System and method for sending money via e-mail over the internet

Abstract

A method and system for transferring money from a sender to a receiver utilizing a computer network such as the Internet. The sender visits a web site and identifies, to the server over the Internet, the receiver, an e-mail address of the receiver, an amount of money to be transferred, and a withdraw account from which money is to be transferred. Money is transferred from the withdraw account and deposited into a holding account. The server automatically sends an e-mail to the receiver, to inform the receiver that the sender has transferred money and to request the receiver to visit the web site to receive money. The receiver visits the web site of the server in response to the e-mail and identifies a deposit account to which money is to transferred. Money is withdrawn from the holding account and deposited in the deposit account.

1 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . A method of transferring money from a sender to a receiver utilizing a computer network including a server, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) the server receiving a sender identifier and a receiver account identifier, the sender identifier associated with a sender from whom money is to be transferred to the receiver and the receiver account identifier associated with a receiver account to which money is to be transferred;   (b) the server sending an electronic message to the sender to inform the sender that the sender should transfer money to the receiver and to request the sender to contact the server to transfer money, the sender not being in contact with the server at the time of the server sending the electronic message to the sender;   (c) the server receiving a response to the electronic message and identifying a sender account from which money is to be transferred;   (d) transferring money from the sender account; and   (e) transferring money to the receiver account.   
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 56 , the server sending an electronic message to the sender being performed over the network. 
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 56 ,
 the receiver account constituted by a deposit account; and   the sender account constituted by a withdraw account.   
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 58 , the server receiving the sender identifier and the receiver account identifier from the receiver. 
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 56 , the server receiving the sender identifier and the receiver account identifier from the receiver. 
     
     
         61 . The method according to  claim 56 , the server receiving the response to the electronic message is constituted by:
 the server receiving the response to the electronic message from the sender.   
     
     
         62 . The method according to  claim 61 , the transferring money from the sender account being performed before the transferring money to the receiver account. 
     
     
         63 . The method according to  claim 56 , the transferring money from the sender account being performed before the transferring money to the receiver account. 
     
     
         64 . The method according to  claim 63 , further including:
 the server inputting a challenge question from sender;   the server outputting the challenge question to the receiver;   the server inputting a response to the challenge question from the receiver; and   the server assessing the validity of the challenge question, so as to provide a level of security that the receiver is the intended receiver.   
     
     
         65 . The method according to  claim 56 , further comprising the step of the server receiving from the receiver an amount of money to be transferred from the sender to the receiver. 
     
     
         66 . The method according to  claim 56 , wherein said step of sending an electronic message to the sender includes identifying to the sender the amount of money to be transferred. 
     
     
         67 . The method according to  claim 56 , the sender account is constituted by a checking account. 
     
     
         68 . The method according to  claim 56 , the sender account is constituted by a credit card account. 
     
     
         69 . The method according to  claim 68 , further comprising the step of the server transmitting information regarding the credit card account to a credit card authorization network for approval. 
     
     
         70 . The method according to  claim 56 , further comprising the step of the server receiving from the receiver a network address of the receiver for receiving electronic messages. 
     
     
         71 . The method according to  claim 56 , further comprising the step of sending an electronic message to the receiver confirming that the amount of money has been transferred to the receiver account after the step of transferring money to the receiver account. 
     
     
         72 . The method according to  claim 71 , further comprising the step of the server receiving from the receiver a network address of the sender for receiving electronic messages. 
     
     
         73 . The method according to  claim 56 , further comprising the step of sending an electronic message over the network to the sender confirming that money has been transferred from the sender account after the step of transferring money from the sender account; and
 wherein the step of transferring money from the sender account includes depositing money into a holding account.   
     
     
         74 . The method according to  claim 73 , wherein the step of transferring money to the deposit account includes withdrawing money from the holding account. 
     
     
         75 . A method for transferring money from a sender to a receiver utilizing a computer network including a server, the server in the form of a tangibly embodied computer processor, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving over the computer network from a tangibly embodied receiver computer processor of the receiver:
 a sender identifier identifying the owner of a sender account; and 
 a receiver account identifier identifying a receiver account to which money is to be transferred; 
   sending, by the server, an electronic message to the sender using the sender identifier, the electronic message containing information that constitutes a request for the sender to contact the server to transfer money to the receiver, the sender not being in contact with the server at the time of the server sending the electronic message to the sender;   receiving, by the server, over the computer network a sender account identifier from the sender, the sender account identifier identifying the sender account from which money is to be transferred;   initiating a transfer of money, by the server, from the sender account to the receiver account using the receiver account identifier, the initiating the transfer being in response to the server receiving the sender account identifier from the sender; and   the server performing a settlement process in which the server performs a search for the initiated transfer of money against a listing of funded and rejected transactions of daily transaction reports; and   performing the transfer of money to the receiver account of the receiver, upon the server matching the transfer of money against a listed funded transaction of the daily transaction reports.   
     
     
         76 . A method of transferring value from a sender to a receiver utilizing a computer network including a server, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) the server inputting a sender identifier and a receiver account identifier, the sender identifier associated with a sender from whom value is to be transferred to the receiver and the receiver account identifier associated with a receiver account to which value is to be transferred;   (b) the server coordinating an electronic message to the sender to inform the sender that the sender should transfer value to the receiver and to request the sender to contact the server to transfer value, the sender not being in contact with the server at the time of the server sending the electronic message to the sender;   (c) the server receiving a response to the electronic message and identifying a sender account from which value is to be transferred;   (d) transferring value from the sender account; and   (e) transferring value to the receiver account.   
     
     
         77 . The method according to  claim 76 , the server inputting the sender identifier and the receiver account identifier is constituted by:
 the server inputting the sender identifier and the receiver account identifier from the receiver.   
     
     
         78 . The method according to  claim 76 , the server coordinating an electronic message to the sender is constituted by:
 the server sending an electronic message to the sender.   
     
     
         79 . The method according to  claim 76 , the value is in the form of money. 
     
     
         80 . The method according to  claim 76 , the sender account is constituted by a credit card account; and
 the method further comprising the step of the server transmitting information regarding the credit card account to a credit card authorization network for approval.   
     
     
         81 . The method according to  claim 76 , the server not being part of a credit card authorization network.