Transaction data categorizer system and method

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to the centralization processing of transaction and payment data to categorize transaction data across different accounts and systems. Embodiments disclose a transaction categorizer to tag an incoming transaction with metadata, perform a user rule match, perform a vendor match, and/or an estimated (probabilistic) score match on the incoming transaction. By applying these various matching processes to the incoming transaction, the transaction categorizer can determine which metadata tags to remove, apply, and/or modify to accurately categorize the transaction. Accurate categorization of transactions can result to valuable data for users in personal resource management, as well as for vendors and service providers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by a transaction processing system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a transaction data instance associated with a transaction;   processing the transaction data instance to retrieve data contained in one or more fields of the transaction data instance;   validating one or more tags stored in a tag array contained in a tag field of the one or more fields;   determining a match to the data in the one or more fields;   generating one or more new tags to be added to the tag array based at least in part on the match;   modifying the transaction data instance to include the tag array contained in the tag field; and   preparing the modified transaction data instance for transmission via a digital communication channel.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the modified transaction data instance to a user associated with the transaction, wherein the modified transaction data instance is displayed on a computing device associated with the user.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein determining the match to the data in the one or more fields further comprises:
 accessing a user rule database;   determining whether data in the one or more fields matches a user rule in the user rule database; and   updating the tag array of the transaction data instance with the user entry in the user rule database when the data matches the user entry.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the user rule is a collection of data that is common to the members of a series of transactions, each transaction in the series of transactions represented as a transaction data instance having one or more fields. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein determining the match to the data in the one or more fields further comprises:
 when the data does not match a user rule in the user rule database, identifying a vendor contained in a vendor field of the one or more fields of the transaction data instance;   accessing a vendor database;   determining whether the vendor matches a vendor entry in the vendor database; and   updating the tag array with the vendor entry in the vendor database when the vendor matches the vendor entry.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein determining the match to the data in the one or more fields further comprises:
 when the vendor does not match a vendor entry in the vendor database, generating an array with the one or more fields of the transaction data instance;   processing the array with a classifier;   generating a report of the array, including one or more categorizations;   modifying the report, including one or more modified categorizations; and   retraining the classifier based at least in part on the modified report.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein validating the one or more tags stored in the tag array contained in the tag field of the one or more fields further comprises:
 identifying erroneous tags based at least in part on historical tags;   removing erroneous tags;   determining whether the transaction instance is a recurring transaction, including a recurring amount or a recurring period; and   adding a recurring tag to the tag array based at least in part on the recurring amount or the recurring period.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein validating the one or more tags stored in the tag array contained in the tag field of the one or more fields further comprises:
 determining whether data in the one or more fields matches a keyword in a keyword database, each keyword associated with one or more keyword tags; and   updating the tag array of the transaction data instance with the one or more keyword tags in the keyword database when the data matches the keyword.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein validating the one or more tags stored in the tag array contained in the tag field of the one or more fields further comprises:
 determining whether data in the one or more fields matches a keyword associated with an account in an account database; and   updating the tag array of the transaction data instance with the account in the account database when the data matches the keyword.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the tag array in keyword database.   
     
     
         11 . A computing system comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium having code executable by the processor to:
 receive, by the computing system, a transaction data instance associated with a transaction; 
 process the transaction data instance to retrieve data contained in one or more fields of the transaction data instance; 
 validate one or more tags stored in a tag array contained in a tag field of the one or more fields; 
 determine a match to the data in the one or more fields; 
 generate one or more new tags to be added to the tag array based at least in part on the match; 
 modify the transaction data instance to include the tag array contained in the tag field; and 
 prepare the modified transaction data instance for transmission via a digital communication channel. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computing system of  claim 11 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 transmit the modified transaction data instance to a user associated with the transaction, wherein the modified transaction data instance is displayed on a computing device associated with the user.   
     
     
         13 . The computing system of  claim 11 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 access a user rule database;   determine whether data in the one or more fields matches a user rule in the user rule database; and   update the tag array of the transaction data instance with the user entry in the user rule database when the data matches the user entry.   
     
     
         14 . The computing system of  claim 13 , wherein the user rule is a series of transactions, each transaction in the series of transactions represented as a transaction data instance having one or more fields. 
     
     
         15 . The computing system of  claim 14 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 when the data does not match a user rule in the user rule database, identify a vendor contained in a vendor field of the one or more fields of the transaction data instance;   access a vendor database;   determine whether the vendor matches a vendor entry in the vendor database; and   update the tag array with the vendor entry in the vendor database when the vendor matches the vendor entry.   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 15 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 when the vendor does not match a vendor entry in the vendor database, generate an array with the one or more fields of the transaction data instance;   process the array with a classifier;   generate a report of the array, including one or more categorizations;   modify the report, including one or more modified categorizations; and   retrain the classifier based at least in part on the modified report.   
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 11 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 Identify erroneous tags based at least in part on historical tags;   remove erroneous tags;   determine whether the transaction instance is a recurring transaction, including a recurring_amount or a recurring period; and   append a recurring tag to the tag array based at least in part on the recurring amount or the recurring period.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 11 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 determine whether data in the one or more fields matches a keyword in a keyword database, each keyword associated with one or more keyword tags; and   update the tag array of the transaction data instance with the one or more keyword tags in the keyword database when the data matches the keyword.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 11 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 determine whether data in the one or more fields matches a keyword associated with an account in an account database; and   update the tag array of the transaction data instance with the account in the account database when the data matches the keyword.   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 11 , the non-transitory computer-readable medium further having code executable by the processor to further:
 store the tag array in keyword database.