METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING MONEY TRANSFER TRANSACTIONS

• US 20090026259A1
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Fitzgerald, Maura A., Seifert, Dean A., Stoutenburg, Earney E., Owen, David A.
• Application Number:
  US12/246,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20090026259A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A method for performing a money transfer receive transaction includes loading payout funds, corresponding to a desired amount of money to be transferred from a sender to a recipient, in a payout account associated with a payout card, such that the payout funds are electronically accessible by the recipient using the payout card. A system for performing a money transfer receive transaction is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for performing a money transfer transaction, the method comprising:

storing transaction data on a host computer system, wherein the transaction data includes a desired amount of money to be transferred to a recipient;

receiving transaction identifying information provided by the recipient;

comparing the transaction identifying information with the transaction data stored on the host computer system;

requesting payout card identifying information corresponding to a payout card selected from a source of payout cards previously provided to a receive transaction initiating location;

receiving at the host computer system the payout card identifying information associated with the payout card;

determining whether the payout card corresponding to the payout card identifying information validly corresponds to one from the source of payout cards previously provided to the receive transaction initiating location; and

upon determining that the payout card is valid, loading payout funds corresponding to at least a portion of the desired amount of money to be transferred in a payout account associated with the payout card if the transaction identifying information matches the transaction data stored on the host computer system, such that the payout funds are electronically accessible by the recipient using the payout card.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the payout card corresponding to the payout card identifying information is active and eligible for loading of payout funds.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising authorizing issuance of the payout card to the recipient.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the payout card identifying information is stored on the host computer system, the method further comprising:

receiving input associated with the payout card and allowing a portion of the payout funds to be debited from the payout account if the input matches the card identifying information stored on the host computer system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the payout card identifying information is stored on the host computer system, the method further comprising:

receiving input associated with the payout card and allowing funds corresponding to a portion of the payout funds to be dispensed to the recipient if the input matches the card identifying information stored on the host computer system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising authorizing issuance of a negotiable instrument to the recipient that corresponds to another portion of the desired amount of money to be transferred.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising authorizing issuance of cash to the recipient that corresponds to another portion of the desired amount of money to be transferred.

8. A method for performing a money transfer transaction, the method comprising:

storing transaction data on a host computer system, wherein the transaction data includes a desired amount of money to be transferred from a sender to a recipient;

receiving transaction identifying information from a first terminal in communication with the host computer system;

comparing the transaction identifying information with the transaction data stored on the host computer system;

receiving at the host computer payout card identifying information associated with an anonymous payout card dispensed from a source of payout cards located at the first terminal, wherein the payout card identifying information includes an account number;

storing the payout card identifying information on the host computer system;

loading payout funds, corresponding to at least a portion of the desired amount of money to be transferred, in an account associated with the account number and maintained on the host computer system, if the transaction identifying information matches the transaction data stored on the host computer system;

receiving input associated with the payout card from a second terminal in communication with the host computer system;

comparing the input to the payout card identifying information stored on the host computer system; and

allowing funds corresponding to the payout funds to be dispensed to the recipient if the input matches the card identifying information stored on the host computer system.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining whether the payout card corresponding to the payout card identifying information is active and eligible for loading of payout funds.

10. A system for performing a money transfer transaction, the system comprising:

a host computer system for storing transaction data wherein the transaction data includes a desired amount of money to be transferred to a recipient; and

a terminal in communication with the host computer system for receiving transaction identifying information and for transmitting the transaction identifying information to the host computer system;

wherein the host computer system is operative to compare the transaction identifying information with the stored transaction data, receive payout card identifying information associated with a payout card selected from a source of payout cards previously provided to the terminal, determine whether the payout card corresponding to the payout card identifying information validly corresponds to one from the source of payout cards previously provided to the terminal and, upon determining that the payout card is valid, the host computer system is further operable to load payout funds corresponding to the desired amount of money to be transferred in a payout account associated with the payout card if the transaction identifying information matches the stored transaction data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the terminal includes a card reader for reading the card identifying information from the payout card.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the host computer system is further operative to receive input associated with the payout card, and further includes instructions for comparing the input to stored card identifying information corresponding to the payout card selected from the source of payout cards, and instructions for allowing funds corresponding to a portion of the payout funds to be dispensed to the recipient if the input matches the stored card identifying information.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the host computer system is further operative to receive input associated with the payout card, and further includes instructions for comparing the input to stored card identifying information corresponding to the payout card selected from the source of payout cards, and instructions for allowing a portion of the payout funds to be debited from the payout account if the input matches the stored card identifying information.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the host computer system is further operative to authorize issuance of a negotiable instrument to the recipient that corresponds to another portion of the desired amount of money to be transferred, the system further comprising a printer for issuing the negotiable instrument.