Method for making an online payment through a payment enabler system

• US 7,930,216 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Neofytides, Cheryl L., Baig, Aamer Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US11/536,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• 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 processing person-to-person payments and money requests using a computer network. A payment enabler linked to the Internet enables an individual to register for an account through which the individual can make payments to other individuals, request money from other individuals, and access other functionality to facilitate the management of the individual'"'"'s financial transactions. At the time an individual authorizes a payment to another person or directs the payment enabler to request money from another person, the person to whom the payment or money request is directed may, but need not, have already registered for an account with the payment enabler. To communicate with individuals, the payment enabler may use both Web pages and e-mail. An intermediary typically operates the payment enabler and acts as a conduit for the money transfer from one individual (the payor) to another individual (the payee). This enables the payor to pay through a variety of different payment methods and the payee to receive payment through a variety of different methods. Individuals may make payments from and receive money transfers into a stored value account. In addition to initiating immediate money transfer and request money transactions, an individual may use the payment enabler to schedule future or recurring transactions. Address book functionality may provide users the ability to retain information on counter parties. The address book may be integrated into the money transfer and money request interfaces to allow an individual to quickly select the counter party for a transaction.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for making an online payment from a first party to a second party through a payment enabler system, comprising:

maintaining at the payment enabler system a registered users 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 information;

maintaining at the payment enabler system an address book database for storing address book records comprising names associated with other parties to whom the first party may make an online payment, each address book record including a name and an associated email address;

in response to selection by the first party of an address book entry of a particular second party for purposes of making an online payment to the selected second party, retrieving the email address associated with the 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, receiving security information from the first party including predetermined expected information for purposes of authenticating the second party for receiving the payment;

in response to receipt of the security information from the first party, sending the second party a registration invitation email utilizing the retrieved email address to notify the second party that a payment is pending and instructing the second party to register with the payment enabler system by accessing the payment enabler system;

in response to accessing the payment enabler system by the second party after receiving the registration invitation email, conducting a user registration process comprising receiving registration information including an email address of the second party as a registering user, identification information, a default money receiving method, and a response corresponding to the security information that includes at least in part the predetermined expected information;

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

in response to receiving the response corresponding to the security information from the registering user, completing the payment from the first party to the second party by the payment enabler system by transferring money from the first party to the second party utilizing a determined money transfer method.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the security information provided by the first party is a question and the corresponding expected response from the second party comprises an expected answer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user registration process further comprises the steps of:

receiving the security information provided by the first party;

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

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

proceeding with the step of completing the payment if the received response matches the expected answer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determination that a second party already has an entry in the registered users database, completing the payment from the first party to the second party.

5. 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.

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

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

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises the default money receiving method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises a selected alternate money receiving method other than the default money receiving method.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing by the payment enabler system additional information associated with a payment, the additional information including transaction type information and status information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transaction type information is selected from the following:

send, request, refund.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the status information is at least one of fulfilled, canceled, or pending.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an account history display including information corresponding to money transfers between a first party and at least the second party, the account history display comprising at least one of a name, a reference number associated with the payment enabler system, an email address, an amount, a date, a transaction description, or at least part of the additional information.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an address book display for the first party to select the second party, the address book display comprising, for each addressee in the address book database, 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 addressee.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises a first money transfer from the first party to an intermediary and steps for a second money transfer from the intermediary to the second party.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first money transfer comprises at least one of receiving a deposit of an amount of cash from the first party via a payment processor, debiting a credit card of the first party, debiting a bank account of the first party, debiting a stored value account of the first party, or receiving a paper check from the first party.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second money transfer comprises at least one of debiting a bank account of the intermediary to fund dispensing of cash to the second party through an automated teller machine, dispensing cash to the second party by a payment processor, crediting a credit card of the second party, crediting a bank account of the second party, crediting a stored value card of the second party, or sending a paper check to the second party.