System and method for negotiable instrument cashing fee setup by type

• US 7,614,550 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valsoft Corp., Inc. (Valsef Group)
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Check Cashing, Inc. (Valsef Group)
• Inventors: Goff, Tennille V., Watson, Timothy Neil, Robinson, Timothy L., Schildt, Bradford R., Corwin, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US11/232,878
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/379, 235/375, 235/380, 705/10, 705/14, 705/44
• US Class Current: 235/382
• 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 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules

Abstract

A method of providing negotiable instrument cashing merchants the ability to readily customize, store locally or centrally, and update manually or automatically, preferences related to negotiable instrument cashing transactions. The present invention imparts a process by which cashers utilizing a negotiable instrument cashing system can store and update fee and surcharge preferences, share them with affiliated cashers, and apply the preferences to negotiable instrument cashing transactions.

Claims

1. A method of defining, storing and sharing casher preferences for negotiable instrument cashing transactions via a negotiable instrument cashing system, comprising:

at a first authorization station, receiving casher data, said data including casher biometric data;

verifying an identity of said casher, based on a comparison of said received casher biometric data with registered casher biometric data;

if an identity of said casher is verified, determining whether said casher is authorized to define preferences;

if said casher is authorized to define preferences, receiving one or more casher negotiable instrument cashing preferences;

communicating said casher preferences to a database; and

storing said casher preferences at said database, wherein said stored casher preferences are used to automatically update one or more additional authorization stations that apply said stored casher preferences to negotiable instrument cashing transactions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said casher preferences include one of negotiable instrument cashing fees, negotiable instrument cashing surcharges, negotiable instrument maker categorizations and negotiable instrument type categorizations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said casher preferences are accessed based on at least a casher identifier.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said casher identifier is casher biometric data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said casher is further enabled to alter said stored preferences.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said database is one or more of a local database and a central database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatic updating occurs at one or more of a startup of said one or more additional authorization stations, casher log on to said one or more additional authorization stations, an interval specified according to system parameters, a time specified according to system parameters, and a casher request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatic updating is selectively communicated to a subset of said one or more additional authorization stations according to system parameters.

9. A method for defining and applying casher preferences, comprising:

at an authorization station, receiving casher data, said data including casher biometric data;

verifying an identity of said casher based on a comparison of said received casher biometric data with registered casher biometric data;

if said comparison indicates that said casher is authorized to define preferences, receiving one or more casher negotiable instrument cashing preferences;

storing said casher preferences;

receiving negotiable instrument information that is presented by a presenter and endorsed by a negotiable instrument maker;

receiving biometric data from said presenter;

comparing said biometric data of said presenter with registered presenter biometric data;

determining whether said negotiable instrument should be accepted for cashing;

if said negotiable instrument is accepted for cashing, determining one or more of a fee and a categorization for the transaction, wherein said determining includes identifying which of said casher preferences apply to said transaction;

processing said transaction, wherein said processing includes the application of said casher preferences to said transaction; and

storing information relating to said transaction in a transaction record.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said casher negotiable instrument cashing preferences include one or more of negotiable instrument cashing fees, negotiable instrument cashing surcharges, negotiable instrument maker categorizations and negotiable instrument type categorizations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said application of said casher check cashing preferences comprises at least collecting from said presenter one or more of a flat fee and a percentage fee.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said casher inputs said negotiable instrument information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said inputting includes a designation by said casher of one or more negotiable instrument categorizations for said negotiable instrument.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein subsequently presented negotiable instruments drafted by said negotiable instrument maker are automatically categorized according to said designated negotiable instrument categorizations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said casher is enabled to override said automatic categorization.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said negotiable instrument information is received by scanning said negotiable instrument.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said scanned negotiable instrument information determines a negotiable instrument categorization for said negotiable instrument.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said casher is enabled to override said negotiable instrument categorization.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein said casher is enabled to access said transaction record.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said casher submits biometric data to authorize said accessing.

21. A method for automatically applying casher preferences to a negotiable instrument cashing transaction, comprising:

receiving, from a presenter, negotiable instrument information, wherein said receiving includes scanning said negotiable instrument;

receiving, at a local device, biometric data from said presenter;

receiving, at said local device, biometric data from a casher,

comparing said biometric data of said presenter with registered presenter biometric data;

determining, based on one or more of information contained in a presenter record and said negotiable instrument information, whether said negotiable instrument should be accepted for cashing;

comparing said biometric data of said casher with registered casher biometric data, said comparison being used to verify and record said casher'"'"'s identity,

determining, based on information retrieved by said scanning, one or more of a fee and a categorization for the transaction, wherein said determining further includes accessing one or more preconfigured fees and categorizations stored at a database;

processing said transaction, wherein said processing includes the application of one or more of said fee and categorization to said transaction; and

storing information relating to said transaction in a transaction record.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said scanning is performed by one or more of a magnetic ink character recognition device and an optical character recognition device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said casher is enabled to override said determining of said fee and categorization type.

24. A method of defining and storing casher preferences for negotiable instrument cashing transactions via a negotiable instrument cashing system, comprising:

at an authorization station, receiving casher data, said data including a casher identifier;

verifying said casher'"'"'s identity, based on a comparison of said received casher data with registered casher data;

if said comparison indicates that said casher is authorized to define preferences, receiving one or more casher preferences pertaining to one or more of negotiable instrument cashing fees, negotiable instrument cashing surcharges, negotiable instrument maker categorizations and negotiable instrument type categorizations; and

storing said casher preferences at a database, wherein said stored casher preferences are used to automatically update one or more additional authorization stations that apply said stored casher preferences to negotiable instrument cashing transactions.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said casher identifier is one of a passcode, information contained on a token or casher biometric data.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said automatic updating occurs at one or more of a startup of said one or more additional authorization stations, casher log on to said one or more additional authorization stations, an interval specified according to system parameters, a time specified according to system parameters, and a casher request.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said automatic updating is selectively communicated to a subset of said one or more additional authorization stations according to system parameters.