| abstract |
A method and apparatus are disclosed for transferring money from a sender to a recipient utilizing an electronic greeting card and computer network such as the Internet. The sender visits an electronic greeting card web site (100), selects an electronic greeting card to send and identifies the receiver, an e-mail address of the receiver, an amount of money to be transferred, and a withdraw account from which money is to be transferred. The withdraw account can be a checking account, a checking account secured by a credit card account, or a credit card account. The server automatically sends an e-mail to the receiver, over the Internet, to inform the receiver that the sender has caused an electronic greeting card to be sent and to request the receiver to visit a web site to receive the electronic greeting card (200). The receiver visits the electronic greeting card web site (206) and is prompted to visit a second web site to complete a funds transfer. Upon visiting the second web site, the recipient identifies a deposit account to which money is to transferred. The deposit account can be a direct deposit account, a credit card account, or a mailing address for physical delivery of a paper check. Money is available to the receiver in about four business days if the withdraw account is a checking account and with twenty four hours if the withdraw account is a checking account secured by a credit card account or a credit card account. |