Patent ID: 7882000

Claim:
An automated payment system for processing payment of an invoice sent from a payee to a customer, wherein the customer has a bank account at a payor bank, the automated payment system comprising: a document processing system having: an input receptacle for receiving the invoice and a check for an amount drawn on the customer's account, an image scanner configured to obtain invoice image data from the invoice and check image data from the check, the image data reproducible as visually readable images of the invoice and check, a transport mechanism adapted to transport the invoice and the check from the input receptacle and past the image scanner, and a processor associated with the image scanner, the processor configured to extract field information from the invoice image data and the check image data, the field information including the amount of the check; and an interface associated with the document processing system, the interface configured to transmit the invoice image data, the check image data, and extracted field information to a network, the transmitted image data and field information formatted for processing by a computer associated with a bank and for debiting of the customer account for the amount of the check.