Electronic postal money order method and system

• US 7,849,015 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Opiela, Michael S., Garey, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II; Calvin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winter; John M
• Application Number:
  US09/945,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,380 Days
• Field of Search: 705/45, 705/39, 705/1, 705 50- 80, 705/408
• US Class Current: 705/50
• 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 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]

Abstract

Provided is an electronic postal money order system and method comprising the purchase and fulfillment of a money order, having the steps of inputting, through a computer, money order identifying data, comprising at least the amount of the money order and addressee data and inputting payment authorization data through a payment authorization terminal. The system also transmits the money order identifying data and payment authorization data to a central server, authenticates the payment authorization data and, upon such authentication, prints a money order corresponding to the inputted money order identifying data and mails the money order to the addressee.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for the electronic purchase of a money order by a user, comprising:

receiving, by a computer, an electronic purchase order from the user;

generating, by the computer, a serial number associated with the money order;

printing, during a printing process, a hard-copy money order comprising the serial number;

scanning, by a scanner, the serial number during the printing process;

transmitting the scanned serial number over a computer network to a remote server;

receiving, by the remote server, location information of the money order; and

generating tracking information, using the scanned serial number and the location information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchase order comprises an amount of the money order and an address of an addressee location.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising mailing the hard-copy money order to the addressee location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchase order comprises a payment made using a form of payment selected from one of the group of an ATM card, an Electronic Benefits Card, a Military SVC, a bank debit card, and a credit card.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the purchaser a confirmation of the purchase via the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving an electronic purchase order instruction further comprises receiving at least one electronic purchase order instruction corresponding to a plurality of money orders;

printing further comprises printing a plurality of hard-copy money orders;

and

generating tracking information further comprises generating tracking information associated with movement of the plurality of hard-copy money orders.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a PLANET Code to the money order.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the PLANET Code is printed on an envelope containing the money order.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking information is accessible via a military Smartcard.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a database, the database tracking the money order purchases of each customer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

totaling the purchases of each customer to obtain a total associated with each customer; and

rejecting the electronic purchase order if the purchase order would cause the total to surpass a pre-set amount of money over a pre-set period of time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pre-set amount of money is $10,000 and the pre-set period of time is one calendar day.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchase order is received from a computer connected to the Internet.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchase order is received from an Internet web-site.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchase order is received from a mobile device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchase order is received from a kiosk.