Claims:We Claim:
1. A method of transferring payment from a buyer to a seller in exchange for goods or services, comprising:
a. the buyer placing a telephone call to a telephone number;
b. determining the sale price of the goods or services;
c. debiting the telephony account of the buyer by an amount equal to or greater than the sale price;
d. crediting a financial account of the seller with the sale price;
e. allowing the buyer to access the goods or services.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein, goods and services are exchanged.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein, the steps of providing the buyer with a password the buyer presents the password to the seller, the presented password is subjected to a validation check, and the buyer is given access to the goods or services only if the validation check is successful.
4. A method according to claim 3 wherein, the buyer places the call using an electronic messaging enabled device and the password is provided to the buyer in an electronic message sent to the device.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein, the device is an electronic message is an SMS message.
6. A method according to claim 4 wherein, the number identifying the buyer's device is obtained from caller line identification information.
7. A method according to any of claims 6 wherein, the buyer presents the password at a user interface displayed by a computing device. , Description:Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system of transferring payment and to a method and system of transferring payment from a buyer to a seller in exchange for goods or services.
Background of the Invention
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Payment for goods and/or services is routinely obtained from a buyer by them handing over cash to a seller. Sometimes, the buyer does not have enough cash to hand, or is located remotely from the seller so cash cannot be handed over. More recently, electronic transactions have enabled payment to be made by using, for instance, a credit card or other bankcard. Such transactions make use of computer systems operated by banking organisations. It is necessary for the buyer to have an existing financial account to make these transactions and transaction fees usually apply.
Particularly for on-line transactions, there is still considerable unease by consumers to providing credit card details due to security concerns. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words 'comprise', 'comprising', 'include', 'including' and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".
Object of the Invention
The object of the present invention there is to provide a method of transferring payment from a buyer to a seller in exchange for goods or services including the steps of the buyer placing a computer call to a particular computer number; determining the sale price of the goods or services
Summary of the Invention
In the above method, the buyer does not need to have established a financial banking account. Payment is deducted from their existing telephony account.
Preferably, the method further includes the steps of providing the buyer with a password; the buyer presents the password to the seller; the presented password is subjected to a validation check; and the buyer is given access to the goods or services only if the validation check is successful. This provides a convenient mechanism for the buyer to access the goods or services sometime after they have made payment.
Preferably, the buyer places the call using an electronic messaging enabled device; and the password is provided to the buyer in an electronic message sent to the device. In this way, the buyer does not have to write down their password.
Preferably, the device is a computer and the electronic message is an email message. Preferably, the computer number identifying the buyer's telephony device is obtained from caller line identification information. This eliminates the need for the buyer to provide their computer number manually and reduces the length of the computer call needed.
Preferably, the buyer presents the password at a user interface displayed by a computing device. Preferably, the services provided to the buyer are online services available over the internet. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a system for transferring payment from a buyer to a seller in exchange for goods or services including receiving means for receiving a t call from a buyer; determining means for determining the sale price of the goods or services; debiting means for charging the telephony account of the buyer by an amount equal to or greater than the sale price; crediting means for crediting a financial account of the seller with the sale price; and allowing means for allowing the buyer to access the goods or services.

Preferably, the system further includes providing means for providing the buyer with a password; presenting means enabling the buyer to present the password to the seller; validation means for subjecting the presented password to a validation check; and the allowing means is configured to allow the buyer to access the goods or services only if the validation check is successful.
Preferably, the providing means is arranged to provide the password to the buyer in an electronic message sent to the telephony device. Preferably, the electronic message is an EMAIL message. Preferably, the system further includes obtaining means for obtaining the computer number identifying the buyer's telephony device from caller line identification information, Preferably, the system further includes a user interface displayed by a computing device which is arranged to facilitate presentation of the password by the buyer.
Preferably, the computer number is a premium rate computer number. According to a third aspect the invention there is provided a computer program arranged to instruct a computer system to operate to implement a system in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a computer readable medium carrying a computer program according to the third aspect of the invention.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of transferring payment from a buyer to a seller in exchange for the seller supplying the buyer with goods and/or services, the method including: nominating the goods and/or services; determining a sale price for the goods and/or services; being responsive to the buyer placing a computer call to a particular computer number for debiting the telephony account of the buyer by an amount equal to or greater than the sale price; and crediting a financial account of the seller with the sale price.
Preferably, the seller hosts a web page containing data indicative of the goods and/or services and the buyer accesses the web page to nominate the goods and/or services. More preferably, the buyer uses a computer having a predetermined computer number to place the computer call and, when accessing the web page, provides the predetermined computer number to the seller. Even more preferably, the method includes the step of being responsive to the crediting of the financial account of the seller for supplying the goods and/or services to the buyer.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided a system of transferring payment from a buyer to a seller in exchange for the seller supplying the buyer with goods and/or services, the system including: a buyer interface for allowing with buyer to nominate the goods and/or services and for determining a sale price for the goods and/or services; a computer interface that is responsive to the buyer placing a computer call to a particular computer number for debiting the telephony account of the buyer by an amount equal to or greater than the sale price; and an account interface for crediting a financial account of the seller with the sale price.
Preferably, the buyer interface is a web page hosted by the seller and which contains data indicative of the goods and/or services, whereby the buyer accesses the web page to nominate the goods and/or services. More preferably, the buyer uses a computer having a predetermined computer number to place the computer call and, when accessing the web page, provides the predetermined computer number to the seller. Even more preferably, the system is responsive to the account interface crediting of the financial account of the seller for supplying the goods and/or services to the buyer.
The term "computer website computer" or "computer website phone" encompass a cellular computer and other handheld or portable computer transmitters, regardless of the transmission protocol being used or whether the computer is incorporated into another device such as a PDA, laptop, or the like.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words 'comprise', 'comprising', 'include', 'including', and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".
Brief Description of Drawings
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a system for obtaining payment from a buyer in exchange for goods or services according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Detailed Description of Invention
Referring to Figure 1 there is illustrated a system for obtaining payment from a buyer in exchange for goods and/or services. The system includes receiving means for receiving a telephone call from a buyer in the form of voice over IP (VOP) gateway. Determining means for determining the sale price, debiting means for debiting the telephony account of the buyer and crediting means for crediting a financial account of the seller are all embodied in software in server.
A buyer has a computing device in the form of personal computer which is connected to the internet. The buyer has a mobile phone which is used to dial in to mobile phone service centre via base station antenna. The mobile phone service centre can connect a telephone call through to VOIP gateway. In this embodiment, the buyer is desirous of accessing online services hosted on website server. The provider of these services makes a charge for accessing these services. It could, for instance, be a website providing financial information.