Method and system for effecting payment by checks through the use of image replacement documents

1. A computerized method for effecting payment by a check, comprising:

electronically receiving payment information for a check for a purchase transaction, the check drawing on a checking account of a particular account holder, the payment information comprising a date, a payee, a dollar amount, a legal amount, and a signature;

in response to receiving the payment information:

determining the checking account of the particular account holder based on the payment information from the purchase transaction; and

retrieving, from a storage location storing a plurality of pre-stored image replacement document templates for a plurality of account holders, an image replacement document template associated with the checking account of the particular account holder used for the purchase transaction, the plurality of account holders comprising the particular account holder; and

generating, using one or more computers, an image replacement document representative of the check by inserting the payment information into respective fields of the image replacement document template.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the image replacement document is an electronic document, the method further comprising electronically transmitting the image replacement document to a third party.

3. The computerized method of claim 2 , wherein the third party is selected from the group consisting of a payor bank, a payee bank, and the particular account holder for the check.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the image replacement document and transmitting a printed version of the image replacement document to a third party.

5. The computerized method of claim 4 , wherein the third party is selected from the group consisting of a payor bank, a payee bank, and the particular account holder for the check.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the respective fields comprise a date field, a payee field, a dollar amount field, a legal amount field, and a signature field.

7. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the image replacement document template comprises retrieving a name of the particular account holder, an address of the particular account holder, a routing and transit number, and an account number of the checking account.

8. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein generating the image replacement document representative of the check comprises:

generating an image of a completed check;

generating an image replacement document identification section;

generating a legal notification section; and

generating a MICR section representative of the MICR line of the check.

9. Logic encoded in non-transitory computer-readable storage media for effecting payment by a check, the logic operable to perform the following steps:

receive payment information for a check for a purchase transaction, the check drawing on a checking account of a particular account holder, the payment information comprising a date, a payee, a dollar amount, a legal amount, and a signature;

in response to receiving the payment information:

determine the checking account of the particular account holder based on the payment information from the purchase transaction; and

retrieve, from a storage location storing a plurality of pre-stored image replacement document templates for a plurality of account holders, an image replacement document template associated with the checking account of the particular account holder used for the purchase transaction, the plurality of account holders comprising the particular account holder; and

generate an image replacement document representative of the check by inserting the payment information into respective fields of the image replacement document template.

10. The logic encoded in media of claim 9 , wherein the image replacement document is an electronic document, the logic further operable to transmit the image replacement document to a third party.

11. The logic encoded in media of claim 10 , wherein the third party is selected from the group consisting of a payor bank, a payee bank, and the particular account holder for the check.

12. The logic encoded in media of claim 9 , the logic further operable to print the image replacement document for transmission of a printed version of the image replacement document to a third party.

13. The logic encoded in media of claim 12 , wherein the third party is selected from the group consisting of a payor bank, a payee bank, and the particular account holder for the check.

14. The logic encoded in media of claim 9 , wherein the respective fields comprise a date field, a payee field, a dollar amount field, a legal amount field, and a signature field.

15. The logic encoded in media of claim 9 , wherein the image replacement document template comprises a name of the particular account holder, an address of the account holder, a routing and transit number, and an account number of the checking account.

16. The logic encoded in media of claim 9 , wherein the image replacement document comprises:

an image of a completed check;

an image replacement document identification section;

a legal notification section; and

a MICR section representative of the MICR line of the check.