Patent ID: 7587342

Claim:
A computer implemented method for enabling a first party to request and receive an online payment from a second party through a payment enabler system, comprising: maintaining at the payment enabler system a database of registered users that have registered with the payment enabler system, the database comprising a plurality of records that include an email address and other account information; maintaining at the payment enabler system an address book database for storing address book records comprising names associated with second parties from whom the first party may request a payment, each address book record including a name and an associated email address; in response to selection by the first party of an address book entry of the particular second party for purposes of requesting an online payment from the selected second party, retrieving, by a processor, the email address associated with the selected second party from the first party's associated address book records in the address book database; accessing, by the processor, the registered users database and determining whether the retrieved email address associated with the selected particular second party has a record in the registered users database; in response to a determination that the second party has no entry in the registered users database, sending, by the processor, the second party a registration invitation email utilizing the retrieved email address to notify the second party that a payment is requested and instructing the second party to register with the payment enabler system by accessing the payment enabler system; in response to accessing of the payment enabler system by the second party after the registration invitation email, conducting, by the processor, a user registration process comprising steps including receiving registration information comprising an email address of the registering user, identification information, and a default money transfer method; in response to receiving registration information from a registering user, creating, by the processor, a database record in the registered users database including the registration information; and completing, by the processor, the payment from the second party to the first party by the payment enabler system transferring money from the second party to the first party utilizing a determined money transfer method.