Patents Assigned to The Western Union Company
  • Publication number: 20150095213
    Abstract: Financial instruments are produced at a remote location by a 3D printer. In one embodiment, a request is made for a financial instrument, such as a prepaid gift instrument, by user system(s) at the remote location(s). The user system(s) may be at one or more of a retailer location, a money transfer agent location, or an instrument holder or recipient location (such as at an instrument holder/recipient's residence). An instrument issuer may transmit a print file to a user system which may in turn provide the print file to the 3D printer in order to produce the instrument. At least of a portion of the print file may be rendered unusable at the user system after being provided to or used by the 3D printer, in order to prevent use of the print file to produce unauthorized copies of the instrument.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: The Western Union Company
    Inventor: Scott R. Paintin
  • Patent number: 8960537
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods of facilitating money transfers. The method includes receiving, at a money transfer system, access to a customer's account, establishing, at the money transfer system, a money transfer record including a recipient and an amount, and receiving, at the money transfer system, an identifier for the money transfer record. The method further includes receiving presentation of the identifier at an input device of the money transfer system and authorizing a money transfer associated with the money transfer record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Kurt Bulawa, Corey Allen Bohler, Dean A. Seifert, Thomas B. Sayor, Mark Baumgart, Erik S. Crawford
  • Patent number: 8955741
    Abstract: One method involves payment of money to a recipient traveling to one or more foreign countries by entering into a remote computer money transfer information from a sender. The money transfer information comprises recipient identification information, at least one country where the money is to be received, and a payment amount in an originating currency. The money transfer information is transmitted to a host computer system. When ready to receive payment in the designated country, recipient identification information along with a request to withdraw a portion of a possible payment amount is entered into a payout computer. The recipient identification information and the request to withdraw is transmitted to a host computer system, and the requested withdrawal is provided to the recipient in the local currency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Kurt Hansen, Dean A. Seifert, Mark Thompson, Mike Michelsen
  • Patent number: 8924291
    Abstract: A system for making financial transfers between subscribers of a financial transfer service is disclosed. The system may include a receiving subscriber interface (RSI), a sending subscriber interface (SSI), and an agent server (AS). The RSI may be configured to accept a set of invoice information including an identifier of a destination account. The SSI may be configured to accept a set of payment information including an identifier of a source account. The AS may be configured to receive the set of invoice information and create an invoice based on the set of invoice information. The AS may also be configured to transmit the invoice and receive the set of payment information. The AS may also be configured to cause an amount of funds to be transferred from the source account on a source transfer network to the destination account on a destination transfer network via a primary transfer network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Matt Bixler, Robert Newton, Dean Seifert, Dave Owen, Elizabeth Petri
  • Patent number: 8905298
    Abstract: A money transfer system with imaging. The system includes a first money transfer terminal and an imaging device. The imaging device is configured to acquire a first set of imaging information of a user. The system also includes a host computer system, configured to receive at least a portion of the first set of financial transaction information and at least a portion of the first set of imaging information. The system also includes a previous transaction database, an external database, and a decision maker terminal. The system also includes a second money transfer terminal and a second imaging device. The second imaging device is configured to acquire a second set of imaging information of the second user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventor: Scott Paintin
  • Publication number: 20140344089
    Abstract: A method for transferring money may include providing a money transfer instrument having product information and a monetary value associated therewith. The method may also include capturing the product information by a POS terminal in response to the sender purchasing the money transfer instrument. The method may further include generating and issuing a personal identifier to the sender on a receipt printed at the POS terminal. The method may additionally include receiving from the sender money transfer information along with the personal identifier. The method may moreover include generating and transmitting to the sender a money transfer control identifier that is separate from the personal identifier. The method may furthermore include receiving from the recipient the money transfer control identifier to receive transferred money at a money transfer location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Assaad G. Hanna, Kurt L. Hansen, Dean A. Seifert
  • Patent number: 8880425
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for conducting transactions and financial transfers utilizing a mobile device communicatively coupled with a mobile communications network and executing a mobile point-of-sale application. According to some embodiments, the mobile point-of-sale application is adapted to conduct money transfer transactions by communicating transaction information through the mobile communications network to a money transfer provider system that processes the money transfer and communicates receipt information to the mobile point-of-sale application. Additionally, according to some embodiments, an account associated with an agent of the money transfer provider can be used in money transfer transactions conducted by the mobile point-of-sale application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Rebecca Loevenguth, Sanjay Challani
  • Publication number: 20140324693
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transferring money to a bank account are provided. Transactional information, which includes information on a bank account that is to receive the money, may be transmitted to a host computer system from a point of sale device. The transaction information may be stored at the host computer system. At least some of the transaction information may be sent to an intermediary computer system that is configured to interact with a plurality of banking networks in different countries. The intermediary computer system may also determine which one of the banking networks is associated with the bank account that is to receive the money. A request may be transmitted from the intermediary computer network to a local banking network and includes information on the bank account that is to receive the money and an amount of money to deposit. The bank account may then be credited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Michelsen, Dan Canning, Roberto Ochoa, Rodolfo Zavaleta, Rodrigo Sada
  • Publication number: 20140316976
    Abstract: Tax refunds are provided via a money transfer service. Merely by way of example, a taxpayer (or a tax preparer) might provide to the IRS an account number at a bank, as a target for a direct deposit refund related to a tax return. In an aspect, the account number might have a specific format that informs the bank that the refund is to be processed by the money transfer service, and in another aspect, the account number might include data that identifies the taxpayer to the money transfer service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Patricia M. McKernan, Ramona Johnson, Christian J. Trujillo
  • Publication number: 20140316985
    Abstract: A method for verifying the identity of one party on behalf of another party is provided. The method includes providing a money-transfer system and a communication system that communicates with the money-transfer system; receiving at the money-transfer system from the first party certain verification criteria for confirming the identity of a second party; and storing the verification criteria in the host computer system of the money-transfer system. When an ID is received from the second party at a money-transfer location; the verification criteria is retrieved from the host computer system; and the acceptability of the ID is determined in accordance with the verification criteria. If the identification device is acceptable, identification information is obtained from the identification device; and the identification information is processed to verify the identity of the second party.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
    Inventors: Dean Seifert, Matt Bixler, Dave Owen, Elizabeth Petri
  • Publication number: 20140316977
    Abstract: A system and method of performing a value-advance money transfer comprising: receiving a money transfer request; determining whether an account associated with a sender of funds includes a sufficient amount of funds to cover a money transfer request; providing an amount of funds from a money transfer provider to the account associated with the sender to cover the money transfer request; making the amount of funds available to the sender for use in the money transfer; and executing a money transfer from the account to the control of the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Kurt Bulawa, Michele Demark, Michael Michelsen, Dave Owen
  • Patent number: 8851371
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods to initiate, facilitate, process and/or perform money transfers. One such method includes receiving a request for a transfer pair verification from a vendor location (360), and verifying that the transfer pair is associated with a valid transfer pair record (362). The method includes sending the transfer pair verification to the vendor location (368), receiving a money transfer request (370) associated with the transfer pair from the vendor location, and authorizing a money transfer (372) to at least one of a first and second customers associated with the transfer pair. In this manner, a vendor location, which may include a point-of-sale device and may be a retail outlet (e.g., grocery store, gas station, or the like), can be used to facilitate a money transfer between two customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Kurt Hansen, Thomas Sayor
  • Patent number: 8837784
    Abstract: A money transfer authorization method that includes the step of providing transferor biometric information to a party verification processor that verifies an identity of the transferor by comparing the transferor biometric information with previously registered biometric information from the transferor, where the transferor provides transfer identity information to receive the money. The method also includes confirming that the verified transferor has sufficient funds or credit for the money transfer, and providing transferee biometric identification to the party verification processor that verifies the transferee by comparing the transferee biometric information with previously registered biometric information from the transferee. The transferee has to provide transfer identity information before the money is given to the transferee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Michael Jeronimus, Ken Algiene, Scott R. Paintin
  • Publication number: 20140249946
    Abstract: A card number and an address are requested from a customer at a POS device. An AVS system compares the customer-provided address against a billing address or record for the card that is maintained by a card issuer. If the address provided by the customer matches the billing address of record, a second card number is requested from customer. That second card number is sent to the AVS system and the billing address stored by the issuer for the second card number is also checked against the address provided by the customer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
    Inventor: Girish Balasubramanian
  • Publication number: 20140250026
    Abstract: The invention provides various systems and methods for establishing an identity confidence scoring system. The method includes gathering identity information about the customers from physical locations and from remote locations. The method updates the identity profiles with the gathered identity information, and based on the gathered identity information, generates an identity confidence score associated with each identity profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: The Western Union Company
    Inventor: Matthew Leland Dill
  • Publication number: 20140244499
    Abstract: Money transfer requests are received from a remote location (such as from an off-shore ship). Enhanced security is provided by receiving, as part of a money transfer request, a device ID of an off-shore POS device at the remote location used to transmit the money transfer request and path IDs of one or more points in the path over the Internet that the message uses to reach a money transfer host. The device ID and path IDs are compared to data received in advance that specifies the IDs of an authorized device and authorized path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
    Inventor: Lance W. Gruner
  • Patent number: 8818904
    Abstract: A system for generating transaction settlement identifiers includes an arrangement configured to receive a biometric sample from a customer and an arrangement configured to use the biometric sample to select the transaction settlement identifier from a pool of predetermined transaction settlements. A mapping arrangement configured to map the selected financial transaction settlement identifier to an identifier of the customer also may be included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Tim Keane, Dean Seifert, Jonathan Grahmann
  • Patent number: 8818107
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods, devices, and systems for personalizing presentation instruments. According to one embodiment, a method for personalizing presentation instruments may include providing account information for a plurality of accounts and providing a plurality of images. Each of the images may be associated with an account and may be formatted according to one or more defined parameters to facilitate placement of each image onto a presentation instrument. Each formatted image may be overlaid or placed onto a presentation instrument to personalize each presentation instrument and each presentation instrument may be associated with account information corresponding to the image overlaid or placed on the presentation instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Will Madden, Chris Cochran, Linda Brodbeck, Joe Anzures
  • Patent number: 8799154
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for performing a funds transfer. The method may include determining which of a plurality of different funds-transfer companies is able to complete the funds transfer in accordance with defined parameters. The method may also include determining a default service fee charged for the funds transfer by a funds-transfer company of a subset of the plurality of different funds-transfer companies. The method may additionally include transmitting to at least one funds-transfer company of the subset of the plurality of different funds-transfer companies details of the funds transfer, where the details of the funds-transfer comprises the default service fee. The method may furthermore include transmitting an identification of the subset of the plurality of different funds-transfer companies, each of which is capable of completing the funds transfer in accordance with the defined parameters, the subset including at least two of the plurality of different funds-transfer companies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Michael Michelsen, Kurt Hansen, Dean A. Siefert, Kenneth Algiene
  • Publication number: 20140214689
    Abstract: One method herein includes forwarding an invoice for a purchase agreement made between a seller and a buyer. The method includes receiving a service selection indicating that the invoice is to be paid using an escrow system. The service selection includes a token for verification of a buyer's signatory. The method receives funding confirmation that the buyer has deposited funds into an escrow account. Based on funding confirmation, notification to ship the goods is sent. The method receives shipping confirmation confirming that the goods have been shipped. Upon receipt of the goods, a receiver is authenticated as the authorized signatory using the verification system. This authentication is based on the stored token matching a provided token. Based on verification of the receiver, the goods are released and the deposited funds from the escrow account are deposited into the seller's account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: The Western Union Company
    Inventor: Dave Owen