Patent ID: 7694130

Claim:
A method to authenticate a user, comprising: A. identifying the user by creating a user identifier and a time-varying auxiliary code, at least the code provided by a server in a central electronic authentication system; B. storing the user identifier with the code in an electronic database in the central electronic authentication system; C. providing a communications interface through which the user manually retrieves the code from the central electronic authentication system using a fungible communications device, the user retrieving the code prior to his initiation of a transaction, the code not being a one-time password; D. providing an electronic user interface to present the user with a means to input manually at least his code to the central electronic authentication system; E. the user manually inputting at least his code to the central electronic authentication system; F. conveying the user-input code from the user interface to the central electronic authentication system, wherein circuitry in the authentication server in the central electronic authentication system authenticates the user if the user input code matches the stored code.