System and method for automated deposit item handling
A computer system for automatically handling and releasing funds for deposit items has a memory storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the system to receive an image of a cheque received and scanned by an automated teller machine (ATM) for deposit into a first account of an institution associated with the ATM. The scanned image of the cheque is analyzed to identify an institution and account on which that cheque is drawn. If that account has sufficient available funds to cover the cheque, then the first account is credited in the amount of the cheque without placing a hold on any of the credited amount and funds of the account on which the cheque is drawn are encumbered in that same amount. After crediting the first account, an indication is provided that the funds are available (e.g., to withdraw). Related methods and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
1. A system comprising:
a processor;
a communications module coupled to the processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
obtain, from a computer system, an image of a deposit item;
identify, based on the image of the deposit item, a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn;
confirm that the drawer account has sufficient available funds to cover an amount of the deposit item;
upon confirming that the drawer account has sufficient funds to cover the amount of the deposit item, credit a first account in the amount of the deposit item such that the credited amount is immediately available and encumber funds of the drawer account in the amount of the deposit item; and
after crediting the first account in the amount of the deposit item, send an indication to the computer system in real time or near real time following receipt of the image of the deposit item to confirm that the credited amount is immediately available.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is configured to display a user interface indicating that the amount of the deposit item is now available in the first account responsive to the indication.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
receive, using the communications module, an image of a second deposit item;
identify a drawee institution for the second deposit item;
determine that the drawee institution for the second deposit item is associated with the first account into which the second deposit item is being deposited;
identify a drawer account on which the second deposit item is drawn;
confirm that the drawer account on which the second deposit item is drawn does not have sufficient available funds to cover an amount of the second deposit item; and
upon confirming that the drawer account on which the second deposit item is drawn does not have sufficient funds to cover the amount of the second deposit item, send an indication to the computer system that the amount of the second deposit item is not yet available in the first account.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the deposit item includes a line of magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) characters, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
use optical character recognition to recognize characters of at least a portion of the MICR line; and
identify a drawee institution based on the recognized characters.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein identifying the drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn includes:
identifying the drawer account based on the recognized characters.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to, prior to confirming that the drawer account has sufficient available funds to cover an amount of the deposit item, determine that the amount of the deposit item is less than a limit.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to determine the limit based on the first account.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the deposit item is a check.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image of the deposit item is an image captured using an image sensor of the computer system.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is an automated teller machine.
11. A computer-implemented method comprising:
obtaining, from a computer system, an image of a deposit item;
identifying a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn based on the image of the deposit item;
confirming that the drawer account has sufficient available funds to cover an amount of the deposit item; and
upon confirming that the drawer account has sufficient funds to cover the amount of the deposit item, crediting a first account in the amount of the deposit item such that the credited amount is immediately available and encumbering funds of the drawer account in the amount of the deposit item; and
after crediting the first account in the amount of the deposit item, sending an indication to the computer system in real time or near real time following receipt of the image of the deposit item to confirm that the credited amount is immediately available.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the computer system is configured to display a user interface indicating that the amount of the deposit item is now available in the first account responsive to the indication.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving an image of a second deposit item;
analyzing the image of the second deposit item to identify a drawer account on which the second deposit item is drawn;
confirming that the drawer account on which the second deposit item is drawn does not have sufficient available funds to cover an amount of the second deposit item; and
upon confirming that the drawer account on which the second deposit item is drawn does not have sufficient funds to cover the amount of the second deposit item, sending an indication to a computer system that the amount of the second deposit item is not yet available in the first account.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the deposit item includes a line of magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) characters, and further comprising:
using optical character recognition to recognize characters of at least a portion of the MICR line; and
identifying a drawee institution based on the recognized characters.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein identifying the drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn includes:
identifying the drawer account based on the recognized characters.
16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
prior to confirming that the drawer account has sufficient available funds to cover an amount of the deposit item, determining that the amount of the deposit item is less than a limit.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the limit is determined based on the first account.
18. The method of claim 11 wherein the deposit item is a check.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a system cause the system to:
obtain, from a computer system, an image of a deposit item;
identify, based on the image of the deposit item, a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn;
confirm that the drawer account has sufficient available funds to cover an amount of the deposit item;
upon confirming that the drawer account has sufficient funds to cover the amount of the deposit item, credit a first account in the amount of the deposit item such that the credited amount is immediately available and encumber the drawer account in the amount of the deposit item; and
after crediting the first account in the amount of the deposit item, send an indication to the computer system in real time or near real time following receipt of the image of the deposit item to confirm that the credited amount is immediately available.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the computer system is configured to display a user interface indicating that the amount of the deposit item is now available in the first account responsive to the indication.