, to obtain a second validation result indicating what transaction activities the user can conduct on the second website; and

(2) communicating the second validation result to the first website.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the first website is independent from the second website.

31 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising the step of issuing and communicating a certificate along with the first validation result to the first website for incorporation within purchase transaction data for a purchase transaction activity associated with the plurality of validated transaction activities, wherein the certificate operates as proof the user was validated for conducting the purchase transaction activity.

32 . The system of claim 31 , wherein the certificate comprises an indication that the user satisfied an age requirement for conducting the purchase transaction activity.