Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Nicholas K Peddy

Chelsea Celest Krueger

Michael J McCann

FuMing Young

Suguna Subramaniam

W Cary Hall

Erich Lawrence Ringewald

Mark J Britto

Aimee K Cardwell

Adrian J Blakey

Angela C Lee

Guy Bialostocki

Sasan Dashtinezhad

Matthew T Bogosian

A method and system is provided for maintaining customer data in a data store system utilizing a scalable partitioning framework. More specifically, the data store of a customer service system is partitioned (divided) into multiple partitions by a partitionable key of customer data so that each partition owns a subset of the customer data. By maintaining several partitions that store a subset of the customer data exclusive to each other, blackout or brownout problems can be local to one partition and, thus, the availability for the entire system will be increased. Moreover, a set of partitionable keys, a minimal unit to be moved between partitions, is grouped and associated with a partition. By eliminating direct dependencies between the partitions and the partitionable keys, the system can have great flexibility with regard to migrating customer data between partitions and adding a new partition.

Scalable partitioning in a multilayered data service framework

A network-accessible funds transfer system is disclosed that is capable of controlling a funds transfer transaction in which a funds transfer service collects funds from a payer and transfers collected funds to a payee. In one embodiment, the funds transfer service uses credit card information specified by the payer via the service's user interface to collect funds from the payer (through interactions with a third party fulfillment service), and uses bank account information specified by the payee via the service's user interface to transfer collected funds to a bank account of the payee.

Network accessible funds transfer system

Cross-region data access in partitioned framework

A funds transfer system is disclosed that is responsive to a receipt of a payment request by performing a risk management assessment of an associated payer and payee. If the risk management assessment produces an adverse indication, the payment request is declined. Otherwise, the payment request may be processed by causing funds to be transferred between the payer and payee. The risk management assessment may be performed on the basis of credit and/or authentication information derived from customer information received with or prior to the payment request. Such customer information may, for example, include credit card account information and/or bank account information.

Computer-assisted funds transfer system

A payment request associated with a transfer of funds is received and a risk management assessment for both sides thereof is performed. If the risk management assessment procedure produces an adverse indication, the payment request is declined. Otherwise, the payment request may be processed for delivery of a payment associated therewith. The risk management assessment may be performed on the basis of credit/authentication information derived from customer information received with (or even prior to) the payment request. Such customer information may include credit card account information and/or bank account information (e.g., checking account) information. In some cases, the risk management assessment may include an automated component and a manual (non-automated) component. Such a manual component may be needed where the automated component of the risk management assessment provides suspect information regarding one of the parties to the transaction. Where the payment request is processed for delivery of the payment, such processing may include submitting a payment authorization request, and, upon receiving a settlement indication regarding that payment authorization request, transmitting the payment. In some cases, the payment may be transmitted as a check, while in others it may be transmitted as a money order or instruction to have funds automatically deposited in an account.

Traffic migration in a multilayered data service framework

The present invention provides various features for extracting a user's bank account information for use in facilitating the electronic transfer of funds to or from the user's bank account. One feature of the invention involves a method and system for extracting a bank routing number from character strings provided by a user from the face of a bank check. The method involves receiving from the user a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line. A contiguous string of characters within the MICR line that satisfies a checksum test is stored as the bank routing number for the user. A check number and an account number may also be received from the user. A test is performed to verify that the check number, the account number, and the bank routing number all coexist within the MICR line. Another feature of the invention involves a method and system for facilitating the transfer of funds between a buyer and a seller. A bank routing number is determined for the seller as noted above. A credit card account associated with the buyer is then charged to collect funds for purchasing one or more items from the seller, and at least a portion of the collected funds is deposited into the bank account of the seller using the extracted bank routing number.

Extraction of bank routing number from information entered by a user

A service configured to be accessible by two or more parties to a two-sided funds transfer transaction through a computer network (e.g., the Internet) provides functionality for sending a payment request to a target payer or payee who is not yet registered with the service. Depending upon who is initiating the transaction (i.e., a payer or a payee) the payment requests may be received as requests to send payments or requests to collect payments. In the latter case, the service may be further organized to solicit a payment, for example by transmitting an e-mail message to a second party to the funds transfer transaction. When used to collect payments, the service may be further organized to process one or more responses to the above-mentioned solicitations.

Computer-based funds transfer system

A computer-implemented method is disclosed for extracting a user's bank account information from information entered by the user from the face of a check. The extracted information may be used to electronically transfer funds to or from the user's bank account. The method may be embodied within a web site system, a telephone-based voice prompting system, or another type of interactive computer system of a business entity, and provides an alternative to requiring the user to mail a voided check. The method involves receiving from the user a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line, and identifying a contiguous string of characters within the MICR line that satisfies a checksum test. The resulting string is stored as the bank routing number for the user. A check number and an account number may also be received from the user, in which case a test is performed to verify that the check number, the account number, and the bank routing number all coexist within the MICR line. In a preferred embodiment, the method is used to facilitate the transfer of funds between buyers and sellers in an electronic commerce system that provides a marketplace for users to buy and sell goods, such as an online auctions system or a &ldquo;flea market&rdquo; system. In this embodiment, when a buyer purchases one or more items from a seller, the buyer's credit card account is charged to collect funds for the purchase, and at least a portion of the collected funds is deposited into the bank account of the seller using the extracted bank routing number.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Nicholas K Peddy