Customer to Supplier Funds Transfer

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods to facilitate customer to supplier funds transfer via premium messages. In one aspect, an apparatus to electronically transfer funds from a customer to a supplier includes: a server component connected to a network; and a database coupled to the server component. The server component is configured to: transmit a plurality of premium rate mobile terminating text messages to the mobile cellular telephone to effect a payment from the customer to the supplier after the customer has placed an order with a supplier; populate the database with an identification of the telephone number of the customer; populate the database with at least one transaction record related to the premium rate text messages; and facilitate access to the transaction record by the customer via the telephone number of the customer.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims priority to United Kingdom Patent Application Number 08 09 383.3, filed on May 23, 2008 and entitled “Customer to Supplier Funds Transfer,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY[0002]At least some embodiments of the disclosure relate to apparatuses for performing customer to supplier funds transfer.BACKGROUND[0003]Systems for ordering products and / or services over the Internet and then making payment via the Internet are known. Many of these conventional systems involve identifying credit or debit card numbers such that funds may be obtained from a bank in a manner substantially similar to conventional credit card transactions.[0004]A system for instructing payment to be made via mobile telephone text messages is described in United States patent application publication No. 2007 / 0203836 A1, published Aug. 30, 2007. This provides an alternative method of payment that may be consider...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]In a second aspect, there is provided a method for providing customer to supplier funds transfer, including: transmitting a plurality of premium rate mobile terminating text messages to a mobile cellular telephone to effect a payment from a customer to a supplier after the customer has placed an order with the supplier; populating a database at the server with an indication of each customer's telephone number; populating the database with respect to each transaction implemented by the transmission of the premium rate text messages; and facilitating the accessing of transmission records from a requesting customer by receiving details of the customer's telephone number.

Problems solved by technology

This provides an alternative method of payment that may be considered more secure than entering credit card details into a networked computer system, but it has a disadvantage in that it requires a set up procedure in order for the method to be deployed.

However, a problem with effecting transfers using mobile telephone technology is that charges for using the service tend to be grouped together with other mobile telephony charges, and therefore a user may be persuaded to revert back to using a credit card so as to identify these charges separately.

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