Systems and methods for interfacing location-base devices

• US 7,299,979 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, David, Phillips, Cheryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/418,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/375, 705 38- 39, 705/45, 705/42, 382137-139
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for electronically processing accounts receivable (AR) check transactions via a location-base device associated with a merchant. The location-base device, such as a point-of-sale (POS) device, can be configured to perform various functions that facilitate processing of AR checks. Such functions may include improved user interface, an ability to handle a repetitive input parameter, an ability to handle multiple merchant identifiers, an ability to generate multiple receipt types, an ability to edit check transactions, an ability to manage throughput of the device, and an ability to allow scanning of different types of checks so as to allow subsequent processing of the scanned checks to be different based on the type of the check. The location-base device configured in one or more of the foregoing manner facilitates a check authorization process performed by a check processing service.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a financial transaction, comprising:

an electronic user interface that queries a user performing the financial transaction whether the financial transaction was received in a non-face-to-face manner to facilitate processing of the financial transaction electronically;

a conversion component that converts the financial transaction into an electronic format to allow at least a portion of the financial transaction to be processed electronically, the conversion component further tags the electronic format of the financial transaction as an accounts receivable transaction in the event that the financial transaction was received in a non-face-to-face manner; and

a communication link that sends the tagged electronic format of the financial transaction to a check processing service that prints an image of the financial transaction from the tagged electronic format and processes the printed image of the financial transaction via the federal clearing house (FCH).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the financial transaction comprises an accounts receivable check received by a merchant.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the conversion component includes a scanning component adapted to scan at least a portion of the accounts receivable check to facilitate the electronic processing of the accounts receivable check.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises a communication component configured to communicate with a check processing service.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the check processing service determines whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein determining whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check comprises performing a risk assessment of the financial transaction.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein determining whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check depends at least in part on a level of service subscribed by the merchant.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the level of service comprises a guarantee of the financial transaction by the check processing service when the check processing service authorizes the accounts receivable check.

9. A method of processing a financial transaction, the method comprising:

electronically querying a user performing the financial transaction whether the financial transaction was received in a non-face-to-face manner to facilitate processing of the financial transaction electronically;

converting the financial transaction into an electronic format to allow at least a portion of the financial transaction to be processed electronically;

tagging the electronic format of the financial transaction as an accounts receivable transaction in the event that the financial transaction was received in a non-face-to-face manner; and

sending the tagged electronic format of the financial transaction to a check processing service that prints an image of the financial transaction from the tagged electronic format and processes the printed image of the financial transaction via the federal clearing house (FCH).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the financial transaction comprises an accounts receivable check received by a merchant.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein querying comprises prompting the user for an input.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein converting comprises scanning at least a portion of the accounts receivable check to facilitate the electronic processing of the accounts receivable check.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating with a check processing service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the check processing service determines whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check comprises performing a risk assessment of the financial transaction.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check depends at least in part on a level of service subscribed by the merchant.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the level of service comprises a guarantee of the financial transaction by the check processing service when the check processing service authorizes the accounts receivable check.

18. An apparatus for performing financial transaction, comprising:

first means for electronically querying a user performing the financial transaction whether the financial transaction was received in a non-face-to-face manner to facilitate processing of the financial transaction electronically;

second means for scanning at least a portion of the financial transaction;

third means for tagging the scanned financial transaction as an accounts receivable financial transaction in the event that the financial transaction was received in a non-face-to-face manner; and

fourth means for sending the tagged financial transaction electronically to a check processing service that prints an image of the financial transaction from the tagged financial transaction and processes the image of the financial transaction via the federal clearing house (FCH).

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the financial transaction comprises an accounts receivable check received by a merchant.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second means comprises a scanning means adapted to scan at least a portion of the accounts receivable check to facilitate the electronic processing of the accounts receivable check.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second means comprises a communication means configured to communicate with a check processing service.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the check processing service determines whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein determining whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check comprises performing a risk assessment of the financial transaction.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein determining whether to authorize or decline the accounts receivable check depends at least to some degree on a level of service subscribed by the merchant.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the level of service comprises a guarantee of the financial transaction by the check processing service when the check processing service authorizes the accounts receivable check.