Mobile money transfers

A method of conducting a money transfer between a payer using a first handheld mobile device and a payee using a second handheld mobile device, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a computer operated at the direction of a financial institution, a money transfer message initiated by the payer from the first handheld mobile device, wherein the payer is a customer of the financial institution and is a registered user of a money transfer system operated by the financial institution, wherein the money transfer message identifies the payee and includes contact information for the payee;
• scanning the money transfer message for a set of money transfer information including a name of the payee, a number of the second handheld mobile device, a transfer amount, and an account number of the payer;
• generating a unique transaction ID based on the money transfer message;
• providing, using the computer, first transaction information concerning the money transfer to the second handheld mobile device, the first transaction information including the unique transaction ID, a name of the payer, the transfer amount, and a hyperlink to a webpage of the financial institution, the hyperlink having an expiration;
• receiving, at the computer from the second handheld mobile device, second transaction information concerning the money transfer, the second transaction information including a payee transaction ID and a name of the payer, wherein at least a portion of the second transaction information including the payee transaction ID is automatically entered into the webpage using the hyperlink;
• verifying, using the computer, the second transaction information by comparing the second transaction information to the first transaction information;
• and
• conducting the money transfer at the financial institution after verifying the second transaction information.

A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-readable instructions for conducting a money transfer between a payer using a first handheld device and a payee using a second handheld device, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

• receive a money transfer message initiated by the payer from the first handheld device, wherein the payer is a customer of a financial institution that operates the computer and is a registered user of a money transfer system operated by the financial institution, wherein the money transfer message identifies the payee and includes contact information for the payee;
• scan the money transfer message for a set of money transfer information including a name of the payee, a number of the second handheld device, a transfer amount, and an account number of the payer;
• generate a unique transaction ID based on the money transfer message;
• provide instructions regarding how to receive the money transfer and first transaction information concerning the money transfer to the second handheld device, the first transaction information including the unique transaction ID, a name of the payer, the transfer amount, and a hyperlink to a webpage of the financial institution, the hyperlink having an expiration;
• receive, at the financial institution from the second handheld device, second transaction information concerning the money transfer, the second transaction information including a payee account, a payee transaction ID and a name of the payer, at least a portion of the second transaction information automatically entered into the webpage using the hyperlink, wherein at least a portion of the second transaction information including the payee transaction ID is automatically entered into the webpage using the hyperlink;
• verify, at the financial institution, that at least a portion of the second transaction information matches the first transaction information;
• and
• conduct the money transfer at the financial institution after verifying that the second transaction information matches the first transaction information.