Abstract: A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a money-transfer company, and a plurality of selling agents and paying agents. The money-transfer company maintains a server, a database, and a communications interface for communicating, via a telephone network and/or the Internet, with data terminals located at the selling and paying agents' sites. Customer transaction cards are distributed to customers. These cards have a visible card number and a corresponding alphanumeric card code stored in, e.g., a magnetic strip. In response to a customer's request, the money-transfer company activates the customer's transaction card by loading customer and beneficiary information into a corresponding transaction card record stored in the database.

Abstract: A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a money-transfer company, and a plurality of selling agents and paying agents. The money-transfer company maintains a server, a database, and a communications interface for communicating, via a telephone network and/or the Internet, with data terminals located at the selling and paying agents' sites. Customer transaction cards are distributed to customers. These cards have a visible card number and a corresponding alphanumeric card code stored in, e.g., a magnetic strip. In response to a customer's request, the money-transfer company activates the customer's transaction card by loading customer and beneficiary information into a corresponding transaction card record stored in the database. A selling agent initiates a money-transfer request from a data terminal. Specifically, the selling agent enters a monetary amount and swipes the customer's card in a magnetic strip reader located on the data terminal.

Abstract: A financial institution has a web-based server for use in transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary. A customer, having a client computer, and a credit card, opens a transaction web page provided by the server. The customer inputs transaction data into the web page, and sends the transaction data to the server via the Internet. The customer then receives a fund-pick-up (“folio”) number and provides the beneficiary with the fund-pick-up number to use in collecting the funds.

Abstract: A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a financial institution, serving as a money-transfer company, a plurality of selling agents, paying agents and ATM (automatic teller machine) card distributors that communicate via a telephone network and/or the Internet. Selling agents distribute transaction cards to customers for use in initiating a money transfer to a particular beneficiary. A selling agent uses a transaction card to transmit a customer's request to the company, which creates a unique transaction record. The company returns a unique, secret fund pick-up (“folio”) number to the customer. The customer discloses the folio number to the beneficiary, who collects the transferred money. Specifically, the beneficiary may obtain an ATM card from an ATM card distributor and use that card to collect the transferred funds at a conventional ATM.

Abstract: A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a money-transfer company, and a plurality of selling agents and paying agents. The money-transfer company maintains a server, a database, and a communications interface for communicating, via a telephone network and/or the Internet, with data terminals located at the selling and paying agents' sites. Customer transaction cards are distributed to customers. These cards have a visible card number and a corresponding alphanumeric card code stored in, e.g., a magnetic strip. In response to a customer's request, the money-transfer company activates the customer's transaction card by loading customer and beneficiary information into a corresponding transaction card record stored in the database. A selling agent initiates a money-transfer request from a data terminal. Specifically, the selling agent enters a monetary amount and swipes the customer's card in a magnetic strip reader located on the data terminal.

Abstract: A financial institution has a web-based server for use in transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary. The server provides an online money-transfer service via the Internet and the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). A customer, having a client computer, a telephone having DTMF (Dual-Tone, Multiple Frequency) access and a credit card, opens a transaction web page provided by the server. The customer inputs transaction data into the web page, including the sum of money, customer and beneficiary data, and basic payment data, such as credit-card information except, perhaps, the credit card number. The customer sends the transaction data to the server via the Internet. After the customer confirms the transaction data in a second web page, the server instructs the customer to contact the financial institution via the customer's telephone.