Patent ID: 7356515

Claim:
A method for transferring an electronic sum of money in real time from a money sender credit memory, which contains a prepaid credit, to a money receiver credit memory via a mobile radio network, the method comprising the steps of: storing a money receiver data record, including at least one call number for a money receiver terminal in the telecommunications network, and an account identifier for the money receiver credit memory, in at least one of a transaction database and a credit management database, with the at least the call number being stored in the transaction database, within a context of a subscription of the money receiver to a money transfer service with a service provider; storing a money sender data record, including at least one call number for a terminal, an account identifier for the money sender credit memory and an authentication data record for the money sender, in at least one of the transaction database and the credit management database; setting up a connection between one of the money receiver terminal and the money sender terminal and a transaction server associated with the service provider using a user-to-service signaling data string which specifies a money transfer service; inputting the sum of money to be transferred and a specification of a respective party to the money transfer on the terminal of the respective party and transmitting same to the transaction server, wherein the sum of money to be transferred is coded in a signaling data string comprising a USSD data string for a mobile radio network, based on one of a GSM standard and an UMTS standard, and is transferred to the transaction server based on a MAP protocol by accessing a home location register; reading, via the transaction server, the money receiver data record and the money sender data record from the transaction database; evaluating, via the transaction server, the money receiver data record and, the money sender data record, wherein the step of evaluating includes setting up an optionally required data link to at least one external application; checking a coverage of the sum of money in the money sender credit memory; reserving the sum of money if the sum of money is covered; terminating the process with signaling if the sum of money is not covered; debiting the sum of money from the money sender credit memory, and documenting same, if the sum of money is covered; crediting the sum of money to the money receiver credit memory, and documenting same, if the sum of money is covered; and transmitting respective information about at least one of the debit operation and the credit operation to at least one of the money receiver terminal and the money sender terminal.