Abstract: Users (302,403,406) of a bank (332,324)put funds into user credit account (112,114,116,118) from which the funds can be transferred to a consolidated e-purse ban account (120) within the bank (332,324). The consolidated e-pures bank account (120) i mirrored in a e-purse database (204), but with fund allocated to different e-purese (212,214,216,218,226,228) the total of all funds in the different c-purse (212,214,216,218,226,228) beeing equal to the funds in the consolidated e-purse ban account. When a first user (302) wishes to make a purchase from a second user (304), h sends an SMS message (352) to a mobile telephone payment gateway (320) indicating th second user (304) and an amount. The indicated amount of funds is removed from the fir users's e-purese (212). When the purchase is confirmed, the funds are transferred into th second user's e-purse (214), less transaction charges. These funds are immediately availabl to the second user (304).