diff --git a/client/src/FetchActions.ts b/client/src/FetchActions.ts
index 31a03123..d6b118a9 100644
--- a/client/src/FetchActions.ts
+++ b/client/src/FetchActions.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { APP_API_BASE_URL } from './configs';
+import { Message } from './types';
 
 export const getRequest = (
   url: string,
@@ -26,6 +27,42 @@ export const getRequest = (
       }
     });
 };
+
+export const patchRequest = (
+  url: string,
+  body: any,
+  onSuccess: Function,
+  abortController?: AbortController,
+  onError = (statusCode?: Number, statusText?: string) => {},
+) => {
+  let options = {
+    method: 'POST',
+    headers: {
+      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+    },
+    signal: abortController?.signal,
+    body: JSON.stringify(body),
+  };
+  fetch(url, options)
+    .then((resp) => {
+      if (!resp.ok) {
+        onError(resp.status, resp.statusText);
+      } else {
+        return resp.json();
+      }
+    })
+    .then((data) => onSuccess(data))
+    .catch((e) => {
+      if (e.name === 'AbortError') {
+        // usually, this abort is intentional due to a change in props
+        console.log('fetch aborted');
+      } else {
+        onError();
+      }
+    });
+};
+// best practice for fetching is to allow fetches to be aborted, in case props change while a fetch is in progress
+
 export const fetchNeeds = (
   limit: string,
   offset: string,
@@ -63,3 +100,12 @@ export const fetchInbox = (
   const assetsApiRequest = new URL(`${APP_API_BASE_URL}/transactions/inbox`);
   getRequest(assetsApiRequest.href + assetsApiRequest.hash, onSuccess, abortController, onError);
 };
+
+export const updateMessage = (
+  messageBody: Message,
+  onSuccess: Function,
+  onError = (statusCode?: Number, statusText?: string) => {},
+) => {
+  const messageApiRequest = new URL(`${APP_API_BASE_URL}/messages/${messageBody.id}`);
+  patchRequest(messageApiRequest.href, messageBody, onSuccess, new AbortController(), () => {});
+};
diff --git a/client/src/components/Users/Inbox/MessageCard.tsx b/client/src/components/Users/Inbox/MessageCard.tsx
index db5e33ef..0afa4122 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Users/Inbox/MessageCard.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Users/Inbox/MessageCard.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { makeStyles } from 'tss-react/mui';
 import type { Theme } from '@mui/material/styles';
 
 import { Typography } from '@mui/material';
+import { Button } from '@mui/base';
 
 const useStyles = makeStyles()((theme: Theme) => ({
   currentUserMessage: {
@@ -30,14 +31,15 @@ function MessageCard({
   senderName,
   isCurrentUser,
   dateString,
+  messageReadCallback,
 }: {
   senderName: string;
   text: string;
   isCurrentUser: boolean;
   dateString: string;
+  messageReadCallback: React.MouseEventHandler<HTMLButtonElement>;
 }): JSX.Element {
   const { classes } = useStyles();
-
   return (
     <div className={isCurrentUser ? classes.currentUserMessage : classes.otherUserMessage}>
       <Typography variant="subtitle2" color="text.primary">
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ function MessageCard({
       <Typography variant="body2" color="text.primary">
         {dateString}
       </Typography>
+      <Button onClick={messageReadCallback}> Read </Button>
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/client/src/types/index.ts b/client/src/types/index.ts
index 79ca6960..08a6a0df 100644
--- a/client/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/client/src/types/index.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ export type Message = {
   sendingUserId: number | null;
   sendingOrgId: number | null;
   created_date: string;
+  read: boolean;
 };
 
 export type Option = {
diff --git a/client/src/views/Messages.tsx b/client/src/views/Messages.tsx
index 280dbed3..0e8a6bb4 100644
--- a/client/src/views/Messages.tsx
+++ b/client/src/views/Messages.tsx
@@ -1,38 +1,47 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { Message } from '../types';
+import { Message, Transaction } from '../types';
 import MessageCard from '../components/Users/Inbox/MessageCard';
+import { patchRequest, updateMessage } from '../FetchActions';
 
 function Messages({ messages, transaction, user }: any) {
   const formatDate = (date: string): string => {
     return new Date(date).toLocaleString('en-US');
   };
 
+  const getSenderName = (transaction: Transaction, message: Message) => {
+    if (message.sendingOrgId) {
+      if (message.sendingOrgId === transaction.claimer?.id) {
+        return transaction.claimer.name;
+      } else if (message.sendingOrgId === transaction.donater_organization?.id) {
+        return transaction.donater_organization.name;
+      } else {
+        return '';
+      }
+    } else if (message.sendingUserId === (user && user.id)) {
+      return user.firstName;
+    } else {
+      return transaction.donater_user?.firstName;
+    }
+  };
+
   return (
     <div className="message-list">
       {messages.map((message: Message) => {
-        const sendingOrg = [transaction.donater_organization, transaction.claimer].find(
-          (org) => org && org.id === message.sendingOrgId,
-        );
-        const userOrg =
-          user &&
-          user.organizations[0] &&
-          user.organizations[0].organization &&
-          user.organizations[0].organization.id;
-
-        let sendingUser = null;
-        if (transaction.donater_user && transaction.donater_user.id === message.sendingUserId) {
-          sendingUser = transaction.donater_user;
-        }
-        const senderName = sendingOrg ? sendingOrg.name : sendingUser && sendingUser.firstName;
-        const isCurrentUser =
-          message.sendingUserId === user.id || (userOrg && userOrg === message.sendingOrgId);
-
+        const markMessageRead: React.MouseEventHandler<HTMLButtonElement> = (event) =>
+          updateMessage(
+            message,
+            () => {},
+            () => {
+              console.log('error');
+            },
+          );
         return (
           <MessageCard
-            senderName={senderName}
+            messageReadCallback={markMessageRead}
+            senderName={getSenderName(transaction, message)}
             text={message.text}
             dateString={formatDate(message.created_date)}
-            isCurrentUser={isCurrentUser}
+            isCurrentUser={message.sendingUserId === (user && user.id)}
           />
         );
       })}
diff --git a/server/src/messages/dto/create-message.dto.ts b/server/src/messages/dto/create-message.dto.ts
index 463f2f6a..6918d3ad 100644
--- a/server/src/messages/dto/create-message.dto.ts
+++ b/server/src/messages/dto/create-message.dto.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ export class CreateMessageDto {
   @IsNotEmpty()
   text: string;
 
+  @IsOptional()
+  read: boolean
+
   @IsNotEmpty()
   transaction: Transaction;
 
@@ -15,5 +18,5 @@ export class CreateMessageDto {
   sending_user: User;
 
   @IsOptional()
-  sending_org: Organization;
+  sending_org?: Organization;
 }
diff --git a/server/src/messages/dto/return-message.dto.ts b/server/src/messages/dto/return-message.dto.ts
index f9ad59cb..4a9490b8 100644
--- a/server/src/messages/dto/return-message.dto.ts
+++ b/server/src/messages/dto/return-message.dto.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,24 @@
-import { IsNotEmpty } from 'class-validator';
+import { IsNotEmpty, IsOptional } from 'class-validator';
 
 import { CreateMessageDto } from './create-message.dto';
+import { Transaction } from 'src/transactions/entities/transaction.entity';
+import { User } from 'src/acccount-manager/entities/user.entity';
+import { Organization } from 'src/organizations/entities/organization.entity';
 
 export class ReturnMessageDto extends CreateMessageDto {
+  id: number
+
+  text: string
+
+  read: boolean
+
   @IsNotEmpty()
-  id: number;
+  transaction: Transaction;
+
+  @IsOptional()
+  sending_user: User;
+
+  @IsOptional()
+  sending_org?: Organization;
+  
 }
diff --git a/server/src/messages/dto/update-message.dto.ts b/server/src/messages/dto/update-message.dto.ts
index 2e88d19c..2972523e 100644
--- a/server/src/messages/dto/update-message.dto.ts
+++ b/server/src/messages/dto/update-message.dto.ts
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ import { PickType } from '@nestjs/swagger';
 
 import { CreateMessageDto } from './create-message.dto';
 
-export class UpdateMessageDto extends PickType(CreateMessageDto, ['text'] as const) {}
+export class UpdateMessageDto extends PickType(CreateMessageDto, ['text', 'read' ] as const) {}
diff --git a/server/src/messages/entities/message.entity.ts b/server/src/messages/entities/message.entity.ts
index 0d480619..4c08b135 100644
--- a/server/src/messages/entities/message.entity.ts
+++ b/server/src/messages/entities/message.entity.ts
@@ -43,10 +43,11 @@ export class Message {
   @Column({ nullable: true })
   sendingOrgId: number;
 
+  @Column()
+  read: boolean
+
   @ManyToOne(() => Transaction, (transaction) => transaction.messages)
   @JoinColumn()
   transaction: Transaction;
 
-  @OneToMany(() => Receivedmessage, (userMessage) => userMessage.message)
-  readReceipts?: Receivedmessage[];
 }
diff --git a/server/src/messages/messages.controller.ts b/server/src/messages/messages.controller.ts
index 35dc09ce..3345c752 100644
--- a/server/src/messages/messages.controller.ts
+++ b/server/src/messages/messages.controller.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export class MessagesController {
   async create(
     @Request() request: ExpressRequest,
     @Body() createMessageDto: CreateMessageDto,
-  ): Promise<Message> {
+  ): Promise<ReturnMessageDto> {
     const newMessage = await this.messagesService.create(createMessageDto);
     return newMessage;
   }
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ export class MessagesController {
   @Patch(':id')
   @ApiOperation({ summary: 'Update a message.' })
   async update(
-    @Param('id') id: string,
+    @Param('id') id: number,
     @Body() updateMessageDto: UpdateMessageDto,
   ): Promise<ReturnMessageDto> {
-    return this.messagesService.update(+id, updateMessageDto);
+    return this.messagesService.update(id, updateMessageDto);
   }
 
   @Delete(':id')
diff --git a/server/src/transactions/transactions.controller.ts b/server/src/transactions/transactions.controller.ts
index d9ab88c3..5c630654 100644
--- a/server/src/transactions/transactions.controller.ts
+++ b/server/src/transactions/transactions.controller.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Get, Post, Body, Query, Param, Patch, Delete, Controller } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { Get, Post, Body, Query, Param, Patch, Delete, Controller, UseGuards } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { ApiTags, ApiOperation } from '@nestjs/swagger';
 
 import { TransactionsService } from './transactions.service';