Methods and systems for accepting offers via checks

• US 8,175,963 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Alderucci, Dean P., Krantz, Jason, Walker, Jay S., Tedesco, Daniel E., Fincham, Magdalena M.
• Primary Examiner(s): RANKINS, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US12/705,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 705/45
• US Class Current: 705/38
• 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 20/40 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a method and system are provided for facilitating the processing of at least one check in accordance with an offer which the account holder may accept, in one example, via a check being presented by the account holder as payment for a transaction.

Claims

1. A computer readable memory storing instructions configured to direct a processing device to execute a method for processing a check, the method comprising:

identifying, by a central computer, an offer associated with a check;

determining, by the central computer, that the offer has been accepted by a payor of the check, the acceptance also being indicated on the check; and

processing, by the central computer, the check in accordance with the offer,

wherein processing the check comprises;

determining, based on information indicated on the check, a first instruction for disbursing funds from a checking account associated with the check, the first instruction indicating a first payee and a first amount to be disbursed;

determining, based on the information indicated on the check, a second instruction for disbursing funds from the checking account, the second instruction indicating a second payee and a second amount to be disbursed; and

processing the check in accordance with the first instruction and the second instruction,

wherein the second instruction further indicates at least one condition which, if satisfied, permits the disbursement of the second amount from the checking account.

2. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an offer to provide information related to the processing of the check to the payor, the information comprising information in addition to general information provided by a bank associated with the check to all payors of processed checks.

3. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an offer for a product in addition to a product being paid for by the check.

4. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer is from a merchant that is a primary payee of the check.

5. The computer readable memory of claim 4, wherein the offer is printed by a point of sale terminal device operated by the merchant that is the primary payee of the check.

6. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer is from a merchant that is not a primary payee of the check.

7. The computer readable memory of claim 6, wherein the offer is printed on the check at a time the check is printed for the payor.

8. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer is printed on the check by a printing machine.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein an indication of the offer is printed on the check by a printing machine.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein an indication of the offer is handwritten on the check.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein determining that the offer has been accepted by the payor comprises:

determining which of a plurality of signature lines printed on the check has been signed by the payor.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein determining that the offer has been accepted by the payor of the check comprises:

determining that a code has been included in a predetermined area of the check.

13. The computer readable memory of claim 12, wherein identifying the offer comprises retrieving, from memory, the offer that corresponds to the code.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 12, wherein identifying the offer comprises querying another entity for the offer that corresponds to the code.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 12, wherein the predetermined area comprises a memo line printed on the check.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein identifying the offer and determining that the offer has been accepted by the payor of the check comprises:

determining that an indicium printed on the check has been altered by the payor.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein identifying the offer and determining that the offer has been accepted by the payor of the check comprises:

determining that a mark has been made in a predetermined area of the check, the predetermined area corresponding to the offer.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the check has printed thereon a plurality of offers, each offer of the plurality of offers corresponding to a respective area of the check in which a mark can be made by the payor.

19. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the check has printed thereon a plurality of offers, each offer of the plurality of offers corresponding to a respective indicium alterable by the payor.

20. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein identifying the offer comprises determining the offer based on information stored in memory as associated with the payor.

21. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein determining an acceptance comprises determining the acceptance based on information stored in memory as associated with the payor.

22. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the check is an instrument used for authorizing disbursements from a checking account.

23. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the acceptance comprises a conditional acceptance, such that at least one condition is associated with the acceptance, and further comprising:

determining that a condition associated with the acceptance has been satisfied; and

processing the check in accordance with the acceptance only if the condition has been satisfied.

24. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein processing the check comprises:

determining a financial account indicated on the check to be used for payment of at least a portion of an amount indicated on the check if a checking account associated with the check has insufficient funds;

determining the checking account associated with the check has insufficient funds; and

processing the check using the financial account for payment of at least a portion of the amount.

25. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein processing the check comprises:

determining, based on the offer, an amount of funds to be disbursed from a financial account associated with the check;

determining a payee associated with the offer; and

providing the amount of funds to the payee.

26. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein processing the check comprises:

determining an action to be performed that is identified by the offer; and

causing the action to be performed.

27. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an offer for transactional overdraft protection for a transaction associated with the check, and wherein processing the check comprises:

honoring the transaction irrespective of a sufficiency of funds in a financial account associated with the check, based on the customer'"'"'s acceptance of the offer for transactional overdraft protection.

28. The computer readable memory of claim 27, the method further comprising:

deducting, from the financial account, a price of the transactional overdraft protection.

29. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an offer to provide a monetary amount to the payor in exchange for the payor'"'"'s commitment to an obligation, and wherein processing the check comprises:

causing the monetary amount to be added to a financial account associated with the payor; and

communicating, to a merchant associated with the offer, the payor'"'"'s commitment to the obligation.

30. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the first payee is the second payee.

31. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the first payee is a merchant to whom the check is presented and the second payee is a merchant associated with the offer.

32. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the second instruction comprises an instruction to apply transactional overdraft protection to the transaction associated with the check, the second payee is the bank of the checking account associated with the check, and the second amount is a price of the transactional overdraft protection.

33. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the check includes a first payee line and a second payee line.

34. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an offer for priority processing of at least one check not protected by overdraft protection.

35. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an offer for a new order of checks.

36. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an offer to provide automatic recurring disbursements to a merchant.

37. A method comprising:

identifying, by a central computer, an offer associated with a check;

determining, by the central computer, that the offer has been accepted by a payor of the check, the acceptance also being indicated on the check; and

processing, by the central computer, the check in accordance with the offer,

wherein processing the check comprises;

determining, based on information indicated on the check, a first instruction for disbursing funds from a checking account associated with the check, the first instruction indicating a first payee and a first amount to be disbursed;

determining, based on the information indicated on the check, a second instruction for disbursing funds from the checking account, the second instruction indicating a second payee and a second amount to be disbursed; and

processing the check in accordance with the first instruction and the second instruction,

wherein the second instruction further indicates at least one condition which, if satisfied, permits the disbursement of the second amount from the checking account.

38. An apparatus comprising

a processor;

a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device storing instructions configured to direct the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

identifying an offer associated with a check;

determining that the offer has been accepted by a payor of the check, the acceptance also being indicated on the check; and

processing the check in accordance with the offer,

wherein processing the check comprises;

determining, based on information indicated on the check, a first instruction for disbursing funds from a checking account associated with the check, the first instruction indicating a first payee and a first amount to be disbursed;

determining, based on the information indicated on the check, a second instruction for disbursing funds from the checking account, the second instruction indicating a second payee and a second amount to be disbursed; and

processing the check in accordance with the first instruction and the second instruction,

wherein the second instruction further indicates at least one condition which, if satisfied, permits the disbursement of the second amount from the checking account.