Patent ID: 8271362

Claim:
A method of operating a centralized web services computer system, the method comprising: providing a first standard interface for permitting computers operated by a plurality of financial institutions to interact with the centralized web services computer system, said first standard interface being a first application programming interface and defining a first set of data messaging formats for first data messages sent or received by the computers operated by the financial institutions in communicating with the centralized web services computer system, the first set of data messaging formats including data element type and length or size for each data element for said first data messages; providing a second standard interface for permitting computers operated by a plurality of funds transfer service providers to interact with the centralized web services computer system, said second standard interface being a second application programming interface and defining a second set of data messaging formats for second data messages sent or received by the computers operated by the funds transfer service providers in communicating with the centralized web services computer system, the second set of data messaging formats including data element type and length or size for each data element for said second data messages, said second standard interface different from said first standard interface; providing an auxiliary gateway to route remittance transactions to a funds transfer back-bone that comprises an alternative payment system that enables funds transfers from payment card accounts issued under a first brand to different payment card accounts issued under a second brand; and providing a plurality of services in the centralized web services computer system, said services each accessible via at least one of said first and second standard interfaces, said services including: (a) services that integrate operation of the centralized web services computer system into web environments provided by said computers operated by said plurality of financial institutions; and (b) services that provide look-up of territory-related information including determining that a service provider has been assigned the privilege to request issuance lookups in a specified first country, determining that a specified payment card account has been issued in the specified first country, and determining that the service provider is authorized to initiate a funds transfer between the specified first country and a specified second country.