Technique for financial account information processing

• US 7,640,197 B1
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Martin, Mike, Gentry, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi; Hani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akintola; Olabode
• Application Number:
  US10/830,455
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 44
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A technique for processing information associated with a financial account is provided. Multiple options for validating and/or altering financial account information exist. A priority value for each of the options is determined. The option having the highest priority value is selected. Then, the financial account information is validated and/or altered according to the selected option.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a financial transaction comprising an account identifier comprising at least one of a financial account number or a routing transit number, wherein the financial transaction is to be processed using any of a plurality of options for performing at least one of validation of the account identifier or alteration of the account identifier, wherein the processing is performed to determine whether the financial transaction is convertible to an electronic transaction;

determining, for each of the plurality of options, a value that represents at least one factor selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a preference for the respective option, (ii) a relative success in matching at least a portion of the account identifier, (iii) accessibility through an automated clearing house network of an account corresponding to the account identifier, and (iv) a relative amount of alteration of the account identifier;

selecting one of the plurality of options based at least in part on a comparison of the respective values for each of the plurality of options; and

determining whether the financial transaction is convertible to an electronic transaction based at least in part on processing the financial transaction using the selected one of the plurality of options;

wherein the prior steps are performed by one or more financial processing computers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the financial transaction to an electronic transaction subsequent to processing the financial transaction using the selected one of the plurality of options, wherein the prior step is performed by one or more financial processing computers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the value that represents the at least one factor is based at least in part on at least one of (i) a customer type identifier, (ii) a transaction identifier, or (iii) at least a portion of the account identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective value for each of the plurality of options represents at least a preference for the respective option, and the respective preference for the respective option is determined at least in part by one of (i) a payor, (ii) a payee, (iii) the payor'"'"'s financial institution, or (iv) the payee'"'"'s financial institution.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective value for each of the plurality of options represents at least a preference for the respective option comprising one of (i) a relative value or (ii) an absolute value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, for each of the plurality of options, the value that represents the at least one factor comprises determining a multiple digit field, wherein each digit represents a factor value for one of the at least one factor and wherein the relative position of each digit indicates the relative importance of the respective factor in selecting the one of the plurality of options.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, for each of the plurality of options, the value that represents the at least one factor comprises determining a factor value for each of at least two factors selected from the group consisting of:

(i) the preference for the respective option, (ii) the relative success in matching at least a portion of the account identifier, (iii) the accessibility through an automated clearing house network of an account corresponding to the account identifier, and (iv) the relative amount of alteration of the account identifier, wherein selecting the one of the plurality of options comprises (i) selecting the one of the plurality of plurality of options comprising a factor value having a highest priority or (ii) selecting the one of the plurality of options comprising a highest sum of factor values.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, for each of the plurality of options, the value that represents the at least one factor comprises processing the financial transaction using each of the plurality of options and determining the value for each of the plurality of options based at least in part on the results of processing the financial transaction using each of the plurality of options.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial transaction comprises a funds transfer order comprising one of a paper funds transfer instrument or an electronic funds transfer directive, and further comprising:

converting the financial transaction to an electronic transaction; and

originating the electronic transaction to an automated clearing house network to complete the funds transfer order;

wherein the prior steps are performed by one or more financial processing computers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the financial transaction comprises a first financial transaction comprising a first paper funds transfer instrument received from a remote location, and further comprising:

generating, based at least in part on converting the first paper funds transfer instrument to an electronic transaction, a data record to facilitate converting a second paper funds transfer instrument to an electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument at the remote location, wherein the first paper funds transfer instrument and the second paper funds transfer instrument are drawn on accounts at a same financial institution; and

transmitting the data record to the remote location;

wherein the prior steps are performed by one or more financial processing computers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic transaction comprises a first electronic transaction originated to an automated clearing house network, and further comprising:

receiving, from the remote location, the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument, wherein the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument is generated from the second paper funds transfer instrument based upon the data record;

converting the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument to a second electronic transaction; and

originating the second electronic transaction to the automated clearing house network without determining a value, selecting one of the plurality of options, and determining whether the second paper funds transfer instrument can be converted to the second electronic transaction for the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument and received from the remote location;

wherein the prior steps are performed by one or more financial processing computers.

12. A system, comprising:

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions;

a communications interface operable to receive a financial transaction comprising an account identifier comprising at least one of a financial account number or a routing transit number, wherein the financial transaction is to be processed using any of a plurality of options for performing at least one of validation of the account identifier or alteration of the account identifier, wherein the processing is performed to determine whether the financial transaction is convertible to an electronic transaction; and

a processor in communication with the communications interface and the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer executable instructions to perform the operations of;

determining, for each of the plurality of options, a value that represents at least one factor selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a preference for the respective option, (ii) a relative success in matching at least a portion of the account identifier, (iii) accessibility through an automated clearing house network of an account corresponding to the account identifier, and (iv) a relative amount of alteration of the account identifier;

selecting one of the plurality of options based at least in part on a comparison of the respective values for each of the plurality of options; and

determining whether the financial transaction is convertible to an electronic transaction based at least in part on processing the financial transaction using the selected one of the plurality of options.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the operations of converting the financial transaction to an electronic transaction subsequent to processing the financial transaction using the selected one of the plurality of options.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the value that represents the at least one factor is determined based at least in part on at least one of (i) a customer type identifier, (ii) a transaction identifier, or (iii) at least a portion of the account identifier.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the respective value for each of the plurality of options represents at least a preference for the respective option, and the respective preference for the respective option is determined at least in part by one of (i) a payor, (ii) a payee, (iii) the payor'"'"'s financial institution, or (iv) the payee'"'"'s financial institution.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the respective value for each of the plurality of options represents at least a preference for the respective option comprising one of (i) a relative value or (ii) an absolute value.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the operations of:

determining, for each of the plurality of options, the value that represents the at least one factor comprises determining a multiple digit field, wherein each digit represents a factor value for one of the at least one factor, and wherein the relative position of each digit indicates the relative importance of the respective factor in selecting the one of the plurality of options.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the operations of:

determining, for each of the plurality of options, the value that represents the at least one factor comprises determining a factor value for at least two factors selected from the group consisting of;

(i) the preference for the respective option, (ii) the relative success in matching at least a portion of the account identifier, (iii) the accessibility through an automated clearing house network of an account corresponding to the account identifier, and (iv) the relative amount of alteration of the account identifier; and

selecting (i) the one of the plurality of plurality of options comprising a factor value having a highest priority or (ii) the one of the plurality of options comprising a highest sum of factor values.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the operations of:

processing the financial transaction using each of the plurality of options; and

determining the value for each of the plurality of options based at least in part on the results of processing the financial transaction using each of the plurality of options.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the financial transaction comprises a funds transfer order comprising one of a paper funds transfer instrument or an electronic funds transfer directive, and wherein the processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the operations of:

converting the financial transaction to an electronic transaction; and

originating the electronic transaction to an automated clearing house network to complete the funds transfer order.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the financial transaction comprises a first financial transaction comprising a first paper funds transfer instrument received from a remote location;

and

wherein the processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the operations of;

generating, based at least in part converting the first paper funds instrument to an electronic transaction, a data record to facilitate converting a second paper funds transfer instrument an electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument at the remote location, wherein the first paper funds transfer instrument and the second paper funds transfer instrument are drawn on accounts at a same financial institution; and

causing the data record to be transmitted to the remote location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the electronic transaction comprises a first electronic transaction originated to an automated clearing house network, and wherein:

the communications interface is further operable to receive the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument from the remote location, wherein the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument is generated from the second paper funds instrument based upon the data record;

the processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the operations of;

converting the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument to a second electronic transaction; and

originating the second electronic transaction to the automated clearing house network without determining a value, selecting one of the plurality of options, and determining whether the second paper funds transfer instrument can be converted to the second electronic transaction for the electronic funds transfer directive associated with the second paper funds transfer instrument received from the remote location.

23. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a financial transaction comprising an account identifier comprising at least one of a financial account number or a routing transit number, wherein the financial transaction is to be processed using any of a plurality of options for performing at least one of validation of the account identifier or alteration of the account identifier, wherein the processing is performed to determine whether the financial transaction is convertible to an electronic transaction;

means for determining, for each of the plurality of options, a value that represents at least one factor selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a preference for the respective option, (ii) a relative success in matching at least a portion of the account identifier, (iii) accessibility through an automated clearing house network of an account corresponding to the account identifier, and (iv) a relative amount of alteration of the account identifier;

means for selecting one of the plurality of options based at least in part on a comparison of the respective values for each of the plurality of options; and

means for determining whether the financial transaction is convertible to an electronic transaction based at least in part on processing the financial transaction using the selected one of the plurality of options.