Patent ID: 8117124

Claim:
An apparatus to electronically transfer funds from a customer to a supplier, the customer having a mobile cellular telephone with a telephone number, a mobile cellular operator providing mobile cellular services to the mobile cellular telephone, a customer browser component connected to a network, a supplier browser component connected to the network, the apparatus comprising: a server component connected to the network; and a database component coupled to the server component, wherein the server component is configured to: transmit a message to the mobile cellular telephone to request a confirmation after the customer has placed an order with the supplier; in response to the confirmation, calculate an amount of the order; populate the database component with an identification of the telephone number of the customer; transmit a message to the mobile cellular telephone for the customer to select whether a discount is required; receive a message from the mobile cellular telephone with a selection of whether the discount is required or not required; if the discount is required, register the customer by prompting the customer to supply additional personal data, and populating the database component with the additional personal data against the telephone number in response to the additional personal data, and applying the discount to the amount: and transmitting a plurality of premium rate mobile terminating text messages to the mobile cellular telephone to effect a payment from the customer for the amount as modified by the discount if the customer has been registered.