Premium SMS Payment System with Customer Data Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic fund transfer systems over the Internet lack customer identification, making targeted marketing difficult and relying on mobile telephone networks for payments is insecure due to the need for setup procedures and lack of trust in the Internet environment.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a customer's mobile cellular telephone to transmit premium rate text messages for payment, prompting customers to provide additional personal data and populating a database with their information for targeted marketing and secure transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If premium rate text messages are used for payment transfer, then security is improved, but device complexity increases due to setup requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server component as an intermediary between the customer's mobile telephone and the supplier. The server receives personal data from the customer, stores it in a database, and uses it to generate personalized premium rate text messages. This intermediary system resolves the contradiction by managing the complexity of setup procedures centrally while maintaining secure payment transmission through the mobile network.
2Ease of operation
If only telephone number is collected for payment, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of information occurs regarding customer identity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by collecting and storing the customer's personal data (name, address, etc.) in advance during the ordering process, before the actual payment is made. The server population the database with this information proactively, so that when the premium rate text message is sent, the supplier already has complete customer identification data for marketing and statistical purposes, while the customer only needs to provide their telephone number for the payment itself.
3Adaptability or versatility
If personal data is collected from customers, then adaptability for targeted marketing is improved, but device complexity increases due to data management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The server component serves multiple functions: it collects personal data from customers, stores it in a database, generates personalized premium rate text messages for payment, and provides data to suppliers for marketing purposes. This multi-functional server resolves the contradiction by consolidating data management complexity into a single system that simultaneously enables targeted marketing capabilities without requiring individual suppliers to build their own data collection infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods to transfer funds electronically via premium messages. In one aspect, an apparatus to electronically transfer funds from a customer to a supplier includes: a server component connected to a network; and a database component coupled to the server component. The server is configured to transmit a plurality of premium rate mobile terminating text messages to the mobile cellular telephone to effect a payment from the customer to the supplier after the customer has placed an order with the supplier. The server component is configured to populate the database component with an identification of the customer telephone number. The server component is configured to prompt the customer to supply additional personal data. In response to the additional personal data, the server component populates the database component with the additional personal data.