Patent attributes
A payment validation network having network of payment validation cells, each of which includes: one or more local qualifier systems for assessing the risk of loss in accepting a check; a service finder for identifying the scope of coverage provided by each of the local qualifier systems and for identifying the scope of coverage provided by other cells; and one or more input/output (I/O) sources for obtaining transaction data associated with a check at a point of presentment. The request servicer interfaces with the I/O sources, service finder and the qualifier systems in order to (i) receive transaction data from an I/O source in connection with the check, including the routing/transit number, (ii) maintain a user profile for the I/O source, (iii) consult the service finder to identify which local qualifier systems cover the routing/transit (R/T) number associated with the check, (iv) transmit a payment validation request to the identified local qualifier systems and at least one other remote request servicer in accordance with the user profile, (v) receive one or more validation results from local qualifier systems or remote request servicers, and (vi) process said results to provide a homogeneous validation assessment to the requesting I/O source.
