Patent ID: 7318050

Claim:
An apparatus for authenticating an electronic transaction comprising: a processor; and a memory configured to store a program to control the processor, the processor being operative with the program to: receive a request to authenticate an electronic transaction, the request comprising a transaction code to indicate a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different transaction types and biometric data corresponding to a party of the electronic transaction, said hierarchy including: a root biometric certifying authority (BCA), an electronic fund transfer BCA, an insurance fund transfer BCA, a business purchase BCA and a physical security BCA, determine an authenticity of the biometric data based on previous biometric data corresponding to the party, determine a billing rate based on the indicated transaction type, determine a security level based on the indicated transaction type and not on the biometric data and the previous biometric data, generate an access-or-denial message based on the authenticity of the biometric data, and generate a bill for the authentication.