Patent attributes
A system and method for verifying the existence of a deposit account, such as a checking account, are provided. The system and method may also be used to determine whether the deposit account is configured to receive automatic transactions for withdrawal. For example, a lender may extend an offer of credit to a borrower where payments of principal and interest are to be made by automatic withdrawals. Prior to transferring the principal, the lender verifies the existence and configuration of the borrower's deposit account by charging a fee to establish the line of credit and retrieving the fee by automatic withdrawal. Once the transaction clears and the lender receives the fee, the lender is assured that the account does exist and is configured to receive automatic transactions. Two exemplary methods of retrieving the fee are electronic funds transfer and remote creation of a paper negotiable instrument.
