Method and Apparatus for Payment Processing
A method of processing a government program check submitted by a vendor to its bank for deposit is described. A payment processor receives at a check processing station check data for a check accepted by a vendor, where the check data includes one or more fields to be examined for conformity to a set of processing rules governing payment. Responsive to the check data, the payment processor determines whether the check conforms to the processing rules applicable to the vendor accepting the check and also determines whether or not a non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment. Responsive to a determination that the non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment, the payment processor applies computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment; and issues an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment.
1 . A method of processing a government program check submitted by a vendor to its bank for deposit, comprising:
receiving at a check processing station check data for a check accepted by a vendor, said check data including one or more fields to be examined for conformity to a set of processing rules governing payment;
responsive to the check data, determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules applicable to the vendor accepting the check;
determining whether or not a non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment;
responsive to a determination that the non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment, applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment; and
issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules comprises determining whether the check conforms to maximum payment amount rules and the step of applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment comprises computing an adjusting ACH debit against the vendor account that will offset an overpayment relative to a maximum amount agreed to by the vendor.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises issuing an ACH debit against an account of the vendor where the check associated with the check data was deposited.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises issuing an ACH debit that aggregates two or more adjustments from two or more nonconforming checks accepted by the same vendor.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein step of issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises issuing an ACH debit that includes a processor fee for a party operating the check processing station.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the government program is WIC and the vendor is a WIC vendor providing a food prescription.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the government program is WIC and the vendor is a WIC vendor and the computation logic is responsive to a vendor peer group to which the WIC vendor belongs.
8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising accumulating at the check processing station the check data and making such check data accessible to the payor for the government program.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules comprises determining whether the check conforms to maximum payment amount rules and the step of applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment comprises computing an adjusting ACH debit computed as the amount of the check less a maximum amount based on the food prescription and on a vendor peer group to which the vendor belongs.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether or not anon-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment comprises accessing a vendor data record with a predefined list of debit-adjustable nonconformities.
11 . A system for performing processing of a government program check submitted by a vendor to its bank for deposit, comprising:
a program component for receiving at a check processing station check data for a check accepted by a vendor, said check data including one or more fields to be examined for conformity to a set of processing rules governing payment;
a program component responsive to the check data, for determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules applicable to the vendor accepting the check;
a program component for determining whether or not a non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment;
a program component responsive to a determination that the non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment, for applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment; and
a program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment.
12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the program component for determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules comprises a program component for determining whether the check conforms to maximum payment amount rules and the program component for applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment comprises a program component for computing an adjusting ACH debit against the vendor account that will offset an overpayment relative to a maximum amount agreed to by the vendor.
13 . The system of claim 11 wherein the program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises a program component for issuing an ACH debit against an account of the vendor where the check associated with the check data was deposited.
14 . The system of claim 11 wherein the program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises a program component for issuing an ACH debit that aggregates two or more adjustments from two or more nonconforming checks accepted by the same vendor.
15 . The system of claim 11 wherein the program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises a program component for issuing an ACH debit that includes a processor fee for a party operating the check processing station.
16 . The system of claim 11 wherein the government program is WIC and the vendor is a WIC vendor providing a food prescription.
17 . The system of claim 11 wherein the government program is WIC and vendor is a WIC vendor and the computation logic is responsive to a vendor peer group to which the WIC vendor belongs.
18 . The system of claim 11 further comprising a program component for accumulating at the check processing station the check data and making such check data accessible as image data to the payor for the government program.
19 . The system of claim 11 wherein the program component for determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules comprises a program component for determining whether the check conforms to maximum payment amount rules and the program component for applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment comprises a program component for computing an adjusting ACH debit computed as the amount of the check less a maximum amount based on the food prescription and on a vendor peer group to which the vendor belongs.
20 . The system of claim 11 wherein the program component for determining whether or not a non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment comprises a program component for accessing a vendor data record with a predefined list of debit-adjustable nonconformities.
21 . A computer program stored in a machine readable medium for performing processing of a government program check submitted by a vendor to its bank for deposit, comprising:
a program component for receiving at a check processing station check data for a check accepted by a vendor, said check data including one or more fields to be examined for conformity to a set of processing rules governing payment;
a program component responsive to the check data, for determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules applicable to the vendor accepting the check;
a program component for determining whether or not a non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment;
a program component responsive to a determination that the non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment, for applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment; and
a program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment.
22 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the program component for determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules comprises a program component for determining whether the check conforms to maximum payment amount rules and the program component for applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment comprises a program component for computing an adjusting ACH debit against the vendor account that will offset the overpayment relative to a maximum amount agreed to by the vendor.
23 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises a program component for issuing an ACH debit against an account of the vendor where the check associated with the check data was deposited.
24 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises a program component for issuing an ACH debit that aggregates two or more adjustments from two or more nonconforming checks accepted by the same vendor.
25 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the program component for issuing an ACH debit transaction to effect the debit adjustment comprises a program component for issuing an ACH debit that includes a processor fee for a party operating the check processing station.
26 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the government program is WIC and the vendor is a WIC vendor providing a food prescription.
27 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the government program is WIC and vendor is a WIC vendor and the computation logic is responsive to a vendor peer group to which the WIC vendor belongs.
28 . The computer program of claim 21 further comprising a program component for accumulating at the check processing station the check data and making such check data accessible to the payor for the government program.
29 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the program component for determining whether the check conforms to the processing rules comprises a program component for determining whether the check conforms to maximum payment amount rules and the program component for applying computation logic to determine the amount of the debit adjustment comprises a program component for computing an adjusting ACH debit computed as the amount of the check less a maximum amount based on the food prescription and on a vendor peer group to which the vendor belongs.
30 . The computer program of claim 21 wherein the program component for determining whether or not a non-conformity found is resolvable with an ACH debit adjustment comprises a program component for accessing a vendor data record with a predefined list of debit-adjustable nonconformities.