Method for using barcodes and mobile devices to conduct payment transactions
Embodiments of the invention facilitate payment transactions by integrating the image capture and image processing capabilities of certain mobile devices with the card-based payment transaction infrastructure. In some embodiments, a camera contained in a mobile device is used to capture an image of a barcode that is visible on the surface of a substrate. The barcode may represent or otherwise encode one or more of payment account data, consumer authentication data, consumer profile data, or other relevant information. In some embodiments, the captured image may be processed by the mobile device to extract the payment account data, authentication data, or other relevant data. This data may then be communicated to a data processing element that is connected to, or forms part of, a payment processing network in order to conduct the desired payment transaction.
1. A method comprising:
capturing, by a mobile device, an image of a two-dimensional barcode on a physical payment token with a camera in the mobile device in a transaction;
generating, by the mobile device, barcode data from the image of the two-dimensional barcode; and
transmitting, by the mobile device, the barcode data to a server computer, wherein the server computer generates and transmits an original credit transaction message to a first issuer computer to credit a first account for the transaction, and wherein the server computer generates and transmits an account funding transaction message to a second issuer computer to debit a second account for the transaction.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first account is held by a recipient of funds associated with the transaction, and the second account is held by a sender of the funds associated with the transaction.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical payment token is in a form of a card.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the original credit transaction message comprises an OCT indicator and a transaction amount.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account funding transaction message comprises an AFT indicator and a transaction amount.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a processor coupled to the camera.
8. A mobile device comprising:
a processor;
a camera coupled to the processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the processor to implement a method comprising:
capturing an image of a two-dimensional barcode on a physical payment token with the camera in the mobile device in a transaction;
generating barcode data from the image of the two-dimensional barcode; and
transmitting the barcode data to a server computer, wherein the server computer generates and transmits an original credit transaction message to a first issuer computer to credit a first account for the transaction, and wherein the server computer generates and transmits an account funding transaction message to a second issuer computer to debit a second account for the transaction.
9. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the first account is held by a recipient of funds associated with the transaction, and the second account is held by a sender of the funds associated with the transaction.
10. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.
11. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the physical payment token is in a form of a card.
12. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
encrypting the barcode data and wherein the transmitted barcode data is encrypted barcode data.
13. A method comprising:
receiving, by a server computer, from a mobile device, barcode data, wherein the barcode data was generated by the mobile device after the mobile device captures an image of a two-dimensional barcode on a physical payment device;
generating and transmitting, by the server computer, an original credit transaction message to a first issuer computer to credit a first account for a transaction; and
generating and transmitting, by the server computer, an account funding transaction message to a second issuer computer to debit a second account for the transaction.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the server computer is in a payment processing network.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the original credit transaction message comprises an OCT indicator and a transaction amount.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the account funding transaction message comprises an AFT indicator and a transaction amount.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the physical payment device is in a form of a card.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first account is held by a recipient of funds associated with the transaction, and the second account is held by a sender of the funds associated with the transaction.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the barcode data is encrypted when received by the server computer and wherein the method comprises decrypting the encrypted barcode data.