Amy Jo Swift

US Patent:

7287689, Oct 30, 2007

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/731540

Inventors:

Lisa C. Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy L. Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance D. Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles R. Williams - Pearland TX, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

G06K 5/00

US Classification:

235379, 235380

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for better assessing risk associated with cashing second-party checks and other negotiable instruments. The systems and methods make use of information about authenticating marks, such as watermarks, bar codes, insignia, background patterns, and the like, from a check in order to better assess the legitimacy and cashability of the check. In various embodiments, information about an authenticating mark may be compared to stored information about an expected configuration for the authenticating mark. In various embodiments, a gradated risk score may be generated, based at least in part on the comparison. In various embodiments, the risk score may be combined with risk scores that are descriptive of other aspects of a check cashing transaction to calculate a risk score for the transaction as a whole. In some embodiments, the transaction risk score may be used to generate an accept/decline recommendation for the transaction.

US Patent:

7398925, Jul 15, 2008

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/731401

Inventors:

Lisa C. Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy L. Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance D. Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles R. Williams - Pearland TX, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

G06K 7/00

US Classification:

235440, 235449

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for better assessing risk associated with cashing second-party checks and other negotiable instruments by using biometric information obtained from an individual who presents a check or other negotiable instrument in a check-cashing transaction. In various embodiments, the obtained biometric information may be compared with stored biometric information in order to enhance confidence in the accurate identification of the check presenter. In various embodiments, a gradated biometric risk score, based at least in part on the comparison, may be generated for the check-cashing transaction. In various embodiments, the biometric risk score may be combined with risk scores that are descriptive of other aspects of the check-cashing transaction to calculate a risk score for the transaction as a whole. In some embodiments, the risk scores may be used to generate an accept/decline recommendation for the transaction as a whole.

US Patent:

7783563, Aug 24, 2010

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/730859

Inventors:

Lisa C. Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy L. Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance D. Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles R. Williams - Pearland TX, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

G06Q 40/00

US Classification:

705 38

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for building, maintaining, and using a repository of information about payors of second-party checks presented at a check-cashing entity for cashing. In various embodiments, the repository comprises stored information useful for determining the location of a payor of a second-party check. In one embodiment, information from the check that identifies an account on which the check is drawn, such as magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line information from a paycheck, is used to access a repository of employer location information. In one embodiment, the payor location information is used to determine a proximity between the payor location and the check cashing entity location. In one embodiment, when a check is presented for which stored payor location information is not available, identifying information about the payor and/or the payor location is requested and is added to the repository.

US Patent:

7905396, Mar 15, 2011

Filed:

Oct 26, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/925629

Inventors:

Lisa C. Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy L. Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles R. Williams - Pearland TX, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

G06K 5/00

US Classification:

235379, 235380

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for better assessing risk associated with cashing second-party checks and other negotiable instruments. The systems and methods make use of information about authenticating marks, such as watermarks, bar codes, insignia, background patterns, and the like, from a check in order to better assess the legitimacy and cashability of the check. In various embodiments, information about an authenticating mark may be compared to stored information about an expected configuration for the authenticating mark. In various embodiments, a gradated risk score may be generated based at least in part on the comparison. In various embodiments, the risk score may be combined with risk scores that are descriptive of other aspects of a check cashing transaction to calculate a risk score for the transaction as a whole. In some embodiments, the transaction risk score may be used to generate an accept/decline recommendation for the transaction.

US Patent:

20050125295, Jun 9, 2005

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/731294

Inventors:

Lisa Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles Williams - Pearland TX, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705016000

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for using a point-of-sale device to obtain information about a payor of a second-party check or other negotiable instrument presented for a proposed check-cashing transaction. In various embodiments, a keyboard, touchscreen, voice input system or other input system is used to enter information about a payor of a second-party check, which may comprise, for example, payor name, payor bank account identifier, payor location information, and the like. The payor information may be used to determine the proximity of the payor to the location of the proposed check-cashing transaction. In various embodiments, the point-of-sale device transmits the payor information to a check authorization system for a risk assessment of the transaction. In some embodiments, the point-of-sale device may prompt an operator or a check presenter to enter payor information in response to a request from the check authorization system. In various embodiments, the point-of-sale device may receive an accept/decline recommendation for the transaction from the check authorization system, based at least in part on the obtained payor information.

US Patent:

20050125296, Jun 9, 2005

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/731519

Inventors:

Lisa Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles Williams - Pearland TX, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705016000

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for using a point-of-sale device to obtain biometric information from an individual presenting a second-party check in association with a proposed check-cashing transaction. In various embodiments, a biometric sample is obtained from the check presenter and is compared to stored biometric data in order to enhance an assessment of the correct identification of the check presenter. In various embodiments, the biometric information, along with other transaction-related information, such as information about one or more authentication marks from the check, is transmitted to a check authorization system for a risk assessment of the transaction. In various embodiments, the point-of-sale device may receive an accept/decline recommendation from the check authorization system, based at least in part on the biometric information and may display a message about the recommendation to an operator of the point-of-sale device.

US Patent:

20050125338, Jun 9, 2005

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/731038

Inventors:

Lisa Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles Williams - Pearland TX, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705039000, 705001000

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for better assessing risk associated with cashing second-party checks and other negotiable instruments using positive pay or other reconciliation information about a check presented for cashing. Positive pay information, which may be made available by a check issuer, provides a list of checks that have been, for example, issued and not yet cashed, already cashed, voided, stolen, and the like, thus providing an indication of whether the check issuer is willing to honor the checks. In various embodiments, positive pay information about a check may be expressed as a gradated positive pay risk score. In various embodiments, the positive pay risk score may be combined with risk scores that are descriptive of other aspects of the check cashing transaction to calculate a risk score for the transaction as a whole. In some embodiments, the risk scores may be used to generate an accept/decline recommendation for the transaction as a whole.

US Patent:

20050125350, Jun 9, 2005

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/731212

Inventors:

Lisa Tidwell - Houston TX, US
Amy Swift - Frisco TX, US
Cassandra Mollett - Houston TX, US
Mark Wallin - Sugar Land TX, US
Lance Pate - Victoria TX, US
Charles Williams - Pearland TX, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705042000, 705044000

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for better assessing risk associated with cashing second-party checks and other negotiable instruments. The systems and methods make use of location-related information about an issuer of a second-party check being presented for cashing in order to better assess the legitimacy and cashability of the check. In various embodiments, information about the proximity of the check issuer to the check cashing location is used to enhance risk assessment of the check item. In various embodiments, location-based information about a check may be expressed as a gradated location-based risk score. In various embodiments, the location-based risk score may be combined with risk scores that are descriptive of other aspects of a check cashing transaction to calculate a risk score for the transaction as a whole. In some embodiments, the risk scores may be used to generate an accept/decline recommendation for the transaction.