METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING ONE OR MORE VALUE BEARING INSTRUMENTS

A computer-implemented system provides secure distribution of value-bearing instruments, such as coupons, tickets, gift certificates, money orders and traveler's checks. The distribution system involves three parties which are the consumer of the instrument, the supplier of the instrument and a security party which is referred to as a secure transaction service. The consumer registers with the secure transaction service for identity verification either before or after a transaction is initiated with the supplier of products or services. Verification of the consumer's identity can be established at any required level. In one aspect of the system, the supplier provides the consumer with a confirmation token which the consumer must then provide to the secure transaction service together with identification information of the consumer, so that only the valid consumer can complete the transaction. By use of the confirmation token, the secure transaction service can obtain information, through either data pulling or pushing, from the product or service supplier. In certain cases, the secure transaction service generates the required product in an electronic form and securely transmits it to the validated consumer. Digital signatures can be used throughout the process to assure the integrity of the data and the identity of the sender. Other aspects of the system include the maintenance of funds for payment, multiple methods for verification of products which are issued and then validated at a verification site, as well as methods for reissuing, exchanging and forwarding value bearing instruments for original and third party users. L'invention porte sur un système informatique de distribution sûre d'instruments porteur de valeurs tels que des coupons, des tickets, des chèques cadeaux, des mandats ou des chèques de voyage. Ledit système est en trois parties: l'utilisateur de l'instrument, le fournisseur de l'instrument, et la sécurité (service assurant la sécurité des transactions). L'utilisateur s'annonce à la sécurité qui vérifie son identité soit avant soit après le lancement de la transaction par le fournisseur de produits ou de services, ladite vérification pouvant se faire à tout niveau souhaité. Dans une exécution le fournisseur donne à l'utilisateur un jeton de confirmation qu'il doit présenter à la sécurité ainsi que son information d'identification car seul un utilisateur agréé peut effectuer la transaction. Le jeton permet à la sûreté d'obtenir du fourni