Financial transaction system with integrated electronic messaging, control of marketing data, and user defined charges for receiving messages

Abstract

A method of performing financial transactions between users of accounts comprising electronic messaging and crediting and debiting of at least one financial account. The invention also allows each user to define a schedule of receipt charges associated with the identities of other users to be charged as compensation for accepting delivery of their messages. With the user's permission, a record of purchases made may be maintained in a marketing database, increasing the value of use's market identity and the corresponding value of receipt charges they user may collect. Major benefits of the invention include, but are not limited to: (1) electronic financial transactions are completed in a more secure manner with appropriate tracking and verification, (2) message recipients receive income from the value of their market identities, and (3) commercial enterprises can more readily identify individuals interested in receiving their commercial offers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of compensating users for user associated data which comprises the steps of:
 (a) storing in at least one memory user associated data for a plurality of user accounts associated with a plurality of users, wherein the user associated data comprises at least one of a group of data types comprising:
 (a) a receipt charge; 
 (b) a maximum charge; 
 (c) debits; 
 (d) credits; 
 (e) account balance; 
 (f) descriptive information regarding purchases made; 
 (g) descriptive information regarding electronic data received; 
 (h) information identifying at least one communications address from the group of communications addresses comprising: a phone number; an email address; an account identifier; a communication identifier for an electronic device associated with the user; an instant messaging address; an internet account; a postal address; 
   (b) receiving at a processor in communication with the memory selection criteria other than a communications address from a first user;   (c) correlating a match between the selection criteria and user associated data to identify at least one second user;   (d) crediting the second user account a first amount based on a receipt charge associated with the second user account.   
     
     
         2 . The method claim of  1  further providing in step (d) initiating delivery of electronic data provided by the first user to at least one communications address for the second user. 
     
     
         3 . The method claim of  1  further providing prior in step (d) initiating delivery of electronic data provided by the first user to at least one communications address for the second user and proceeding to step (d) only after delivery of the electronic data to the communications address for the second user has been verified and debiting the first user account a second amount. 
     
     
         4 . The method claim of  3  also comprising:
 providing program means for the processor to store in the memory descriptive information regarding the electronic data provided by the first user. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria and the user associated data comprises information selected from the group consisting of: purchase history, survey responses, received messages, messages sent, age, gender, account balance, and residential zip code. 
     
     
         6 . The method claim of  1  further comprising the steps of:
 receiving at at least one processor electronic data provided by the second user for delivery to a communications address for a third user; 
 providing program means for the processor to reject delivery of the electronic data provided by the second user if the maximum charge associated with the second user's electronic data is less than the receipt charge associated with the third user account, otherwise to initiate delivery of the electronic data provided by the second user to the third user's communications address and to debit the second user's account an amount that does not exceed the maximum charge and to credit the third user's account an amount based on the third user's receipt charge. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  also comprising:
 providing program means for the second user to initiate a transaction debiting the second user's account a third amount and crediting a fourth amount to a third user's account. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of claim of  1  also providing that following step (c) the communications address for the second user is provided to the first user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of claim of  1  wherein the user associated data for the second user comprises a plurality of receipt charges associated with a plurality of classifications, and the first user account is associated with a first classification, and the amount credited to the second user account in step (d) is based on the receipt charge of the second user that is associated with the first classification associated with the first user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , also providing that the electronic data provided by the first user comprises hyperlink means which, upon activation of the hyperlink by the second user, will initiate one or more of the following steps:
 (a) transmitting additional electronic data to at least one communications address associated with the second user;   (b) debiting the first user's account a third amount;   (c) crediting the first user's account a fourth amount;   (d) debiting the second user's account a fifth amount;   (e) crediting the second user's account a sixth amount;   (f) storing in the memory user associated data comprising data associated with transactions of debits and credits associated with the second user.   
     
     
         11 . A system of compensating users for user associated data which comprises:
 a memory for storing in at least one memory user associated data for a plurality of user accounts associated with a plurality of users, wherein the user associated data comprises at least one of a group of data types comprising:   (a) a receipt charge;   (b) a maximum charge;   (c) debits;   (d) credits;   (e) account balance;   (f) descriptive information regarding purchases made;   (g) descriptive information regarding electronic data received;   (h) information identifying at least one communications address from the group of communications addresses comprising: a phone number, an email address, an account identifier, a communication identifier for an electronic device associated with the user, an instant messaging address, an internet account, a postal address;   a processor in communication with the memory with means to receive selection criteria other than a communications address from a first user;   means for the processor to compare the selection criteria and user associated data to identify at least one second user;   means for crediting the second user account a first amount based on a receipt charge associated with the second user account.   
     
     
         12 . The system of claim of  11  further providing means for delivery of electronic data provided by the first user to at least one communications address associated with the second user. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  providing means for delivery of electronic data provided by the first user to at least one communications address associated with the second user and withholding the crediting of the first amount to the second user account until delivery of the electronic data to the communications address for the second user has been verified. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the selection criteria and the user associated data comprises information selected from the group consisting of: survey responses, received messages, messages sent, payments made to other users, gender, at least two account balances, total purchases in a category associated with at least one receipt charge, response rate to at least one electronic data received that is associated to a specific commercial category. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  also comprising means for the processor to save in the memory user associated data associated with the credit to the second user's account. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of:
 receiving at at least one processor electronic data provided by the second user for delivery to a communications address for a third user; 
 providing program means for the processor to reject delivery of the electronic data provided by the second user if the maximum charge associated with the second user's electronic data is less than the receipt charge associated with the third user account, otherwise to initiate delivery of the electronic data provided by the second user to the third user's communications address and to debit the second user's account an amount that does not exceed the maximum charge and to credit the third user's account an amount based on the third user's receipt charge. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  also comprising:
 providing program means for the second user to initiate a transaction debiting the second user's account a third amount and crediting a fourth amount to a third user's account. 
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11  also providing means to provide the first user with the communications address for the second user after the first amount has been credited to the second user account. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the user associated data for the second user comprises a plurality of receipt charges associated with a plurality of classifications, and the first user account is associated with a first classification, and the first amount credited to the second user account is based on the receipt charge of the second user that is associated with the first classification associated with the first user. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , also providing that the electronic data provided by the first user comprises hyperlink means which upon activation of the hyperlink by the second user will initiate one or more of the following steps:
 (a) transmitting additional electronic data to at least one communications address associated with the second user;   (b) debiting the first user's account a third amount;   (c) crediting the first user's account a fourth amount;   (d) debiting the second user's account a fifth amount;   (e) crediting the second user's account a sixth amount;   (f) storing in the memory user associated data comprising data associated with transactions of debits and credits associated with the second user.