Sharded Onboarding Interfaces for Secure Data Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The onboarding process for merchants in commerce platforms is complicated by the need to collect sensitive information, which is often reluctant to be shared due to data privacy concerns and security vulnerabilities in unsecure communication channels, leading to inefficient and insecure data collection processes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a sharded onboarding system that dynamically generates secure user interfaces to collect a minimum subset of account data directly from specific users, using secure communication channels and ephemeral API keys to ensure privacy and security, allowing sensitive information to be collected efficiently and securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensitive information is collected during account onboarding, then account compliance requirements are satisfied, but data privacy concerns and security vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the onboarding process into separate interfaces: a merchant-facing interface and a user-facing interface. The user interface is further divided into multiple pages, with sensitive information collected on a separate page from non-sensitive information. This segmentation isolates sensitive data collection, reducing privacy concerns while maintaining compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the system generates and manages ephemeral API keys that act as mediators between the user and the commerce platform. These temporary credentials enable secure data transmission without exposing long-term secrets, addressing security vulnerabilities while allowing compliance data collection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all account information is collected during onboarding, then complete account setup is achieved, but onboarding complexity and time extension increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments account information into sensitive and non-sensitive categories, collected on separate pages. Non-sensitive information is collected on the merchant interface, while sensitive information is collected on a dedicated user interface page. This segmentation reduces perceived complexity by organizing data collection logically.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements optional fields for sensitive information collection. The system collects only the minimum necessary sensitive data required for compliance, rather than all possible account information. This partial action approach reduces onboarding time and complexity while achieving sufficient account setup completeness.
3Productivity
If sensitive information is transferred through communication networks, then data exchange is enabled, but security vulnerabilities from interception increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ephemeral API keys as intermediaries to secure data transmission over communication networks. These temporary credentials are generated specifically for the onboarding process and automatically invalidated afterward, enabling efficient data exchange while minimizing interception risks through their limited lifespan and scope.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements ephemeral (short-lived) API keys that are generated for the duration of the onboarding process and then discarded. These disposable credentials provide security protection during data transmission without the overhead of long-term security management, enabling efficient one-time data exchange with minimal security vulnerabilities.
4Loss of time
If minimum subset of account data is collected, then onboarding time is reduced, but compliance requirement satisfaction may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent collects only the minimum necessary sensitive information required for compliance on a dedicated page, rather than all possible account data. The system identifies and collects specifically those data elements needed for regulatory compliance, achieving compliance satisfaction with reduced onboarding time by excluding redundant information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a specialized interface page with specific characteristics for sensitive information collection. This dedicated page has unique properties (separate from the merchant interface, with specific form fields and validation) optimized for collecting compliance-critical data efficiently, ensuring compliance satisfaction without extending overall onboarding time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for generating and using secure sharded onboarding user interfaces are described. The method may include determining, based on account type of a merchant account being onboarded for a merchant by a first user, that information for a user type associated with a second user associated with the merchant is to be collected to satisfy minimum merchant account compliance requirements. The method may also include allocating a person object in an accounts data store maintained by the commerce platform system, the person object associated in the accounts data store with the merchant account. Furthermore, the method can include generating a secure link and transmitting the secure link to the second user, the secure link resolving at the commerce platform system and comprising a unique identifier that is associated with the person object. In response to receiving selection of the secure link by the second user, the method includes generating a secure application programming interface (API) based graphical user interface to collect account information for the person object associated with the unique identifier.