Mobile transactions using account aliases

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for providing a mobile device user with the ability to user their mobile devices to make payments to others without knowing the payment recipient's account number. For example, an embodiment of the includes: (1) receiving a payment request from a mobile phone, such as through a text message, where the payment request includes an alias, and where the alias is not a financial account number; (2) identifying a payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias; and (3) transferring funds to the payment recipient's financial account.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one communication interface configured to receive a payment request from a mobile phone, wherein the payment request comprises an alias, and wherein the alias is not a financial account number;   at least one processor communicably coupled to the at least one communication interface; and   at least one memory communicably coupled to the at least one processor and having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 identify a payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias; and 
 transfer funds to the payment recipient's financial account. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication interface is configured to receive the payment request via a text message from the mobile phone. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the text message comprises a message created using a short message service (SMS). 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises an email address. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identification. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account is associated with a payment recipient, and wherein the alias comprises a unique identifier used generally by the public to communicate with the payment recipient. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication interface is configured to receive the payment request via a communication from a mobile phone's mobile transaction application, the mobile transaction application configured to prompt a user of the mobile phone to enter payment information including an alias associated with an intended payment recipient. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory further comprises stored therein:
 a downloadable version of the mobile transaction application; and   executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide the downloadable version of the mobile transaction application to the mobile phone.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication interface is configured to receive the payment request via a communication from a mobile phone logged into a mobile banking web site, the mobile banking website configured to prompt a user of the mobile phone to enter payment information including an alias associated with an intended payment recipient. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory further comprises:
 a data repository that maps a plurality of aliases back to one or more financial account numbers; and   executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to identify the payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias by using the data repository in combination with the alias to identify the payment recipient's financial account number.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising executable instructions stored in the at least one memory that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 use the communication interface to send a message back to the mobile phone if a payment recipient's financial account cannot be identified from the alias received from the mobile phone.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a bank account. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the apparatus to transfer funds to the payment recipient's financial account comprise:
 executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to initiate an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer of funds from a payment sender's financial account to the payment recipient's financial account.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the apparatus to transfer funds to the payment recipient's financial account comprise:
 executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to initiate a direct account-to-account transfer of funds from a payment sender's financial account to the payment recipient's financial account, wherein the direct account-to-account transfer of funds comprises a substantially real-time transfer that does not use an ACH payment network, or a credit or debit card payment network.   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 receiving a payment request from a mobile phone, wherein the payment request comprises an alias, and wherein the alias is not a financial account number;   identifying a payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias; and   transferring funds to the payment recipient's financial account.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein receiving the payment request from the mobile phone comprises:
 receiving the payment request via a text message from the mobile phone.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the text message comprises a message created using a short message service (SMS). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the alias comprises an email address. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the alias comprises a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identification. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account is associated with a payment recipient, and wherein the alias comprises a unique identifier used generally by the public to communicate with the payment recipient. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein receiving the payment request from the mobile phone comprises:
 receiving the payment request via a communication from a mobile phone's mobile transaction application, the mobile transaction application configured to prompt a user of the mobile phone to enter payment information including an alias associated with an intended payment recipient.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 providing a downloadable version of the mobile transaction application; and   communicating the downloadable version of the mobile transaction application to the mobile phone.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein receiving the payment request from the mobile phone comprises:
 receiving the payment request via a communication from a mobile phone logged into a mobile banking web site, wherein the mobile banking website is configured to prompt a user of the mobile phone to enter payment information including an alias associated with an intended payment recipient.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein identifying the payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias comprises:
 accessing a data repository that maps a plurality of aliases back to one or more financial account numbers.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein identifying the payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias further comprises:
 using the data repository in combination with the alias to identify the payment recipient's financial account number.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a bank account. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein transferring funds to the payment recipient's financial account comprises:
 initiating an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer of funds from a payment sender's financial account to the payment recipient's financial account.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein transferring funds to the payment recipient's financial account comprises:
 initiating a direct account-to-account transfer of funds from a payment sender's financial account to the payment recipient's financial account, wherein the direct account-to-account transfer of funds comprises a substantially real-time transfer that does not use an ACH payment network, or a credit or debit card payment network.   
     
     
         33 . A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored therein, wherein the computer executable instructions comprise:
 instructions operable to receive a payment request from a mobile phone, wherein the payment request comprises an alias, and wherein the alias is not a financial account number;   instructions operable to identify a payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias; and   instructions operable to transfer funds to the payment recipient's financial account.   
     
     
         34 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the instructions operable to receive the payment request from the mobile phone comprise:
 instructions operable to receive the payment request via a text message from the mobile phone.   
     
     
         35 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the text message comprises a message created using a short message service (SMS). 
     
     
         36 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the alias comprises an email address. 
     
     
         37 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         38 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the alias comprises a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
         39 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identification. 
     
     
         40 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account is associated with a payment recipient, and wherein the alias comprises a unique identifier used generally by the public to communicate with the payment recipient. 
     
     
         41 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the instructions operable to receive the payment request from the mobile phone comprise:
 instructions operable to receive the payment request via a communication from a mobile phone's mobile transaction application, the mobile transaction application configured to prompt a user of the mobile phone to enter payment information including an alias associated with an intended payment recipient.   
     
     
         42 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , further comprising:
 instructions operable to provide a downloadable version of the mobile transaction application; and   instructions operable to communicate the downloadable version of the mobile transaction application to the mobile phone.   
     
     
         43 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the instructions operable to receive the payment request from the mobile phone comprise:
 instructions operable to receive the payment request via a communication from a mobile phone logged into a mobile banking web site, wherein the mobile banking website is configured to prompt a user of the mobile phone to enter payment information including an alias associated with an intended payment recipient.   
     
     
         44 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the instructions operable to identify the payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the alias comprise:
 instructions operable to access a data repository that maps a plurality of aliases back to one or more financial account numbers.   
     
     
         45 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a bank account. 
     
     
         46 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the instructions operable to transfer funds to the payment recipient's financial account comprise instructions operable to transfer funds from a sub-account of the mobile phone's user. 
     
     
         47 . A mobile device comprising:
 at least one communication interface configured to communicate with other devices over a wireless network;   at least one processor communicably coupled to the at least one communication interface; and   at least one memory communicably coupled to the at least one processor and having stored thereon a mobile banking application, the mobile banking application comprising executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 prompt a user of the mobile device to enter information about a payment request including a prompt to the user to enter an alias associated with a payment recipient, wherein the alias is not a financial account number; and 
 use the communication interface to communicate the alias to another device on the wireless network in order to initiate a transfer of funds from an account associated with the user of the mobile device to an account associated with the alias. 
   
     
     
         48 . The mobile device of  claim 47 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         49 . The mobile device of  claim 47 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number of an intended recipient of the payment. 
     
     
         50 . The mobile device of  claim 47 , wherein the alias comprises an email address of an intended recipient of the payment. 
     
     
         51 . The mobile device of  claim 47 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identifier of an intended recipient of the payment. 
     
     
         52 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a mobile banking application stored therein, the mobile banking application comprising computer executable instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a mobile phone, the computer executable instructions comprising:
 instructions operable to prompt a user of a mobile phone to enter information about a payment request including instructions operable to prompt the user to enter an alias associated with a payment recipient, wherein the alias is not a financial account number; and   instructions operable to use the mobile phone to communicate the alias to another device via a wireless network in order to initiate a transfer of funds from an account associated with the user of the mobile device to an account associated with the alias.   
     
     
         53 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 52 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number of an intended recipient of the payment. 
     
     
         54 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 52 , wherein the alias comprises an email address of an intended recipient of the payment. 
     
     
         55 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 52 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identifier of an intended recipient of the payment.