Systems and methods for token linking and unlinking in digital wallets

Systems and methods for token linking and unlinking in digital wallets are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for token linking in digital wallets may include: an issuer wallet application executed by the information processing device requesting, from a token vault, an identification of a customer's accounts that are eligible for push-provisioning to a third party wallet application executed by the information processing device; receiving the identification of customer accounts from the token vault; identifying accounts provisioned in the third party wallet application; determining accounts from the customer accounts that have not been provisioned to the third party wallet application to provision to the third party wallet application; provisioning the determined accounts to the third party wallet application; and requesting the token vault link a token associated with the provisioned account to an issuer wallet associated with the issuer wallet application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for token linking and unlinking in digital wallets.

2. Description of the Related Art

As the use of digital wallets has increased, consumers have access to a number of different digital wallet applications on mobile platforms. An issuing bank that provides a digital wallet is often faced with challenges working in unison with third party digital wallet providers on mobile platforms, such as extending benefits to its customers using the third party digital wallet applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Systems and methods for token linking and unlinking in digital wallets are disclosed. In one embodiment, in an information processing device comprising at least one computer processor, a method for token linking in digital wallets may include: (1) an issuer wallet application executed by the information processing device requesting, from a token vault, an identification of a customer's accounts that are eligible for push-provisioning to a third party wallet application executed by the information processing device; (2) the issuer wallet application receiving the identification of customer accounts from the token vault; (3) the issuer wallet application identifying accounts provisioned in the third party wallet application; (4) the issuer wallet application determining accounts from the customer accounts that have not been provisioned to the third party wallet application to provision to the third party wallet application; (5) the issuer wallet application provisioning the determined accounts to the third party wallet application; and (6) the issuer wallet application requesting the token vault link a token associated with the provisioned account to an issuer wallet associated with the issuer wallet application

In one embodiment, the issuer wallet application may update a token wallet characteristic field for the linked token.

In one embodiment, the issuer wallet application may determine accounts to provision to the third party wallet application by comparing the customer accounts from the customer accounts from the token vault to the accounts already provisioned in the third party wallet application.

In one embodiment, the token vault may update a token wallet characteristic field for the linked token.

In one embodiment, the method may further include the issuer wallet application receiving confirmation from the token vault that token is linked.

In one embodiment, an issuer backend may treat the linked token in the third party wallet application the same as a token in the issuer wallet application when conducting a transaction.

In one embodiment, the account may be provisioned by push provisioning.

According to another embodiment, in an information processing device comprising at least one computer processor, a method for token linking in digital wallets may include: (1) an issuer wallet application executed by the information processing device requesting, from a token vault, an identification of a customer's accounts in a customer profile; (2) the issuer wallet application receiving the identification of the customer's accounts from the token vault; (3) the issuer wallet application identifying accounts provisioned in the third party wallet application; (4) the issuer wallet application determining an account that is not linked to the issuer wallet; and (5) the issuer wallet application requesting the token vault link a token associated with determined account to the issuer wallet.

In one embodiment, the issuer wallet application may update a token wallet characteristic field for the linked token.

In one embodiment, the token vault may update a token wallet characteristic field for the linked token.

In one embodiment, the method may further include the issuer wallet application receiving confirmation from the token vault that the token is linked.

In one embodiment, an issuer backend may treat the linked token in the third party wallet application the same as a token in the issuer wallet application when conducting a transaction.

In another embodiment, a system for token linking in digital wallets may include a token vault comprising a plurality of tokens; and an electronic device comprising at least one computer processor an executing an issuer wallet application and a third party wallet application. The issuer wallet application may request, from the token vault, an identification of a customer's accounts that are eligible for push-provisioning to the third party wallet application; receive the identification of customer accounts from the token vault; identify accounts provisioned in the third party wallet application; determine accounts from the customer accounts that have not been provisioned to the third party wallet application to provision to the third party wallet application; provision the determined accounts to the third party wallet application; and request the token vault link a token associated with the provisioned account to the issuer wallet. The token vault may mark of identify the third party token as linked to the third party wallet.

In one embodiment, the issuer wallet application may update a token wallet characteristic field for the linked token.

In one embodiment, the token vault may update a token wallet characteristic field for the linked token.

In one embodiment, the token vault may provide the issuer wallet application with confirmation from the token vault that token is linked.

In one embodiment, the system may further comprise an issuer backend. The issuer backend may treat the linked token in the third party wallet application the same as a token in the issuer wallet application when conducting a transaction.

In one embodiment, the account may be provisioned by push provisioning or by in-application provisioning.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments disclosed herein related to systems and methods for token linking in digital wallets.

In embodiments, tokens in third party wallets are identified and linked. In the process of linking, issuer systems (e.g., backend, payment systems, etc.) may keep track of linking status of such tokens.

In one embodiment, when a customer is using the issuer wallet application, tokens may be linked when the customer successfully adds any card in the issuer wallet application to the third party wallet application. For example, the issuer wallet application may communicate the token created during the process to the issuer's backend, which may identify the token as linked to the issuer wallet so that benefits may be extended.

In another embodiment, when a customer uses the issuer wallet application to perform a checkout at a NFC-enabled POS terminal, the issuer wallet application may invoke a “checkout module” that may be part of the issue wallet application that may present an appropriate interface for the checkout. The checkout module may work with customer specific tokens stored in issuer's token vault and all issuer-specific tokens in the third party wallet application. This may enable the issuer wallet application to communicate the tokens discovered to the issuer backend that may then identify the tokens as linked or unlinked.

In one embodiment, a Token Wallet Characteristic (TWC) and/or a Token Transaction Characteristic (TTC) may be used to identify the token(s) as linked or unlinked. Examples of the use of the TWC and TTC are disclosed, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/010,677, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated, by reference, in its entirety.

Referring toFIG. 1, a system for token linking in digital wallets is disclosed according to one embodiment. System100may include electronic device110, which may be any suitable electronic device (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer, smartwatch, notebook computer, desktop computer, etc.). Electronic device110may execute computer programs or applications, such as issuer wallet application112and third party wallet application114. Each of issuer wallet application112and third party wallet application114may be associated with a backend (not shown).

System100may further include token vault120, which may maintain payment tokens for the issuer. In one embodiment, token vault120may be provided by the issuer; in another embodiment, token vault120may be provided by a third party.

Referring toFIG. 2, a method for token linking in digital wallets is disclosed according to one embodiment. In step205, an issuer wallet application executed by an electronic device may request a list of a customer's accounts that are eligible for push provisioning to a third party wallet application. In one embodiment, the request may be made to a token vault, and the accounts may be maintained in a customer profile.

In another embodiment, the request may be made to an issuer backend.

In one embodiment, the request may identify the specific third party wallet for push provisioning.

In step210, the token vault or issuer backend may return a list of accounts that are eligible for push provisioning.

In step215, the issuer wallet application may identify accounts that are provisioned in the third party wallet application to determine which accounts can be provisioned. For example, the issuer wallet application may compare the tokens returned by the token vault to the tokens already provisioned in the third party wallet application to determine which account(s) needs to be provisioned.

In step220, the issuer wallet application may provision the accounts to the third party wallet application using, for example, in-application push provisioning.

In step225, following successful provisioning, the issuer wallet application may make a service call to the token vault to link the token created in the in-application push provisioning process. In one embodiment, the token vault may update the Token Wallet Characteristic (TWC) field for the token.

In step230, the token vault may respond with confirmation that the token is linked. In one embodiment, the issuer wallet application may update the TWC field for the token.

Referring toFIG. 3, a method for token linking in digital wallets is disclosed according to another embodiment. In step305, an issuer wallet application executed by an electronic device may request a list of a customer's accounts that are present in the customer's profile.

In step310, the token vault or issuer backend may return a list of accounts in the customer's profile.

In step315, the issuer wallet application may identify accounts that are present in the third party wallet application and may compare this to the accounts in the customer's profile, and, in step320, the issuer wallet application may identify tokens in the third party wallet corresponding to an account that are not linked to the issuer wallet application.

In step325, the issuer wallet application may make a service call to the token vault to link the identified tokens in the third party wallet to the issuer wallet application. In one embodiment, the token vault may update the TWC field for each token in the service call.

In step330, following a successful response, the issuer wallet application may identify the tokens as linked. The issuer wallet application may then update the TWC field for the token.

Referring toFIG. 4, a method for token unlinking in digital wallets is disclosed according to one embodiment. Token unlinking is the process of removing the linkage from an already linked token. An unlinked token will stop receiving additional benefits that may be associated with the issuer wallet application that a linked token would otherwise receive.

InFIG. 4, the unlinking may be initiated by the user of an electronic device.

In step405, a user of an electronic device having linked tokens may initiate unlinking using, for example, an issuer wallet application. In one embodiment, the user may identify one or more tokens to unlink, or the user may request that all linked tokens on the electronic device be unlinked.

In step410, the issuer wallet application communicates an unlinking request to a token vault.

In step415, the token vault may unlink the requested token(s). In one embodiment, the token vault may modify the token wallet characteristic for each token that is unlinked.

In step420, the token vault may confirm the unlinking to the issuer wallet application, and, in step425, the issuer wallet application may modify the token wallet characteristic for each token that is unlinked. The issuer wallet application may inform the user of the change of token state.

Referring toFIG. 5, a method for token unlinking in digital wallets is disclosed according to another embodiment. InFIG. 5, the unlinking may be initiated by the issuer, the token vault, etc.

In step505, an update to a user profile may be initiated by the user, or by the issuer. The update may involve unlinking one or more tokens.

In step510, the token vault receives the update, and unlinks one or more tokens. In one embodiment, a single linked token, a selected subset of linked tokens, or all of the user's linked tokens may be unlinked.

In one embodiment, the token vault may update the TWC field for each token that is unlinked.

In step515, the token vault may communicate the updated token status for each unlinked token to the issuer wallet application, and, in step520, the issuer wallet application may update the TWC fields for each unlinked token.

The processing machine used to implement the invention may utilize a suitable operating system. Thus, embodiments of the invention may include a processing machine running the iOS operating system, the OS X operating system, the Android operating system, the Microsoft Windows™ operating system, the Unix operating system, the Linux operating system, the Xenix operating system, the IBM AIX™ operating system, the Hewlett-Packard UX™ operating system, the Novell Netware™ operating system, the Sun Microsystems Solaris™ operating system, the OS/2™ operating system, the BeOS™ operating system, the Macintosh operating system, the Apache operating system, an OpenStep™ operating system or another operating system or platform.