SYSTEM, METHOD, AND DATABASE FOR PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS

(54) SYSTEM, METHOD, AND DATABASE FOR PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS

(76) Inventor: DAVID W. DEATON, ABILENE, TX (US)

Correspondence Address:
Richard A. Neifeld, Esq.

OBLON, SPIVAK, McCLELLAND, MAIER &

NEUSTADT, P.C.

1755 Jefferson Davis Highway

Crystal Square Five - Fourth Floor

Arlington, VA 22202 (US)

( * ) Notice: This is a publication of a continued prosecution application (CPA) filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d).

(21) Appl. No.: 08/935,116

(22) Filed: Sep. 22, 1997

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation of application No. 08/117,951, filed on Aug. 30, 1993, now abandoned.

A check verification system and method that (a) uses a customer's check ID as a unique identification code, (b) stores customer information in a local customer database for that store. Each customer is assigned one of three check verification statuses: POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, and CAUTION. The CAUTION status is assigned to first time customers, and the customer is automatically converted to a POSITIVE status if the customer's initial check(s) clears— those customers who achieve a POSITIVE status, but stop frequenting the store can be reset to the CAUTION status. In addition, a CALL MANAGER conditional check verification response may be returned for those customers with a POSITIVE status but who attempt a check transaction that meets certain predetermined transactional criteria (such as check frequency or dollar amount). A multiple-store architecture can be used in which each store has a local customer database, and in which global customer information is communicated between the stores as preselected intervals.