Method for enabling transfer of funds through a computer network

• US 7,376,587 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2000
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union Financial Services Incorporated (Western Union)
• Inventors: Neofytides, Cheryl L., Baig, Aamer Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US09/613,615
• Time in Patent Office: 2,870 Days
• Field of Search: 705/44, 705/39, 705/40, 705/42, 705/26, 705/64, 705/67, 705/75, 705/56, 705/34, 705/18, 235/380, 707/10
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• 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 20/10 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 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 30/0615 Anonymizing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method for enabling a transfer of funds through a computer network between a first party registered with a computer server of the computer network and a second party not previously registered with the computer server. The transfer of funds includes payments or requests for money initiated by the first party. In one aspect, the method includes receiving payment instructions from the first party; sending an email to a second party with directions for receiving the payment amount; and, if the directions are followed, transferring the payment amount to the second party. In another aspect, the method includes receiving a request for money from the first party; sending a notification to the second party with directions for providing the requested amount to the first party; and, if the directions are followed, transferring the requested amount from the second party to the first party.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing a money transfer service between first party and a second party through a payment enabler system, comprising the steps of:

maintaining at the payment enabler system a database of registered users that have registered with the payment enabler system, the registered users database comprising a plurality of records that include an email address and other account information including a default payment method and a default money receiving method;

maintaining at the payment enabler system an address book database for storing address book records on behalf of a first party comprising names associated with second parties with whom the first party may initiate a money transfer, each address book record including a name and an associated email address;

in response to selection by a first party of an entry in the address book database of a particular second party for purposes of initiating a transaction with the selected second party, retrieving the email address associated with the selected second party from the first party'"'"'s associated address book records in the address book database;

accessing the registered users database and determining whether the retrieved email address associated with the selected particular second party has a record in the registered users database;

in response to a determination that the second party has no entry in the registered users database, sending the second party a registration invitation email utilizing the retrieved email address to notify the second party that a transaction is pending and instructing the second party to register with the payment enabler system by accessing the payment enabler system;

in response to accessing of the payment enabler system by the second party after the registration invitation email, conducting a user registration process comprising steps including receiving registration information comprising an email address of the registering user, identification information, and a default money transfer method;

in response to receiving registration information from a registering user, creating a database record in the registered users database including the registration information;

completing a transaction between the first party and the second party by the payment enabler transferring money between the first party and the second party utilizing a determined money transfer method;

storing additional information associated with a money transfer, the additional information including transaction type information and status information; and

providing an account history display including information corresponding to money transfers between a first party and a plurality of second parties, the account history display comprising, for each money transfer transaction, one or more of the following information items;

a name, a reference number associated with the payment enabler system, an email address, an amount, a date, a transaction description, and the additional information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the record in the registered users database includes security information provided by a first party, for association with a selected second party;

and

the step of completing the money transfer is carried out in response to registration by the second party and provision of corresponding expected security response information from the second party.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the security information provided by the first party is a question and the corresponding expected security response information from the second party comprises an expected answer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user registration process further comprises the steps of:

receiving the security information provided by the first party;

in further response to accessing the payment enabler system by the second party, providing a question corresponding to the security information to the registering user; and

comparing a received response from the registering user to the corresponding expected security response information; and

proceeding with the step of completing the transaction only if the received response matches the expected security response information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction comprises a payment from the first party to the second party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction comprises a request for a payment from the second party to the first party.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, in response to determination that a second party already has an entry in the registered users database, completing the transaction between the first party and the second party.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration invitation email sent to the second party by the payment enabler system includes a link that directs the second party to a registration web page associated with the payment enabler system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is a payment from the first party to the second party, and

wherein in further response to a determination that a second party has no entry in the registered users database, obtaining authenticating information from the first party prior to sending the registration invitation email, and

storing the authenticating information in the registered users database in anticipation of registration by the second party.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the authenticating information comprises a question to be asked of the registering user and an expected answer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user registration process comprises steps for allowing the registering user to select a default payment method from a plurality of payment methods, and a default money receiving method from a plurality of money receiving methods.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user registration process further comprises the step of sending a registering user a confirmation email including a deep link operative for activating an account of the registering user with the payment enabler system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises the default method for either making payment or receiving money.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises a selected alternate payment method instead of a default payment method.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises a selected alternate money receiving method instead of a default money receiving method.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction type information is selected from the following:

send, request, refund.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information is selected from the group:

fulfilled, canceled, pending.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an address book display for a party to select one or more particular second parties, the address book display comprising, for each addressee in the address book, one or more of the following information items:

a selection box for selection, a name, an email address, and a number of transactions associated with the particular party.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the money transfer method comprises steps for an first money transfer from a payor to an intermediary and steps for a second money transfer from the intermediary to a payee.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first money transfer steps are selected from the group:

receiving a deposit of an amount of cash by the payor via a payment processor, debiting a credit card of the payor, debiting a bank account of the payor, debiting a stored value account of the payor, and receiving a paper check from the payor.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second money transfer steps are selected from the group:

debiting a bank account of the intermediary to fund dispensing of cash to the payee through an automated teller machine, dispensing cash to the payee by a payment processor, crediting a credit card of the payee, crediting a bank account of the payee, crediting a stored value card of the payee, and sending a paper check to the payee.