Payment card transaction authorization system and process

1. A payment card transaction authorisation system, including:

at least one payment card authorisation database storing authorisation data representing authentication information associated with the payment cards of the customers;

a payment card authorisation server coupled to the payment card authorisation database, and including:

a network interface coupled to a communications network;

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor to store executable instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to automatically:

receive, via the network interface, authorisation request data representing a request to authorise a payment card transaction between a customer and a merchant, the authorisation request data including payment card image data representing an electronic image of a payment card of the customer and one or more authentication indications made with respect to the payment card by the customer at a time of the authorisation request, wherein the one or more authentication indications include a number of fingers of the customer in the electronic image touching one or more edges of the payment card;

process the payment card image data to generate:

(i) first authentication factor data representing payment card information of the customer's payment card; and,

(ii) second authentication factor data corresponding to the one or more authentication indications, the second authentication factor data further including a personal identification number (PIN); and

process the first authentication factor data and the second authentication factor data to determine whether to authorise the request;

wherein the processing includes:

based on the first authentication factor data, accessing the payment card authorisation database to retrieve predetermined second authentication factor data associated with the payment card of the customer; and

processing the second authentication factor data and the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data to determine whether to allow or deny authorisation of the request, wherein authorisation is allowed if a comparison of the one or more authentication indications and the PIN with the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data indicates that the one or more authentication indications and the PIN correspond to the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data.

2. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 1 , wherein the processing of the payment card image data includes determining one or more locations of the payment card indicated by the customer in the electronic image.

3. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 2 , wherein the locations of the payment card are a subset of a plurality of locations of the payment card providing respective visual indicia.

4. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 3 , wherein the visual indicia are numeric digits, and the digits indicated by the customer provide the PIN or other security code of the customer.

5. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 1 , wherein the second authentication factor data includes one or more symbols within a boundary of the payment card, and wherein processing the second authentication factor data comprises determining whether the one or more symbols correspond to one or more symbols included in the retrieved second authentication factor data.

6. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 1 , wherein the processing of the payment card image data includes determining a number of fingers or thumbs of the customer in the electronic image.

7. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 6 , wherein the determination includes determining numbers of fingers or thumbs of the customer on edges of the payment card in the electronic image.

8. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 6 , wherein the determination includes determining which edges of the payment card are being touched by fingers or thumbs of the customer in the electronic image.

9. The payment card transaction authorisation system of claim 1 , wherein the second authentication factor data includes one or more of a color, a pattern, and a shape of the payment card.

10. A computer-implemented payment card authorisation process executed by at least one processor of a payment card transaction authorisation system, the process including operations of:

receiving, via a network interface, authorisation request data representing a request to authorise a payment card transaction between a customer and a merchant, the authorisation request data including payment card image data representing an electronic image of a payment card of the customer and one or more authentication indications made with respect to the payment card by the customer at a time of the authorisation request, wherein the one or more authentication indications include a number of fingers of the customer in the electronic image touching one or more edges of the payment card;

processing the payment card image data to generate:

(i) first authentication factor data representing payment card information of the customer's payment card; and

(ii) second authentication factor data corresponding to the one or more authentication indications, the second authentication factor data further including a personal identification number (PIN); and

processing the first authentication factor data and the second authentication factor data to determine whether to authorise the request;

wherein the processing includes:

(i) based on the first authentication factor data, accessing a payment card authorisation database to retrieve predetermined second authentication factor data associated with the

payment card of the customer; and

(ii) processing the second authentication factor data and the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data to determine whether to allow or deny authorisation of the request, wherein the authorisation is allowed only if a comparison of the one or more authentication indications and the PIN with the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data indicates that the one or more authentication indications and the PIN correspond to the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data.

11. The computer-implemented payment card authorisation process of claim 10 , wherein the second authentication factor data includes one or more symbols within a boundary of the payment card, and wherein processing the second authentication factor data comprises determining whether the one or more symbols correspond to one or more symbols included in the retrieved second authentication factor data.

12. The computer-implemented payment card authorisation process of claim 10 , wherein the processing of the payment card image data includes determining one or more locations of the payment card indicated by the customer in the electronic image.

13. The computer-implemented payment card authorisation process of claim 12 , wherein the locations of the payment card are a subset of a plurality of locations of the payment card providing respective visual indicia.

14. The computer-implemented payment card authorisation process of claim 13 , wherein the visual indicia are numeric digits, and the digits indicated by the customer provide the PIN or other security code of the customer.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of a data processing system, cause the at least one processor to:

receive, via a network interface, authorisation request data representing a request to authorise a payment card transaction between a customer and a merchant, the authorisation request data including payment card image data representing an electronic image of a payment card of the customer and one or more authentication indications made with respect to the payment card by the customer at a time of the authorisation request, wherein the one or more authentication indications include a number of fingers of the customer in the electronic image touching one or more edges of the payment card;

process the payment card image data to generate:

(i) first authentication factor data representing payment card information of the customer's payment card; and

(ii) second authentication factor data corresponding to the one or more authentication indications, the second authentication factor data further including a personal identification number (PIN);

and process the first authentication factor data and the second authentication factor data to determine whether to authorise the request;

wherein the processing includes:

(i) based on the first authentication factor data, accessing a payment card authorisation database to retrieve predetermined second authentication factor data associated with the payment card of the customer; and

(ii) processing the second authentication factor data and the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data to determine whether to allow or deny authorisation of the request, wherein the authorisation is allowed if a comparison of the one or more authentication indications and the PIN with the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data indicates that the one or more authentication indications and the PIN correspond to the retrieved predetermined second authentication factor data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the second authentication factor data includes one or more symbols within a boundary of the payment card, and wherein processing the second authentication factor data comprises determining whether the one or more symbols correspond to one or more symbols included in the retrieved second authentication factor data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the processing of the payment card image data includes determining one or more locations of the payment card indicated by the customer in the electronic image.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the locations of the payment card are a subset of a plurality of locations of the payment card providing respective visual indicia.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the visual indicia are numeric digits, and the digits indicated by the customer provide the PIN or other security code of the customer.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the processing of the payment card image data includes determining a number of fingers or thumbs of the customer in the electronic image.