Claims
- 1. A method of using a kiosk to dispense funds, comprising:
receiving information at the kiosk identifying a source for the funds; transmitting a request to a host computer to verify the source for the funds; receiving at the kiosk a verification of the funds; displaying on a display screen an amount of funds available for payment; receiving at the kiosk a request from a user to remit a first portion of the amount of funds in a first form, wherein the first form is selected from a group consisting of paper currency, money order, credit to an account, and credit to a stored value card; remitting the first portion in the first form; displaying a set of options for receiving a second portion of the amount of funds, wherein the set of options is selected from a group consisting of a money order, a donation, a credit to a stored value card, and a credit to an account; and receiving a request from the user to remit the second portion of the amount of funds in a second form, wherein the second form is selected from the set of options; wherein the first form and the second form are different, and wherein the kiosk is configured to dispense money orders upon receipt of a request from the user to remit the first portion as a money order.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion is a number of whole dollars of the amount and the second portion is a number of cents of the amount.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the source for the funds is a wire transfer to the user.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source for the funds is an account, and further comprising reading account information from a card to identify the source for the funds.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the source for the funds is a check, and the method further comprises receiving the check from the user.
- 6. A method of using a kiosk to initiate a transaction to send funds along with a greeting, comprising:
receiving information at the kiosk relating to a source for the funds; receiving at the kiosk from the user information identifying a recipient of the funds; displaying on a display screen of the kiosk a summary of the transaction; and receiving at the kiosk information relating to the creation of a message to the recipient of the funds.
- 7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:
receiving an amount of funds at the kiosk from a user, wherein the means for receiving the funds is selected from the group consisting of reading information from a card possessed by the user, receiving cash, receiving a check, receiving a wire transfer directed to the user, and receiving a money order.
- 8. The method as in claim 6, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message comprises:
receiving information relating to an occasion; and receiving information relating to a design based on the occasion.
- 9. The method as in claim 6, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message comprises recording an audio portion of a greeting.
- 10. The method as in claim 9, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message further comprises recording a video portion of the greeting.
- 11. The method as in claim 10, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message further comprises transmitting a file containing the gift message to a server computer and wherein the gift message includes the audio portion of the greeting, the video portion of the greeting, and data that associates the gift message to the transaction.
- 12. A method of using a kiosk to exchange value among value accounts, comprising:
receiving information relating to a first value account; displaying on a display screen of the kiosk an amount of value available for exchange from the first value account; receiving at the kiosk an amount of value to be transferred; receiving information relating to a second value account; and sending a message to a value exchange server to transfer the amount from the first value account to the second value account; wherein the first value account represents value in a first form and the second value account represents value in a second form, and wherein the first form and the second form are different.
- 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a request to the value exchange server to transmit the exchange rate for value between the first and second value accounts.
- 14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving information relating to a first value account includes reading information from a value card while the value card is swiped by a user, wherein the value card represents the first account.
- 15. A method of using a kiosk to receive funds, comprising:
receiving information from a user identifying a source for the funds; transmitting a request to a server computer to verify the source for the funds and an amount of funds available; and presenting a message from the sender of the funds to the user.
- 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
displaying a set of options from which the user may choose the form in which to receive the funds; receiving a request from the user to receive the funds in a particular form; and remitting the funds in the form requested by the user.
- 17. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the gift card comprises displaying a video portion of the gift card.
- 18. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the gift card comprises playing an audio portion of the gift card.
- 19. A multi-purpose kiosk, comprising:
means for providing two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative; means for entering account information; means for remitting value to the customer; means for displaying account information; and means for receiving value from the customer.
- 20. The multi-purpose kiosk of claim 19, wherein value is selected from the group consisting of currency, coinage, money orders, a credit to a value card, and a credit to an account represented by a value card.
- 21. The multi-purpose kiosk of claim 19, further comprising means for creating a gift message.
- 22. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 19, further comprising means for appreciating a gift message.
- 23. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 22, wherein the means for appreciating the gift message is selected from the group consisting of a display screen, a speaker, and a printer.
- 24. A multi-purpose kiosk, comprising:
a communication arrangement that provides two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative; a value dispenser configured to dispense value to the customer; and a value receiver configured to receive value from the customer.
- 25. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 24, wherein value is selected from the group consisting of currency, coinage, money orders, a credit to a value card, and a credit to an account represented by a value card.
- 26. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 24, further comprising an input device that enables the customer to create a gift message.
- 27. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 24, further comprising a multi-media output device that enables the customer to appreciate a gift message.
- 28. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 27, wherein the means for appreciating the gift message is selected from the group consisting of a display screen, a speaker, and a printer.
- 29. A system for transferring value, comprising:
a host system that receives information relating to value to be transferred; and at least one kiosk configured for communication with a host system, wherein the kiosk comprises a value dispenser configured to dispense value and a value receiver configured to receive value, wherein the kiosk further comprises a communication arrangement that provides two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/737,912, entitled, “ONLINE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ORDERING AND HAVING DELIVERED A PAPER GREETING MESSAGE AND PAYMENT INSTRUMENT” (Attorney Docket No. 020375-001000US), filed on Dec. 15, 2000, by Peter Karas and James Cowell, and to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/010,068, entitled, “ELECTRONIC GIFT GREETING” (Attorney Docket No. 020375-000610US), filed on Dec. 6, 2001, by Peter Karas, James Cowell, James R. Yoder, Matt F. Golub, and Aamer Ali Baig, and to copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/346,363, entitled, “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING MONEY-ORDER REQUESTS” (Attorney Docket No. 020375-009100US), filed on Jan. 4, 2002, by Joseph Cachey, III, Dean Seifert, Mark Thompson, Judy Fleming, and Carol Darlan, and to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/955,747, entitled, “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING STORED VALUE” (Attorney Docket No. 020375-000300US), filed on Sep. 18, 2001, by Kurt Hansen and Joseph Cachey, III, and to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/040,568, entitled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF INTRODUCING AND RECEIVING INFORMATION ACROSS A COMPUTER NETWORK” (Attorney Docket No. 020375-003000US), filed on Jan. 4, 2002, by Dean Seifert and Mark Thompson, which applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.