Money Transfer System And Messaging System

• US 20080243690A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Paintin, Scott, Robertson, Diane, Mann, Rebecca, Marr, Lance, O'Callaghan, Michelle
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/00 Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines data processing equipment for bank accounting G06Q40/02

Abstract

A system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient with a recorded message is disclosed. In one step the method includes receiving a request for a fund transfer from the sender. The sender may make the request for a fund transfer at a transaction processing device. In another step a payment is received from the sender for the fund transfer and a payment confirmation is transmitted to the host computer system. An identifier may then be assigned to the fund transfer. A recorded message from the sender may be received and at least a copy of the recorded message may be transmitted to a host computer system. The recorded message may then be associated with the fund transfer. A request, including the identifier, may be received from the recipient to receive the recorded messaged. In another step the recorded message may be sent to the recipient.

Claims

1. A computerized method for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient with a recorded message, the method comprising:

receiving at a host computer system a request for a fund transfer from the sender, wherein the sender makes the request for a fund transfer at a transaction processing device;

receiving a payment from the sender for the fund transfer and transmitting payment confirmation to the host computer system;

assigning an identifier to the fund transfer at the host computer system;

receiving a recorded message from the sender and transmitting at least a copy of the recorded message to the host computer system;

associating the recorded message with the fund transfer at the host computer system;

receiving a request from the recipient to receive the recorded message, wherein the request includes the identifier; and

providing the recorded message to the recipient.

2. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the fund transfer occurs in fixed denominations.

3. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, further comprising providing funds to the recipient upon receipt of the identifier.

4. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the host computer system comprises more than one computer system.

5. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the host computer system comprises a vendor computer system.

6. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, further comprising receiving information from the sender, wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of sender'"'"'s name, sender'"'"'s address, sender'"'"'s phone number, recipient'"'"'s name, recipient'"'"'s address, recipient'"'"'s phone number, and a security identifier.

7. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the recorded message is a message selected from the group consisting of an audio message, an instant message, a text message, photograph, image, illustration, and a video message.

8. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the providing the recorded message to the recipient comprises providing the recorded message to the recipient over the telephone.

9. The method of transferring funds according to claim 8, wherein the providing the recorded message to the recipient over the telephone comprises providing an interactive voice response system for providing the recorded message to the recipient over the telephone.

10. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the providing the recorded message to the recipient comprises providing the recorded message to the recipient over the Internet.

11. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the recorded message is received from the sender over the telephone.

12. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the recorded message is received from the sender over the Internet.

13. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, wherein the recorded message is received from the sender at a retail location.

14. The method of transferring funds according to claim 1, further comprising communicating to the recipient agent locations where funds may be received.

15. A system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient with a recorded message, comprising:

an input adapted to receive at least a fund transfer request and a recorded message from a sender;

a storage arrangement configured to store recorded messages; and

a processor, wherein the processor comprises;

instructions to receive a fund transfer request from the sender;

instructions to receive a payment confirmation from a remote system;

instructions to receive a recorded message from the sender;

instructions to store and associate the recorded message and the fund transfer request with an identifier;

instructions to receive a request from the recipient to receive the recorded message; and

instructions to provide the recorded message to the recipient.

16. The system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient according to claim 15, wherein the host computer system comprises more than one computer system.

17. The system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient according to claim 15, wherein the host computer system comprises a vendor computer system.

18. The system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient according to claim 15, wherein the fund transfer occurs in fixed denominations.

19. The system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient according to claim 15, further comprising instructions to receive funds from the sender and provide funds to the recipient.

20. The system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient according to claim 15, wherein the recorded message is a message selected from the group consisting of an audio message, an instant message, a text message, photograph, image, illustration, and a video message.

21. The system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient according to claim 15, further comprising a telephone interface, wherein the processor comprises instructions to provide the recorded message to the recipient through the telephone interface.

22. The system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient according to claim 15, further comprising an Internet interface, wherein the processor comprises instructions to receive the recorded message from the sender through the Internet interface.

23. A computerized method for receiving funds by a recipient from a sender with a recorded message, the method comprising:

receiving from the sender a request for a fund transfer from the sender at the transaction processing device;

receiving a payment from the sender for the fund transfer at the transaction processing device;

sending a payment confirmation from the transaction processing device to a host computer system;

receiving an identifier from the host computer system associated with the fund transfer;

providing the identifier to the sender at the transaction processing device;

subsequently receiving the identifier from the sender at the host computer system; and

receiving a recorded message from the sender at the host computer system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the host computer system comprises more than one computer system.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the host computer system comprises a vendor computer system.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing the recorded message to the recipient upon receipt of the identifier.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving the recorded message from the sender from a telephone.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving the recorded message from the sender through the Internet.