Patent ID: 7991701

Claim:
A method wherein an issuer authenticates, for the benefit of a third party, a customer using an account during an online transaction with said third party, said method comprising: receiving, by said issuer, authentication information concerning said customer; verifying, by said issuer during a registration process, the identity of said customer as the owner of said account and associating a designated password with said account; receiving an authentication request message at an access control server from said third party during said online transaction, said message requesting verification of the identity of said customer; requesting over a network, by said issuer from said customer during said online transaction, an identity-authenticating password; verifying, by said issuer, that said identity-authenticating password from said customer matches said password previously designated for said account; notifying said third party over said network during said online transaction, by said issuer, that said customer is the actual owner of said account when said identity-authenticating password entered by said customer matches the password that was previously designated for said account, whereby said issuer authenticates said customer for said third party during said online transaction; receiving a verify enrollment request message at said access control server operated by said issuer during said online transaction indicating whether said customer account is registered; and sending a verify enrollment response message back to said third party indicating that said customer account is registered.