Consumer due diligence for money transfer systems and methods

• US 9,747,587 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Diehl, Kristine
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Shay S
• Application Number:
  US13/894,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 705 17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 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 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A method of transferring money from a sender to a recipient using a third party money transfer service a point of sale device receiving transaction details for a requested money transfer; determining whether the requested transaction is an allowable transaction; and either aborting the transaction; attempting to identify the sender as an existing customer using the transaction details; using the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed. If the requested transaction is allowed to proceed, the method includes creating a money transfer record for the requested transaction; associating a money transfer control number to the money transfer record; and using the transaction details to determine whether to monitor the requested transaction.

Claims

1. A method of transferring money from a sender to a recipient using a third party money transfer service, the method comprising:

providing a point of sale device at a money transfer origination location in communication with a host computer system of a money transfer network;

receiving into the point of sale device transaction details for a requested money transfer by the sender, wherein the details include at least a sender name, a recipient name, and a transfer amount;

determining with the point of sale device whether the requested transaction is an allowable transaction, based on specific details of the requested transaction or based on an aggregation of the requested transaction by determining whether the aggregation of the requested transaction exceeds a predetermined aggregation threshold and based on the sender'"'"'s transaction history by determining whether a transaction pattern within the sender'"'"'s transaction history comprises unallowable transaction patterns;

in response to a determination that the transaction is not an allowable transaction, aborting the transaction; and

in response to a determination that the transaction is an allowable transaction;

attempting to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details, wherein existing customers have a unique customer identifier and transaction history, and wherein the unique customer identifier is not provided to the customer,

creating a money transfer record for the requested transaction, the money transfer record including the unique customer identifier;

associating a money transfer control number to the money transfer record; and

using the money transfer control number to distribute the transfer amount to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second point of sale device at a money transfer reception location in communication with the host computer system of the money transfer network;

receiving a money transfer control number into the point of sale device to thereby locate the money transfer record; and

determining, based on the transaction details whether to collect personal information from the recipient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein using the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed comprises using the money transfer origination location or the money transfer reception location, at least in part, to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed comprises determining whether a transaction frequency exceeds a predetermined frequency threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed comprises aggregating a plurality of transaction amounts by the sender and determining whether the aggregate exceeds a predetermined aggregation threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed comprises determining whether a transaction pattern comprises an unallowable transaction pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein attempting to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details comprises using the host computer system to attempt to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein using the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed comprises using the host computer system to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein attempting to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service comprises:

calculating a level of confidence using the transaction details, that the customer matches an existing unique customer identifier and transaction history; and

determining if the customer matches the existing unique customer identifier and transaction history by comparing the level of confidence to one or more confidence thresholds.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the transaction details for the requested money transfer into the point of sale device comprises using biometric sensors within the point of sale device to capture biometric data from the sender, and

wherein attempting to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service comprises comparing the biometric data captured from the sender to a plurality of biometric data corresponding to existing customers.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the transaction details for the requested money transfer into the point of sale device comprises using one or more cameras of the point of sale device to capture facial images of the sender, and

wherein attempting to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service comprises using facial recognition to compare the facial images of the sender to a plurality of facial images corresponding to existing customers.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

attempting to identify the recipient as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service, wherein the determination of whether the requested transaction is allowed to proceed is based on whether the sender is an existing customer of the third party money transfer service and whether the recipient is an existing customer of the third party money transfer service.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the transaction is an allowable transaction;

determining whether to monitor the transaction, wherein the determination of whether to monitor the transaction is based on whether the sender is an existing customer of the third party money transfer service and whether the recipient is an existing customer of the third party money transfer service.

9. A money transfer system for transferring money from a sender to a recipient using a third party money transfer service, the system comprising:

a host computer system; and

a plurality of point of sale devices at money transfer origination locations in communication with the host computer system;

wherein each point of sale device is configured to;

provide a point of sale device at a money transfer origination location in communication with a host computer system of a money transfer network;

receive via the point of sale device transaction details for a requested money transfer by the sender, wherein the details include at least a sender name, a recipient name, and a transfer amount;

determine with the point of sale device whether the requested transaction is an allowable transaction, based on specific details of the requested transaction or based on an aggregation of the requested transaction by determining whether the aggregation of the requested transaction exceeds a predetermined aggregation threshold and based on the sender'"'"'s transaction history by determining whether a transaction pattern within the sender'"'"'s transaction history comprises unallowable transaction patterns; and

in response to determination that the transaction is an allowable transaction;

attempt to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details, wherein existing customers have a unique customer identifier and transaction history, and wherein the unique customer identifier is not provided to the customer;

create a money transfer record for the requested transaction, the money transfer record including the unique customer identifier;

associate a money transfer control number to the money transfer record; and

use the money transfer control number to distribute the transfer amount to the recipient;

in response to an unsuccessful attempt to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details;

display a prompt on the point of sale device that additional information is required;

receive the additional information into the point of sale device; and

attempt to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details and the additional information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of point of sale devices is configured to receive a money transfer control number and interact with the host computer system to determine, based on the transaction details, whether to collect personal information from the recipient.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein in being configured to use the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed, the host computer system is configured to use a money transfer origination location or a money transfer reception location, at least in part, to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein in being configured to use the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed, the host computer system is configured to determine whether a transaction frequency exceeds a predetermined frequency threshold.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein in being configured to use the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed, the host computer system is configured to aggregate a plurality of transaction amounts by the sender and determine whether an associated aggregate exceeds a predetermined aggregation threshold.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein in being configured to use the sender'"'"'s transaction history and the transaction details to determine whether to allow the requested transaction to proceed, the host computer system is configured to determine whether a transaction pattern comprises an unallowable transaction pattern.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for transferring money from a sender to a recipient using a third party money transfer service, having sets of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive through a point of sale device at a money transfer origination location in communication with a host computer system of a money transfer network;

transaction details for a requested money transfer by the sender, wherein the details include at least a sender name, a recipient name, and a transfer amount;

determine with the point of sale device whether the requested transaction is an allowable transaction, based on specific details of the requested transaction or based on an aggregation of the requested transaction by determining whether the aggregation of the requested transaction exceeds a predetermined aggregation threshold and based on the sender'"'"'s transaction history by determining whether a transaction pattern within the sender'"'"'s transaction history comprises unallowable transaction patterns;

in response to a determination that the transaction is an allowable transaction;

attempt to identify the sender as an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details, wherein existing customers have a unique customer identifier and transaction history, and wherein the unique customer identifier is not provided to the customer;

create a money transfer record for the requested transaction, the money transfer record including the unique customer identifier;

associate a money transfer control number to the money transfer record; and

use the money transfer control number to distribute the transfer amount to the recipient; and

in response to an unsuccessful attempt to identify the sender an existing customer of the third party money transfer service using the transaction details or the transaction details and additional information;

assign a unique customer identifier to the sender;

allow the transaction to proceed; and

store at least a portion of the transaction details and at least a portion of the additional information as transaction history in a record with the sender'"'"'s unique customer identifier.