EMAIL PAYMENT GATEWAY FOR SENDING FUNDS

• US 20170372382A1
• Filed: 07/07/2017
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swoop IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: @Pay IP Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Killoran, JR., John P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,423,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• 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 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management

Abstract

An email payment gateway may be configured to send emails to potential donors. The emails may include mailto hyperlinks. Each mailto hyperlink may be associated with one or more fundraising campaigns, and each mailto hyperlink describes an email message that may be generated when that hyperlink is selected. When a mailto hyperlink is selected, the generated email message may include one or more parameters related to the fundraising campaign associated with the hyperlink, such as an identifier of the fundraising campaign, donor identity or donation amount. The generated email message may then be transmitted to the email payment gateway. The email payment gateway may receive the message and, based on the parameters in the received message, process the donation on behalf of the donor.

Claims

1-9. -9. (cancelled).

10. An email payment gateway configured to utilize simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) and an exchange of SMTP emails, the email payment gateway comprising:

a database configured to store a plurality of identifiers including an identifier of a sender of funds;

an email address of a sender of funds and an identifier of a funds request;

a security module for generating a plurality of universal unique identifiers (UUIDs);

the security module associating one of said plurality of UUIDs with each of said plurality of identifiers;

at least one processor configured to generate a first SMTP email message addressed to the email address and associated with the funds request;

the first SMTP email message including a visible SMTP mailto link, wherein the visible SMTP mailto link includes;

non-visible information including a destination address field that includes an email address of the email payment gateway, a first UUID being associated with a funds amount, a second UUID being associated with the identification of the sender of funds, and a body field that includes the identifier of the sender of funds and the identifier of the funds request, and the visible SMTP mailto link, upon selection, generates a second SMTP email message that includes said first and second UUIDs ; and

a visible indicia of a funds amount;

a network interface configured to transmit the first SMTP email message to the sender of funds;

a receiver configured to receive the second email message from the sender of funds, the second SMTP email message including said first and second UUIDs;

wherein the second SMTP email message is automatically generated in response to the client device of the sender of funds executing the visible SMTP mailto link of the first SMTP email message; and

the processor is further configured to process said first UUID to derive the funds amount and said second UUID to derive the identification of the sender of funds, and to process the funds amount on behalf of the sender of funds, only if the first and second UUIDs are valid, on a condition of receiving the second SMTP email message.

11. The email payment gateway of claim 10, wherein the first SMTP email message includes a plurality of visible SMTP mailto links corresponding to a plurality of funds amounts.

12. The email payment gateway of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of visible SMTP mailto hyperlinks includes a non-visible unique universal identifier (UUID).

13. The email payment gateway of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to look up said first UUID stored on its database and being associated with the UUID associated with the executed visible SMTP mailto hyperlink to determine a funds amount, and is configured to look up said second UUID stored within a database and being associated with the UUID associated with the executed visible SMTP mailto link to determine the identity of the sender of funds.

14. The email payment gateway of claim 10 further comprising a recognition system for confirming and recognizing that the sender of funds sent a requested fund amount.

15. The email payment gateway of claim 14, wherein the recognition system is configured to generate an electronic notice in recognition of the funds amount.

16. The email payment gateway of claim 15, wherein the electronic notice is at least one of a single SMTP email, an SMTP email blast, a message sent using at least on of Facebook or Twitter, and posting on a website associated with the email payment gateway.