System and method for processing chip-card transactions from a host computer
A system, method and computer-readable medium for interfacing with an EMV compliant chip card having an embedded microchip. A transaction computer includes a virtual credit card terminal running in a web browser and that is in communication with an EMV card reader having a chip card slot. The virtual terminal defines a first EMV transaction and a second EMV transaction based upon user input. The virtual terminal then causes the embedded microchip of the EMV chip card to generate a first cryptogram associated with the first transaction and a second cryptogram associated with the second transaction during a contact interface session or a contactless interface session. The virtual terminal then authenticates the first and second cryptograms over a computer network with a card issuer. Once authenticated, the virtual terminal completes the first transaction and the second transaction.
1. A method comprising:
probing, by a native application installed on a computer, hardware of a chip card reader;
providing a prompt requesting insertion of a chip card into the chip card reader;
detecting insertion of the chip card in the chip card reader;
in response to detecting the insertion of the chip card, establishing a single interface session between the chip card reader and an embedded microchip of the chip card;
instructing the embedded microchip to generate a first cryptogram and a second cryptogram;
receiving, via the chip card reader, the first cryptogram and the second cryptogram generated by the embedded microchip of the chip card; and
transmitting each of the first cryptogram and the second cryptogram to a card processor to authenticate each of the first cryptogram and the second cryptogram in association with the single interface session between the chip card reader and the embedded microchip of the chip card;
wherein the native application enables bidirectional communication between the chip card reader and a virtual terminal executed by a server.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the native application is a software program installed on the computer that interfaces with an operating system of the computer;
wherein the virtual terminal is accessible by way of a network browser installed on the computer; and
wherein the virtual terminal is executed by the server that is located remote to the computer and the chip card reader.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the native application comprises a native message translation layer that registers as a native messaging host for the virtual terminal to translate messages between the chip card reader and the virtual terminal.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the native message translation layer communicates with a human interface device (HID) layer of the operating system of the computer, and wherein the HID layer discovers and connects to the chip card reader.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the native application comprises a native message translation layer that translates messages received from the virtual terminal to a format readable by the chip card reader.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the native application communicates with the virtual terminal by way of a network browser extension installed on the computer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the native application comprises a native message translation layer that discovers and communicates with the chip card reader via a human interface device (HID) layer of the computer; and
wherein the method further comprises the native message translation layer encapsulating messages received from the chip card reader to generate an encapsulated message prior to providing the encapsulated message to the virtual terminal by way of a network browser extension installed on the computer.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
providing the first cryptogram and the second cryptogram to the virtual terminal by way of a network browser extension installed on the computer;
receiving approval from the card processor to process a first transaction associated with the first cryptogram; and
receiving approval from the card processor to process a second transaction associated with the second cryptogram;
wherein each of the first transaction and the second transaction is associated with the single interface session between the chip card reader and the embedded microchip of the chip card.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual terminal comprises software configured to communicate with one or more of a card processor or a card issuer by way of a network;
wherein the virtual terminal enables a first transaction associated with the first cryptogram, and a second transaction associated with the second cryptogram, to each be processed during the single interface session between the chip card reader and the embedded microchip of the chip card;
wherein the first transaction and the second transaction are associated with different transaction amounts; and
wherein the first cryptogram is different from the second cryptogram.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein probing, by the native application installed on the computer, the hardware of the chip card reader comprises the virtual terminal communicating with the native application by way of a network browser extension installed on the computer.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the single interface session between the chip card reader and the embedded microchip of the chip card comprises the virtual terminal defining a first transaction and a second transaction to each be processed in association with the single interface session.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the virtual terminal receiving a user input to initiate a transaction by way of a network browser installed on the computer;
the virtual terminal determining whether the native application is installed on the computer; and
the virtual terminal determining whether a network browser extension is installed on the computer.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a network browser extension is installed on the computer;
wherein the virtual terminal communicates with the native application by way of the network browser extension; and
wherein the native application comprises a native message translation layer that registers as a native messaging host for the network browser extension to connect and translate messages between the chip card reader and the virtual terminal.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the native message translation layer is a multithreaded application that connects to an underlying host operating system human interface device (HID) layer installed on the computer, and wherein the HID layer discovers and connects to the chip card reader when the chip card reader is plugged into an external interface on the computer.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the virtual terminal signaling the chip card reader to prepare for one or more of an insert or a tap of the chip card.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cryptogram is an authorization request cryptogram (ARQC) associated with a first transaction;
wherein the second cryptogram is an ARQC associated with a second transaction;
wherein each of the first transaction and the second transaction are processed during the single interface session; and
wherein the virtual terminal provides the first cryptogram and the second cryptogram to a card issuer of the chip card to authenticate the first transaction and the second transaction in real-time.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving, by the virtual terminal, an authorization response from the card issuer indicating whether to process the first transaction and the second transaction.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving, by the virtual terminal, a first response code from the card issuer that authenticates the first transaction;
receiving, by the virtual terminal, a second response code from the card issuer that authenticates the second transaction;
processing, by the virtual terminal, each of the first transaction and the second transaction in response to receiving each of the first response code and the second response code.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the native application comprises a native application translation layer that translates
messages to be transmitted to the chip card reader by way of a communication thread for a human interface device (HID) layer of the computer.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein a communication thread for a human interface device (HID) layer of the computer receives messages from each of the chip card reader and the native application; and
wherein a native message translation layer of the native application translates messages to or from a device interface of the chip card reader to enable the bidirectional communication between the chip card reader and the virtual terminal.