Money transfer cards, systems and methods

• US 7,641,109 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Seifert, Dean A., Sayor, Thomas B., Baumgart, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US11/132,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 705/43, 705/39, 705/44
• 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 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• 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 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods to initiate, facilitate, process and/or perform money transfers. One such method includes establishing a money transfer record (310) and receiving, from a vendor location, a money transfer activation request (320) associated with the money transfer record. The method includes receiving a fulfillment request (330) associated with the money transfer record, collecting a customer data set, and authorizing a money transfer (340) associated with the money transfer record. The money transfer is facilitated by the creation of a money transfer record, which may occur prior to the money transfer activation request. The customer then can initiate the money transfer while at the vendor location using, for example, money transfer cards available for purchase from the vendor.

Claims

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

establishing a money transfer record associated with a money transfer card;

making the money transfer card available for sale at a vendor location;

receiving, from the vendor location, at the request of a sender, a money transfer activation request associated with the money transfer record, wherein the activation request includes an activation amount of money to be associated to the money transfer card;

receiving, from the sender, the sender'"'"'s and at least one receiver'"'"'s personal identification information;

receiving from the sender a fulfillment request, wherein the fulfillment request comprises a request to transfer a first portion of the activation amount of money to the receiver;

in response to the fulfillment request, sending a money transfer transaction identifier to the sender;

authorizing a money transfer associated with the money transfer record to the receiver based on receipt of the money transfer transaction identifier;

receiving from the sender a second fulfillment request, wherein the second fulfillment request comprises a request to transfer a second portion of the activation amount of money to a second receiver; and

in response to the second fulfillment request, sending a second money transfer transaction identifier to the sender.

2. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 1 wherein receiving the money transfer activation request comprises receiving an account identifier associated with the money transfer record, the account identifier disposed on the money transfer card.

3. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 1 wherein the activation request comprises at least one data item selected from a group of data items consisting generally of an account identifier, a customer name, a money transfer amount and a money transfer fee.

4. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 1 further comprising establishing a plurality of money transfer records, each of the money transfer records having an associated money transfer card.

5. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 1 wherein the money transfer record comprises an account identifier and a code.

6. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 5 wherein receiving the fulfillment request comprises receiving the account identifier and the code from the sender.

7. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 6 further comprising receiving the fulfillment request with an interactive voice response system.

8. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 6 further comprising receiving the fulfillment request with a website.

9. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 1 wherein the personal identification information comprises a name of the sender.

10. The method of facilitating money transfers as in claim 1 wherein the personal identification information comprises a name of the receiver.

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

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorizing of the money transfer to the receiver comprises verifying the receiver'"'"'s personal identification information.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the verifying of the receiver'"'"'s personal identification information comprises verifying using one or more of the money transfer transaction identifier, the receiver'"'"'s date of birth, a password, and an identification card of the receiver.

14. A method of facilitating money transfers, the method comprising:

establishing a money transfer record associated with a money transfer card, the money transfer card having an account identifier associated therewith;

making the money transfer card available for purchase;

receiving from a sender a money transfer activation request associated with the money transfer record, the activation request including the account identifier and an activation amount;

receiving, from the sender, the sender'"'"'s and at least one receiver'"'"'s personal identification information;

receiving a first and a second money transfer fulfillment request for the money transfer record, wherein each fulfillment request is for an amount that is less than the activation amount and wherein each fulfillment request comprises the account identifier;

in response to the first fulfillment request, sending a first money transfer transaction identifier to the sender;

in response to the second fulfillment request, sending a second money transfer transaction identifier to the sender, wherein the first and the second money transfer transaction identifiers are different; and

authorizing a money transfer to the receiver based on receipt of either the first or the second money transfer transaction identifier.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the personal identification information comprises identities for the sender and the receiver.

16. The method as in claim 15 further comprising authorizing a money transfer to the receiver in an amount associated with the money transfer record.

17. A system for facilitating money transfers, comprising:

a host computer system comprising a processor coupled to a database;

wherein the host computer system further comprises;

code for establishing a money transfer record associated with a money transfer card, the money transfer card having an account identifier associated therewith;

code for receiving, from a vendor location, a money transfer activation request associated with a pre-established money transfer record, wherein the activation request includes an activation amount;

code for receiving, from the sender, the sender'"'"'s and at least one receiver'"'"'s personal identification information;

code for receiving a fulfillment request for the money transfer record, wherein the fulfillment request is for an amount that is a first portion of the activation amount, thereby retaining a second portion of the activation amount for subsequent money transfers;

in response to the fulfillment request, code for sending a money transfer transaction identifier to the sender;

code for authorizing a money transfer associated with the money transfer record to the receiver based on receipt of the money transfer transaction identifier;

code for receiving a second fulfillment request, wherein the second fulfillment request comprises a request to transfer the second portion of the activation amount of money to a second receiver; and

in response to the second fulfillment request, code for sending a second money transfer transaction identifier to the sender.

18. The system as in claim 17 further comprising a point-of-sale device disposed at the vendor location, the point-of-sale device adapted for:

receiving an account identifier from the money transfer card, the account identifier associated with the money transfer record; and

providing the money transfer activation request to the host computer system.

19. The system as in claim 17 wherein the host computer system comprises a first host computer having the code for establishing the money transfer record and a second host computer having the code for authorizing the money transfer associated with the money transfer record.

20. The system as in claim 17 wherein the host computer system further comprises code for collecting the personal identification information and associating the personal identification information the money transfer record.