Automatic check reordering

• US 8,150,771 B1
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Baram, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US12/315,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 705/45, 705/35, 705/38, 705/39, 705/41, 235/375, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to computer implemented methods of automatically reordering checks for an account utilizing checks. The methods may comprise determining a number of checks written on the account from a most recent check order. The number of checks written on the account from the most recent check order comprises a number of checks cleared on the account and a number of stop payment orders made on the account. The methods may also comprise determining a check usage rate, which may be proportional to a number of checks written on the account per unit time. The methods may additional comprise determining a time-to-exhaustion considering the number of checks written on the account and the check usage rate. Conditioned upon the time-to-exhaustion being below a predetermined threshold, an order of new checks directed to the customer may be initiated.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of automatically reordering checks for a plurality of accounts utilizing checks, the method comprising:

determining, using a computer device, a number of checks written on a first account selected from the plurality of accounts from a most recent check order on the first account, wherein the number of checks written on the first account from the most recent check order on the first account comprises a number of checks cleared on the first account and a number of stop payment orders made on the first account;

determining, using the computer device, a check usage rate for the first account, wherein the check usage rate for the first account is proportional to a number of checks written on the first account per unit time;

determining, using the computer device, a time-to-exhaustion for the first account considering the number of checks written on the first account and the check usage rate for the first account;

when the time-to-exhaustion for the first account drops below a threshold, initiating, using the computer device, an order of new checks directed to a customer associated with the first account

determining, using the computer device, a number of checks written on a second account selected from the plurality of accounts from a most recent check order on the second account, wherein the number of checks written on the second account from the most recent check order on the second account comprises a number of checks cleared on the second account and a number of stop payment orders made on the second account;

determining, using the computer device, a check usage rate for the second account, wherein the check usage rate for the second account is proportional to a number of checks written on the second account per unit time;

determining, using the computer device, a time-to-exhaustion for the second account considering the number of checks written on the second account and the check usage rate for the second account; and

when the time-to-exhaustion for the second account drops below the threshold, initiating, using the computer device, an order of new checks directed to a customer associated with the second account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a number of checks remaining for the first account, wherein the number of checks remaining is determined considering the number of checks written on the account and an amount of checks provided to the customer in a previous order.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising initiating the order of new checks for the first account when the number of checks remaining for the first account drops below a second threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a reminder notice to the customer associated with the first account when the time-to-exhaustion for the first account drops below a third threshold, wherein the third threshold is greater than the first threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an order notice to the customer associated with the first account upon initiating the order of new checks directed to the customer associated with the first account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user interface to the customer associated with the first account, wherein the user interface provides to the customer associated with the first account information describing:

an indication of a number of checks written on the first account from the most recent check order on the first account;

an indication of when a new order will be initiated on the first account, the indication comprising at least one of an estimated amount of time until the new order on the first account will be initiated and a number of checks to be written on the first account before the new order on the first account will be initiated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user interface further provides to the customer associated with the first account information describing a number of checks remaining on the first account.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the user interface to the customer associated with the first account comprises serving the user interface to a client system selected from the group consisting of an automatic teller machine, a personal computer, a mobile phone, and a personal digital assistant.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying an address of the customer associated with the first account prior to initiating the order of new checks directed to the customer associated with the first account.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the address of the customer associated with the first account comprises comparing a first address of the customer associated with the first account with a second address of the customer associated with the first account received from a check printer system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating an order of new checks directed to the customer associated with the first account comprises sending an order request to a check printer system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a number of checks written on the first account from a most recent check order on the first account comprises receiving a report from a third party check processing system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the report from the third party check processing system comprises an indication of a number of checks cleared on the first account and a number of stop payment orders made on the first account.

14. A system for automatically reordering checks for a plurality of accounts utilizing checks, the system comprising:

a bank host system, wherein the bank host system comprises at least one processor programmed to;

determine a number of checks written on a first account selected from the plurality of accounts from a most recent check order on the first account, wherein the number of checks written on the first account from the most recent check order comprises a number of checks cleared on the first account and a number of stop payment orders made on the first account;

determine a check usage rate for the first account, wherein the check usage rate for the first account is proportional to a number of checks written on the first account per unit time;

determine a time-to-exhaustion for the first account considering the number of checks written on the first account and the check usage rate for the first account; and

when the time-to-exhaustion for the first account drops below a threshold, request an order of new checks directed to a customer associated with the first account

determine a number of checks written on a second account selected from the plurality of accounts from a most recent check order on the second account, wherein the number of checks written on the second account from the most recent check order comprises a number of checks cleared on the second account and a number of stop payment orders made on the second account;

determine a check usage rate for the second account, wherein the check usage rate for the second account is proportional to a number of checks written on the second account per unit time;

determine a time-to-exhaustion for the second account considering the number of checks written on the second account and the check usage rate for the second account;

when the time-to-exhaustion for the second account drops below the threshold, request an order of new checks directed to a customer associated with the second account.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to determine a number of checks remaining on the first account, wherein the number of checks remaining on the first account is determined considering the number of checks written on the first account and an amount of checks provided to the customer associated with the first account in a previous order.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to initiate the order of new checks for the first account when the number of checks remaining for the first account drops below a second threshold.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to send a reminder notice to the customer associated with the first account when the time-to-exhaustion for the first account drops below a third threshold, wherein the third threshold is greater than the first threshold.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising sending an order notice to the customer associated with the first account upon initiating the order of new checks directed to the customer associated with the first account.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to serve a user interface to a client system of the customer associated with the first account, wherein the user interface provides to the client system information describing:

an indication of a number of checks written on the first account from the most recent check order on the first account;

an indication of when the new order on the first account will be initiated comprising at least one of an estimated amount of time until the new order on the first account will be initiated and a number of checks to be written on the first account before the new order on the first account will be initiated.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user interface further provides to the client system information describing a number of checks remaining on the first account.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the client system is selected from the group consisting of an automatic teller machine, a personal computer, a mobile phone, and a personal digital assistant.