System and method for making a payment from a financial account

Abstract

A system and method of collecting payments facilitates authorized generation of a payment order. In a preferred embodiment, the automated system has a simple input screen which receives the necessary information for generation of the payment order, which may be read to the system operator over the telephone by the authorizing payor. The system verifies the bank and account information by comparing the input information to records in a database associated with the system. Optionally, the system may also generate an inquiry to the bank to determine the availability of funds in the payor's account.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing a computerized interface for receiving information defining a payment authorized by a payor holding an account at an institution to a payee via an automated clearing house, where the interface is customized to receive information only for payments to a predetermined limited set of one or more payees;    providing the information defining a payment to the computerized interface, including information identifying the payor's account and the institution;    validating the information identifying the institution by comparing it to authenticated information, wherein the information identifying the institution is validated when it corresponds to the authenticated information, and an error indication is generated at the computer interface when it does not correspond to the authenticated information; and    generating in electronic form a request that the identified institution generate the payment of an identified amount from the account, and transmitting the request for further processing.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the computerized interface comprises one or more input screens on a computer.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the interface is operated by an agent of the payee.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the payor authorizes payments by providing the information defining a payment by telephone.