Patent ID: 7107249

Claim:
A payment service method, which comprises the steps of: a) a payment service provider contracting with a client to provide payment accounts to customers of the client, wherein a customer of the client enrolls with the payment service provider and thereafter pays funds into the payment account and uses the funds to purchase goods or services from the client; b) the payment service provider receiving account information comprising a set of account identifiers for the customers from the client, the set of identifiers forming a database comprising existing and future customer accounts, the set of identifiers being formatted into a customer database, the customer database being operated by the payment service provider; c) storing the account information in the consumer database; d) receiving a request from the customer to make a payment to a client account, wherein the customer is physically present at a payment service provider location; e) receiving identifying information from the customer; f) using the database to verify status of the client account; g) the payment service provider receiving a payment from the customer to purchase goods or services; h) using a computer to establish the payment account with the payment service provider for the customer, wherein the computer is capable of communicating with a storage medium; i) storing the payment account in the storage medium; j) the payment service provider issuing and assigning a unique identifier to the customer after enrolling with the payment service provider and for purposes of making payments, wherein the unique identifier is configured to provide the customer with access to the payment account to make further payments from the payment account without providing the identifying information; k) crediting the payment account in an amount corresponding to the payment; l) using a wire transfer to transfer the funds from the payment account to the client account upon receipt of the payment; and m) printing a receipt for the customer, the receipt including the unique identifier and a commercial message to the customer.