Methods and Systems For Making a Payment Via a Stored Value Card in a Mobile Environment

Abstract

Methods and systems for making a financial payment to a payee via a stored value (SV) card utilizing a mobile device such as a mobile telephone (cellphone) or wireless connected personal digital assistant (PDA). The mobile device communicates wirelessly with a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) that stores user information and transaction information. A user enters information via the mobile device identifying a payee and indicating a stored value card payment method. The mobile device generates a mobile payment instruction that includes information corresponding to the identified payee and indicating a stored value card payment method. The mobile payment instruction is wirelessly communicated to the MFTS. The MFTS generates an MFTS payment instruction to a payment instruction recipient that can issue a new stored value card and/or reload funds onto a pre-existing stored value card. The MFTS communicates the MFTS payment instruction to the payment instruction recipient.

1 - 172 . (canceled) 
     
     
         173 . A method for making a financial payment to a payee via a stored value (SV) card utilizing a mobile device connected for communications via a wireless network, the mobile device being connected via the wireless network with a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) that is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the payee, comprising the steps of:
 displaying a plurality of selectable payment methods on the mobile device corresponding to a payment to be made to an identified payee, the plurality of selectable payment methods including an SV card payment method;   generating a mobile payment instruction comprising information corresponding to the identified payee and indicating the SV card payment method; and   wirelessly communicating the mobile payment instruction from the mobile device to the MFTS, wherein the MFTS is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the identified payee and the MFTS communicates a payment instruction to the payment instruction recipient and the payment instruction recipient effects the payment to the identified payee via an SV card by issuing a new SV card to the identified payee or adding value to a pre-existing SV card of the identified payee.   
     
     
         174 . The method of  claim 173 , further comprising the step of providing a Mobile Wallet application on the mobile device. 
     
     
         175 . The method of  claim 174 , wherein the Mobile Wallet application provides a display on the mobile device of selectable commands including a Pay Anyone command, a Payment Source selection command, and a Payment Method selection command. 
     
     
         176 . The method of  claim 175 , wherein activation of a Payment Source selection command causes the MFTS to retrieve current account information from a selected financial service provider and wirelessly communicate current account information to the mobile device upon receipt of such information from the selected financial service provider. 
     
     
         177 . The method of  claim 175 , further comprising the step of receiving selection of a payment source for making the payment in response to display of a Payment Source selection command via the Mobile Wallet. 
     
     
         178 . The method of  claim 175 , wherein the selection of a payment source for making the payment includes selection of a financial service provider and selection of a particular account associated with the selected financial service provider for making the payment. 
     
     
         179 . The method of  claim 173 , further comprising the step of displaying the payee's pre-existing SV card account number for confirmation that the payment is to be made by crediting the payee's pre-existing SV card. 
     
     
         180 . The method of  claim 173 , wherein the payment instruction recipient is one of a financial service provider, a billing aggregator, an SV card issuer, and a retail establishment that handles SV cards. 
     
     
         181 . The method of  claim 173 , wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a smartphone, a navigation device, and a hand-held computer with a wireless connection or link. 
     
     
         182 . A mobile device for making a financial payment to a payee via a stored value (SV) card, the mobile device being connected via a wireless network with a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) that is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the payee, comprising:
 a display for displaying information relating to a plurality of selectable payment methods for effecting a payment to the payee, the plurality of selectable payment methods including an SV card payment method;   a wireless communications component for communicating with the MFTS via the wireless network; and   a mobile device processor operative to:
 display a plurality of selectable payment methods on the mobile device corresponding to a payment to be made to an identified payee, the plurality of selectable payment methods including an SV card payment method; 
 generate a mobile payment instruction comprising information corresponding to the identified payee and indicating the SV card payment method; and 
 wirelessly communicate the mobile payment instruction from the mobile device to the MFTS, wherein the MFTS is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the identified payee and the MFTS communicates a payment instruction to the payment instruction recipient and the payment instruction recipient effects the payment to the identified payee via an SV card by issuing a new SV card to the identified payee or adding value to a pre-existing SV card of the identified payee. 
   
     
     
         183 . The mobile device of  claim 182 , wherein the mobile device processor is further operative to provide a Mobile Wallet application on the mobile device. 
     
     
         184 . The mobile device of  claim 183 , wherein the Mobile Wallet application provides a display on the mobile device of selectable commands including a Pay Anyone command, a Payment Source selection command, and a Payment Method selection command. 
     
     
         185 . The mobile device of  claim 184 , wherein activation of a Payment Source selection command causes the MFTS to retrieve current account information from a selected financial service provider and wirelessly communicate current account information to the mobile device upon receipt of such information from the selected financial service provider. 
     
     
         186 . The mobile device of  claim 184 , wherein the mobile device processor is further operative to receive selection of a payment source for making the payment in response to display of a Payment Source selection command via the Mobile Wallet. 
     
     
         187 . The mobile device of  claim 184 , wherein the selection of a payment source for making the payment includes selection of a financial service provider and selection of a particular account associated with the selected financial service provider for making the payment. 
     
     
         188 . The mobile device of  claim 182 , wherein the mobile device processor is further operative to displaying the payee's pre-existing SV card account number for confirmation that the payment is to be made by crediting the payee's pre-existing SV card. 
     
     
         189 . The mobile device of  claim 182 , wherein the payment instruction recipient is one of a financial service provider, a billing aggregator, an SV card issuer, and a retail establishment that handles SV cards. 
     
     
         190 . The mobile device of  claim 182 , wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a smartphone, a navigation device, and a hand-held computer with a wireless connection or link. 
     
     
         191 . A mobile device for making a financial payment to a payee via a stored value (SV) card, the mobile device being connected via a wireless network with a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) that is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the payee, comprising:
 means for displaying a plurality of selectable payment methods on the mobile device corresponding to a payment to be made to an identified payee, the plurality of selectable payment methods including an SV card payment method;   means for generating a mobile payment instruction comprising information corresponding to the identified payee and indicating the SV card payment method; and   means for wirelessly communicating the mobile payment instruction from the mobile device to the MFTS, wherein the MFTS is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the identified payee and the MFTS communicates a payment instruction to the payment instruction recipient and the payment instruction recipient effects the payment to the identified payee via an SV card by issuing a new SV card to the identified payee or adding value to a pre-existing SV card of the identified payee.   
     
     
         192 . The mobile device of  claim 191 , further comprising means for providing a Mobile Wallet application on the mobile device. 
     
     
         193 . The mobile device of  claim 192 , wherein the Mobile Wallet application provides a display on the mobile device of selectable commands including a Pay Anyone command, a Payment Source selection command, and a Payment Method selection command. 
     
     
         194 . The mobile device of  claim 193 , wherein activation of a Payment Source selection command causes the MFTS to retrieve current account information from a selected financial service provider and wirelessly communicate current account information to the mobile device upon receipt of such information from the selected financial service provider. 
     
     
         195 . The mobile device of  claim 193 , further comprising means for receiving selection of a payment source for making the payment in response to display of a Payment Source selection command via the Mobile Wallet. 
     
     
         196 . The mobile device of  claim 193 , wherein the selection of a payment source for making the payment includes selection of a financial service provider and selection of a particular account associated with the selected financial service provider for making the payment. 
     
     
         197 . The mobile device of  claim 191 , further comprising means for displaying the payee's pre-existing SV card account number for confirmation that the payment is to be made by crediting the payee's pre-existing SV card. 
     
     
         198 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for making a financial payment to a payee via a stored value (SV) card utilizing a mobile device connected for communications via a wireless network, the mobile device being connected via the wireless network with a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) that is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the payee, the method comprising:
 instructions for displaying a plurality of selectable payment methods on the mobile device corresponding to a payment to be made to an identified payee, the plurality of selectable payment methods including an SV card payment method;   instructions for generating a mobile payment instruction comprising information corresponding to the identified payee and indicating the SV card payment method; and   instructions for wirelessly communicating the mobile payment instruction from the mobile device to the MFTS, wherein the MFTS is operatively coupled to a payment instruction recipient capable of issuing an SV card to the identified payee and the MFTS communicates a payment instruction to the payment instruction recipient and the payment instruction recipient effects the payment to the identified payee via an SV card by issuing a new SV card to the identified payee or adding value to a pre-existing SV card of the identified payee.   
     
     
         199 . The computer program product of  claim 198 , further comprising instructions for providing a Mobile Wallet application on the mobile device. 
     
     
         200 . The computer program product of  claim 199 , wherein the Mobile Wallet application provides a display on the mobile device of selectable commands including a Pay Anyone command, a Payment Source selection command, and a Payment Method selection command. 
     
     
         201 . The computer program product of  claim 200 , wherein activation of a Payment Source selection command causes the MFTS to retrieve current account information from a selected financial service provider and wirelessly communicate current account information to the mobile device upon receipt of such information from the selected financial service provider. 
     
     
         202 . The computer program product of  claim 200 , further comprising instructions for receiving selection of a payment source for making the payment in response to display of a Payment Source selection command via the Mobile Wallet. 
     
     
         203 . The computer program product of  claim 200 , wherein the selection of a payment source for making the payment includes selection of a financial service provider and selection of a particular account associated with the selected financial service provider for making the payment. 
     
     
         204 . The computer program product of  claim 198 , further comprising instructions for displaying the payee's pre-existing SV card account number for confirmation that the payment is to be made by crediting the payee's pre-existing SV card.