Patent ID: 8447700

Claim:
A system for enabling payments by a user to a third party, comprising: One or more processors; and memory having stored thereon program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to implement: registering users with a service center to establish at least two codes for each user, wherein registering users with the service center comprises, for a particular user: assigning, to the particular user, one code for authenticating communications from the particular user to the service center; and for assigning, to the particular user, another code for authenticating communications from the service center to the particular user, wherein the code for authentication communications from the service center to the particular user is known only to the particular user and the service center; establishing a payment account for the particular user; receiving by the service center a message indicating initiation of a transaction between the particular user and a third party; sending by the service center an authorization challenge to the particular user through a phone call requiring the particular user to enter the code for authenticating communications from the particular user to the service center, wherein the phone call includes the code for authenticating communications from the service center to the particular user to thus indicate to the particular user that the phone call is an authentic phone call from the service center; for making payment to the third party from the payment account for the particular user once the transaction is authorized; and sending a confirmation message to means for sending a confirmation message to the particular user and to the third party that indicates that the payment has been made.