How to Aggregate Transaction Notifications Using Secure Tokens
A method for a central server to collect and organize event notifications from different merchants using unique, secure tokens that prove the user's identity without sharing sensitive account details.
Original patent title: “Inspecting event indicators”
A method for a central server to collect and organize event notifications from different merchants using unique, secure tokens that prove the user's identity without sharing sensitive account details. Granted to PayPal Inc in 2018 with 18 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a system where a central aggregating server helps a user track events (like purchases) across multiple different transaction entities, such as banks or stores. The user's device generates unique tokens using a public key provided by the server, which are then handed out to various merchants. When a merchant reports an event, they include this token, allowing the central server to verify the source, ensure the token hasn't been reused (preventing fraud), and categorize the event. Finally, the server compiles these disparate events into a single, organized view for the user to inspect.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that rely on passwords or usernames for authentication between the merchant and the aggregator.
- Does not cover event tracking that happens without the use of cryptographically generated tokens.
- Does not cover systems that do not use a central aggregating server to compile the event data.
- Does not cover the internal processing of the transaction itself, only the reporting and aggregation of the event indicator.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system uses the token not just as an identifier, but as a cryptographic proof. Because the token is generated using a public key, the server can verify the token's origin and validity using its private key, effectively ensuring that the event report is legitimate and preventing replay attacks where a token is used multiple times.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Personal finance management apps that aggregate transaction data from multiple bank accounts
Unified notification centers for multi-merchant loyalty programs
Secure cross-platform transaction monitoring services
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology addresses the fragmentation of financial data. By allowing a central hub to securely collect event indicators from various sources, it enables services that provide a unified dashboard for a user's financial life. It is a foundational approach for modern fintech applications that require secure, verifiable data aggregation without exposing raw account credentials to every merchant.
Filed
May 10, 2006
Granted
December 11, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
PayPal, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, continues to develop infrastructure for secure transaction processing and data aggregation. Other major players in the open banking and financial data aggregation space, such as Plaid or Yodlee, utilize similar architectures to securely fetch and normalize data from diverse financial institutions.
Market impact
This patent reflects the industry's shift toward secure, tokenized data exchange. It helped formalize the architecture for 'aggregation' services, moving the industry away from risky screen-scraping methods toward more secure, API-driven, and cryptographically verified data sharing between consumers, merchants, and financial service providers.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a system where a central aggregating server helps a user track events (like purchases) across multiple different transaction entities, such as banks or stores. The user's device generates unique tokens using a public key provided by the server, which are then handed out to various merchants. When a merchant reports an event, they include this token, allowing the central server to verify the source, ensure the token hasn't been reused (preventing fraud), and categorize the event. Finally, the server compiles these disparate events into a single, organized view for the user to inspect.
The clever bit
The system uses the token not just as an identifier, but as a cryptographic proof. Because the token is generated using a public key, the server can verify the token's origin and validity using its private key, effectively ensuring that the event report is legitimate and preventing replay attacks where a token is used multiple times.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that rely on passwords or usernames for authentication between the merchant and the aggregator.
- Does not cover event tracking that happens without the use of cryptographically generated tokens.
- Does not cover systems that do not use a central aggregating server to compile the event data.
- Does not cover the internal processing of the transaction itself, only the reporting and aggregation of the event indicator.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
12/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$6K – $19K
Midpoint $12K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
18 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Stern, E. H., Willner, B. E., Weir, R. C., & Schimpf, B. C. (2018). How to Aggregate Transaction Notifications Using Secure Tokens (U.S. Patent No. 10,152,712). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10152712/stripe-payment-processing-api
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to Aggregate Transaction Notifications Using Secure Tokens cover?
A method for a central server to collect and organize event notifications from different merchants using unique, secure tokens that prove the user's identity without sharing sensitive account details.
Who owns patent US 10152712?
PayPal Inc owns this patent, granted in 2018.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on December 11, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology addresses the fragmentation of financial data. By allowing a central hub to securely collect event indicators from various sources, it enables services that provide a unified dashboard for a user's financial life. It is a foundational approach for modern fintech applications that require secure, verifiable data aggregation without exposing raw account credentials to every merchant.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that rely on passwords or usernames for authentication between the merchant and the aggregator.
Same assignee
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