Issuing certified checks over the internet
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorWayne M. Doran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of certifying checks. A check writer contacts the writer's bank, over the Internet, and requests a certified check. The bank deducts the amount of the check from the writer's account, and issues a validation number to the writer, over the Internet. The writer prints the validation number on the check, in a set of blank spaces designed to accept this number. The check also contains a URL, Uniform Resource Locator, which identifies a web site maintained by the bank. Any interested party, such as a payee of the check, can contact the web site, present the validation number, and learn whether the check is valid. Thus, a certified check can be issued without a visit to a bank, the latter being required under present technology.
Claims16
A method of operating a financial institution, comprising:
- a) obtaining, over a communication link, a request for a certified check;
- b) verifying that issuance of the check is authorized under law;
- and
- c) issuing a validation number for the check.
A method, comprising:
- a) receiving from a party over the Internet (i) a request for a certified check and (ii) a monetary amount of the check;
- b) authenticating identity of the party;
- and
- c) ascertaining whether an account of the party contains funds sufficient to cover the certified check and, if so, issuing over the Internet a validation number to the party.
System, comprising:
- a) means for receiving, from a requestor, a request over the Internet for issuance of a certified check;
- b) means for establishing a reference character sequence for the check;
- c) means for transmitting the reference character sequence to the requestor over the Internet;
- and
- d) means receiving a proposed character sequence over the Internet and, if the proposed character sequence matches the reference character sequence, issuing a confirmation signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.