In-lane money transfer systems and methods

• US 7,392,940 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt, Sayor, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Paik; Steven S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US11/132,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 235379-381, 705/35, 705/39
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods to initiate, facilitate, process and/or perform money transfers. One such method includes receiving a request for a transfer pair verification from a vendor location (360), and verifying that the transfer pair is associated with a valid transfer pair record (362). The method includes sending the transfer pair verification to the vendor location (368), receiving a money transfer request (370) associated with the transfer pair from the vendor location, and authorizing a money transfer (372) to at least one of a first and second customers associated with the transfer pair. In this manner, a vendor location, which may include a point-of-sale device and may be a retail outlet (e.g., grocery store, gas station, or the like), can be used to facilitate a money transfer between two customers.

Claims

1. A method of processing money transfers, the method comprising:

receiving, from a vendor location, a request for a transfer pair verification;

verifying the transfer pair is associated with a valid transfer pair record;

sending the transfer pair verification to the vendor location;

receiving a money transfer request associated with the transfer pair from the vendor location, wherein the money transfer request comprises a money transfer amount;

authorizing a money transfer to at least one of a first and second customers associated with the transfer pair;

sending a money transfer fee amount to be collected from at least the first customer, wherein the money transfer fee amount is based on a money transfer fee schedule, wherein the money transfer fee schedule includes different fees based on certain criteria of the money transfer request; and

wherein the money transfer fee comprises a vendor fee and a host system fee.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising establishing the transfer pair record associated with the first customer and the second customer.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein establishing the transfer pair record comprises:

verifying the identity of at least one of the first and second customers;

receiving first and second customer information and creating a database record thereof; and

providing a transfer pair code to at least one of the first and second customers.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein the transfer pair code comprises a money transfer recipient designator.

5. The method as in claim 3 wherein the transfer pair code comprises a string of alphanumeric characters.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the vendor location comprises a retail outlet.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising receiving a payment record corresponding to the money transfer request.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising dispensing the money associated with the money transfer request to the first or second customer.

9. The method as in claim 8 further comprising receiving a transfer pair code associated with the transfer pair from the first or second customer prior to the dispensing of the money.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the money transfer amount comprises a fixed amount associated with the transfer pair.

11. The method as in claim 1 wherein the money transfer fee amount is based on a sliding scale of the money transfer amount.

12. The method as in claim 1 wherein the money transfer fee amount is a based on a percentage of the money transfer amount.

13. A method of facilitating money transfers by a customer at a vendor, the method comprising:

receiving a money transfer request from a first customer, wherein the money transfer request comprises a money transfer amount;

receiving a transfer pair code from the first customer;

sending a request for a transfer pair verification to a host computer;

receiving the transfer pair verification from the host computer;

receiving a payment from the first customer for transfer to a second customer associated with the transfer pair code, wherein the payment composes a money transfer fee that is determined according to a money transfer fee schedule, wherein the money transfer fee schedule includes different fees based on certain criteria of the money transfer request;

sending a record of the money transfer request and the payment to the host computer; and

wherein the money transfer fee comprises a vendor fee and a host system fee.

14. The method as in claim 13 further comprising providing a receipt to the first customer.

15. The method as in claim 13 further comprising receiving a purchase request for a consumer item from the first customer, and wherein the payment comprises a first payment portion associated with the consumer item and a second payment portion associated with the money transfer request.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the payment further comprises a third payment portion associated with a money transfer fee.

17. The method as in claim 13 wherein the money transfer fee comprises a percentage of the money transfer amount.

18. The method as in claim 13 wherein the money transfer fee comprises a fee based on a sliding scale of the money transfer amount.

19. A system for processing money transfers, comprising:

a host computer comprising a processor coupled to a database;

wherein the host computer further comprises;

code for receiving a request to verify a transfer pair from a point-of-sale device;

code for verifying the transfer pair is associated with a valid transfer pair record;

code for sending a transfer pair verification to the point-of-sale device;

code for receiving a money transfer request associated with the transfer pair from the point-of-sale device, wherein the money transfer request comprises a money transfer amount;

code for authorizing a money transfer to at least one of a first customer and a second customer associated with the transfer pair;

code for sending a money transfer fee amount to the point-of-sale device, wherein the money transfer fee amount is determined according to a money transfer fee schedule, wherein the money transfer fee schedule includes different fees based on certain criteria of the money transfer request; and

wherein the money transfer fee comprises a vendor fee and a host system fee.

20. The system as in claim 19 wherein the host computer further comprises code for establishing the transfer pair record associated with the first customer and the second customer.

21. The system as in claim 19 wherein the host computer further comprises code for receiving first and second customer information and creating a database record thereof to include a transfer pair code.

22. The system as in claim 21 wherein the host computer further comprises code for providing the transfer pair code to at least one of the first and second customers.

23. The system as in claim 19 wherein the money transfer fee amount is based on a sliding scale of the money transfer amount.

24. The system as in claim 19 wherein the money transfer fee amount is a based on a percentage of the money transfer amount.

25. A method of facilitating a money transfer between a first customer and a plurality of customers, the method comprising:

receiving a money transfer request from the first customer, wherein the money transfer request comprises a plurality of money transfer amounts each money transfer amount associated with at least one of the plurality of customers;

receiving a single transfer pair code from the first customer;

sending a request for a transfer pair verification to a host computer;

receiving the transfer pair verification from the host computer;

receiving a payment from the first customer; and

sending a record of the money transfer request and the payment to the host computer;

wherein the payment comprises at least the cumulative money transfer amounts associated with each of the plurality of customers.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the payment comprises a money transfer fee based on a sliding scale of the cumulative money transfer amounts associated with each of the plurality of customers.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the payment comprises a money transfer fee based on a percentage of the cumulative money transfer amounts associated with each of the plurality of customers.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the payment comprises a vendor fee and a host system fee.