Extracting text written on a check

A method for processing a check issued from a checking account by a payor to a payee, the method comprising:

• receiving a recognition list having a plurality of information entries being strings of characters defined by the payor as memo categories that may be handwritten on the check;
• locating a memo category handwritten on the check;
• analyzing the handwritten memo category against each of the information entries in the recognition list to recognize one of the plurality of information entries as an interpretation for the handwritten memo category;
• and
• generating an account statement for the checking account detailing transactions of the checking account over a predetermined period of time and linking the check to the interpretation.

A method for processing a check issued from a checking account by a payor of the checking account to a payee, the method comprising:

• receiving a field recognition list associated with the checking account, wherein the field recognition list includes a plurality of information entries predefined for the checking account to be expenses that may be input in a memo field on the check;
• detecting the checking account number on the check;
• selecting the field recognition list for the memo field of the check based on the checking account number;
• and
• analyzing text in the memo field of the check using the field recognition list to determine if the text in the memo field is recognized as one of the plurality of information entries in the field recognition list.

A method for processing a check issued from a checking account by a payor of the checking account to a payee, the method comprising:

• receiving a first field recognition list associated with the checking account, wherein the first field recognition list includes a plurality of payee names predefined for the checking account;
• receiving a second field recognition list associated with the checking account, wherein the second field recognition list includes a plurality of expenses predefined for the checking account;
• detecting the checking account number on the check;
• selecting the first field recognition list and the second field recognition list based on the checking account number;
• and
• analyzing payee text in a payee field of the check using the first field recognition list to determine if the payee text is recognized as one of the plurality of payee names in the first field recognition list;
• and
• analyzing memo text in a memo field of the check using the second field recognition list to determine if the memo text is recognized as one of the plurality of expenses in the second field recognition list.

A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for processing a financial document issued on a financial account by an issuer of the financial document, the computer process comprising:

• receiving a field recognition list associated with the financial account, wherein the field recognition list includes a plurality of memo category names predefined for the financial account to be possible categories into which financial documents associated with the financial account may be categorized;
• detecting an account identifier for the financial account on the financial document;
• selecting the field recognition list based on the detected account identifier;
• and
• analyzing text in a memo field against the plurality of memo category names in the field recognition list to recognize the text as one of the plurality of memo category names in the field recognition list.