Amazon Pitches Anonymous Mobile Payment System
Amazon has filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for an anonymous mobile payment system in which Amazon serves as an intermediary between parties to a transaction, allowing those parties to keep their personal or private information to themselves. The online retailer is promoting the system as a means for addressing user issues about information privacy. The patent summary says under certain circumstances a payment provider may request an anonymous payment for a specific value from a host, and the host may respond by sending the provider a redeemable code. The provider may then transmit the code to a recipient, who may redeem the code from the host. “Often, people take measures to protect their private information to avoid identity fraud, harassment, or other undesirable acts,” Amazon notes. The online retailer recently has launched other payment initiatives. In February, for example, Amazon announced plans to introduce its own virtual currency for purchasing items for use on Kindle Fire.
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