WIDE AREA NETWORK PERSON-TO-PERSON PAYMENT

• US 20090094155A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Milberger, Susan M., Golub, Mathew F., MacFarlane, Jackie M., Karas, Peter M., Sherrard, Jeff D., Neofytides, Cheryl L., Cowell, James E., Dunker, Amy M., Abrahams, Susan F., Yoder, James R., Platte, Eric L., Baig, Aamer Ali
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

According to the invention, transferring money using a computer network is disclosed. In one step, information is saved on credit received for a first user (110) in a stored value account on a server computer system (170). At the server computer system (170), a request from the first user (110) to send money to a second user (130) based on the stored value account is received. An electronic notification is sent from the server computer (170) to the second user (130) to notify the second user (130) of the request. A debit in the stored value account of the first user (110) is created. The requested money is sent to the second user (130) upon a receipt of a request at the server computer (170) from the second user (130).

Claims

1-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A method for transferring money using a computer network, the method comprising:

saving information on credit received for a first user in a stored value account on a server computer system;

receiving at the server computer system a first request from the first user to send money to a second user based on the stored value account, wherein the second user is identified to the server computer system by the first user with an e-mail address for the second user;

sending an electronic notification from the server computer to the e-mail address of the second user to notify the second user of the request;

creating a debit in the stored value account of the first user; and

sending the requested money to the second user upon a receipt of a second request at the server computer from the second user.

40. The method for transferring money using the computer network as recited in claim 39, wherein the second-listed sending step comprises a step of crediting a stored value account of the second user on the server computer with a value corresponding to the requested money.

41. The method for transferring money using the computer network as recited in claim 39, wherein the second-listed sending step comprises at least one of the following steps:

sending money to a bank account of the second user;

sending a credit to a credit or debit card of the second user;

sending a check or money order to the second user;

sending a telegram or greeting card with a check or money order to the second user; and

sending an electronic greeting card to the second user with an electronic payment notification embedded therewith.

42-65. -65. (canceled)