Patent ID: 8856902

Claim:
A computer implemented method for using a graphical authentication identifier to automatically authenticate a user, the method comprising the steps of: registering a user operated computing device associated with a user with an authenticating entity for user authentication, using a unique device identifier; generating a onetime use graphical authentication identifier to be displayed by the authenticating entity for a first site of a plurality of sites, by at least one computer; encoding a request for a first user authentication information that is specific to the first site by the authenticating entity in the onetime use graphical authentication identifier, by the at least one computer, wherein the first user authentication information requested by the first site differs from a second user authentication information requested by a second site of the plurality of sites; and responsive to the registered user operated computing device associated with the user capturing the onetime use graphical authentication identifier being displayed by the authenticating entity, receiving a transmission of requested user authentication information to the authenticating entity, by the at least one computer, such that the user associated with the registered user operated computing device is automatically authenticated to the authenticating entity, without the user manually entering the requested user authentication information.