WO2001091068A2

WO2001091068A2 - Method and system for settlement processing

Info

Publication number: WO2001091068A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/016465
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edward A. Bednarski; James J. Zimmermann; Julie H. Yeh
Original assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation
Priority date: 2000-05-22
Filing date: 2001-05-21
Publication date: 2001-11-29
Also published as: WO2001091068A3; AU2001264784A1

Abstract

A transaction (30) is initiated by a user (12) at an automatic teller machine (14) or an institution (20). The transaction is communicated to a settlement processor (18). The transaction is then stored in one of a plurality of tables (80) and an entry in an automated clearing house (ACH) file (32) and a report (100) is generated based on a type (42) associated with the transaction. The entry in the ACH file may direct the funds affected by the transaction to one of up to five to one of up to five different accounts at up to one of five different institutions (20).

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SETTLEMENT PROCESSING

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. entitled "Method and System for Settlement Processor Rollup" filed , attorney docket number 96-99-005.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to financial transactions and, more particularly, to a method and system for settlement processing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the volume of financial transactions, customers and accounts have increased at financial institutions, the reliance by the financial institutions on automated processing of the transactions has also increased. The processing required to handle the moving of funds between accounts in response to transactions is known as settlement processing and is often provided by a outside • - contractor to- the financial institutions. Settlement0 processing involves transactions of at least five types: reconciliation, surcharges, fees, single point corrections and ^'automated teller -machine transactions.

In the past, limitations have existed with respect to the flexibility of moving funds between accounts.5 Existing settlement processing systems have limited the distribution of funds associated with the five different types to up to only three different accounts maintained at up to two different financial institutions .

In particular, traditionally only a single point0 correction account, a fee account and a settlement account were separately supported with surcharges, settlement and reconciliation being combined into the settlement account. This combination required institutions to manually separate the funds associated5 with settlement, surcharges, and reconciliation out of the single account if the institution wanted multiple accounts . SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect_^ of the invention is a method for settlement processing comprising receiving, at a settlement processor, a first message having an associated first-- ransaction type comprising a surcharge transaction and a second message having an associated second transaction type comprising an ATM transaction. The method further comprises generating an automated clearing house data set in response to the first and second messages-. The automated clearing house data set comprises first "and second account entries responsive, respectively, to. the first and second messages. The first account entry comprises a surcharge account associated with surcharges to customers of a first financial institution. The second account entry comprises data identifying a settlement account distinct from the surcharge account and associated with ATM transactions associated with customers of the first financial institution. The present invention provides important technical advantages. Various embodiments of the invention may have none, some, or all of these advantages. The invention allows flexible distribution of funds to up to five distinct accounts at up to five distinct financial institutions. In addition, groups of up to five distinct accounts and up to five distinct financial institutions may be further associated with respective automatic teller machine (ATM) networks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention will be realized from the detailed description that follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a block diagram of a transaction settlement processing system constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 - is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a general purpose computer useable with the settlement processing system of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 -is ^' a block diagram illustrating further details of the settlement processing system of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a block diagram illustrating further details of the settlement processing system of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4A illustrates details of an automated clearing house file in accordance with the teachings of the invention;

FIGURE 4B illustrates an example of one embodiment of a report sorted by network in accordance with the teachings of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing settlement processing in accordance with the teachings of the invention; FIGURE 6 is a block diagram illustrating details of a settlement information table that may be used in performing settlement processing;

FIGURE 6A is a block diagram illustrating details" of a settlement account information table that may be used in performing settlement processing; FIGURE 7 is a block diagram of a settlement system that allows settlement rollup and is constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for performing settlement rollup; and

FIGURE 9 illustrates one embodiment of a rollup report sorted by institution in accordance with the teachings of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGURE 1 illustrates a transaction settlement processing system 10. System 10 may be used by a user 12 and comprises one or more Automated Teller Machine devices ("ATM") 14, a network 16, and a settlement processor 18. The system may communicate with one or more financial institutions 20, a clearing house 22, and a United States Federal Reserve Bank 24.

User 12 interacts with one of the ATMs 14 in order to generate a transaction 30. Transaction 30 comprises data representing the action taken -by user 12. ATMs 14 comprise automatic teller machines, point-of-sale (POS) devices (such as those found in retail establishments) , credit card authorization devices and any other type of device that may be coupled to an ATM network. Each of the ATMs 14 is coupled to network 16.

Network 16 comprises one or more data transport networks operable to communicate transactions between

ATMs 14 and -settlement processor 18. Network 16 comprises one or more financial transaction data transport networks which are each associated with one or more of ATMs 14.

Settlement processor 18 comprises one or more computer systems operable to execute software for providing settlement processing services. Settlement processor 18 is operable to generate an automated clearing house (ACH) file 32.

Each financial institution 20 may comprise a bank, credit union, savings and loan, or other financial institution which may receive settlement processing services using settlement processor 18. Each financial institution 20 °may also maintain one or more accounts 33.

ACH file 32 comprises an industry standard method for electronic transferring of funds between accounts 33 and institutions 20. ACH file 32 may be formatted in accordance with appropriate standards for ACH files . More specifically, United States Central 22 and Federal Reserve 24 transfer funds between institutions 22 in response to ACH file 32. Accounts 33 may comprise data representing individually maintained, logical or physical repositories for funds associated with an individual (such as user 12) or an organization (such as other institutions 20 and other businesses) . Each account 33 may comprise a settlement account, a fee account, a surcharge account, a reconciliation account, a single point correction account or any other type of account that may be associated with settlement processing. Accounts 33 are typically located at institutions 20. The settlement account may be used at a first bank to receive funds from a second bank used to compensate the first bank for honoring transactions by customers of the second bank. For example, when a customer of Bank A withdraws money from an ATM owned by Bank B, the settlement account at Bank B would receive the funds from Bank A to compensate Bank B for honoring the customer's withdrawal . _

The fee account may comprise interchange fees associated with network 16 received by one bank for the use of the network by another bank. For example, Bank A owns ATM A and honors the request by a customer of Bank B to withdraw funds . Bank A may then charge a fee to Bank B for the use of the ATM and the fee account at Bank A would receive the fees from Bank B charged by Bank A.

The surcharge account may comprise surcharges charged to cardholders and received by the bank for using ATM's associated with that bank or other banks. For example, Bank A may charge Bank B a fee to allow customers to use ATMs associated with Bank A, -Bank B may pass these charges on to Bank B-'s. • customers as surcharges. The surcharge account at Bank B would receive the funds paid by the customers as surcharges.

The reconciliation account • may .comprise funds received or disbursed by the bank to fix mismatches between monetary transactions reported by ATM's 14 in networks 16, and institution 20. For example, when institution 20 indicates that user 12 has received funds requested from ATM 14 while ATM 14 indicates that the funds were not disbursed to user 12.

A single point correction account may comprise funds received by institutions 20 or for disbursement by institutions 20 in response to errors associated with accounts 33 at institutions 20. For example, when user 12 has requested to withdraw funds from ATM 14 and institution 20 has approved the withdrawal, but the funds become physically stuck in ATM 14, the single point correction account would receive or disburse the funds necessary to correct the discrepancy.

Clearing house 22 may comprise the United States Central clearing house, a financial clearing house for transferring funds between credit union institutions. Clearing house 22 may debit and credit money between credit unions using ACH file 32. Reserve bank 24 may comprise one or- more of the United States Federal Reserve Banks . Reserve bank 24 may debit and credit f nds between banks based on ACH file 32. ACH file 32 may comprise a set>- of settlement data indicating which institutions 20 are to be credited funds and which institutions 20 are to be debited funds by clearing house 22 and reserve banks 24.

Transaction • 30 may comprise data which may be sent in a message from ATM 14 to settlement processor 18. Transaction 30 may include the information necessary to identify the action requested by user 12. Specifically, transaction 30 may comprise an identifier associated with the ATM card, debit card or credit card used by user 12, a type 42, an ATM identifier associated with the particular ATM 14 used by user 12, information associated with the merchant when transaction 30 is generated at a point-of-sale device, and any other transaction related information. Type 42 may comprise an alphanumeric or numeric indicator describing the type of transaction 30. Type 42 may indicate one of an ATM transaction type, a reconciliation type, a single point correction type, a fee type, a surcharge type, or other types associated with settlement processing.

An ATM transaction typically involves a debit or credit to an account 33 associated with user 12 in response to user 12 either spending money (such as when ATM 14 comprises a point-of-sale terminal at a merchant) or withdrawing or depositing money at an automatic teller machine . A reconciliation transaction typically involves a debit or credit- to an account 33 (associated with either a user 12 or an organization) in response to discrepancies between information provided by network 16 about a particular transaction 30 and information from institutions 20 about that transaction 30. Reconciliation transactions may be generated by settlement processor 18. For example, when settlement processor 18 detects that ATM 14 has indicated that user 12 has been denied requested funds, while institution 20 associated with user 12 indicates that the requested funds have been disbursed to user 12, a reconciliation transaction may be generated. Such a discrepancy may occur when the approval for disbursing the requested funds is lost in transit from institution 20 to ATM 14. Reconciliation transactions 30 may be generated to reconcile and fix the discrepancy.

The single point correction transaction typically indicates an error in a particular account 33 which has been manually adjusted by institution 20. The single point correction transaction may be generated by institution 20. For example, when user 12 has requested to withdraw funds from ATM 14 and institution 20 has approved the withdrawal, but the funds become physically stuck in ATM 14, a single point correction may be used to address the problem. An account 33 associated with user 12 may indicate a debit of the requested funds, but because the funds were not physically provided to user 12, institution 20 may correct the error by issuing a single point correction. The fee transaction typically involves a fee charged by one of the networks comprising network 16. Often, ATM networks will charge institutions 20 for the use of the network. The fee transaction indicates a payment from institution 20 to one of the ATM networks for communicating a transaction involving user 12 who has an account with the institution 20.

The surcharge transaction typically involves a charge passed on., to or imposed on user 12 .by institution 20. Surcharge type transactions 30 may be generated by institution 20/-. for., example, in response - to fees charged by networks 16, -which institution 20 wishes to pass on to user 12. —

Alternatively, fees and surcharges- -assessed by institutions 20 may be associated directly with the transaction, such as an ATM transaction, which prompted the fees and surcharges. For example, the fees and surcharges associated with an ATM transaction may be indicated as a portion of the ATM transaction as opposed to being separate transactions. While the surcharges and fees are described herein as separate transactions, equivalent functionality is realizable when surcharges and fees are associated directly with the other transactions within the scope of the invention. In operation, user 12 interacts with an ATM 14. For example, the user may withdraw cash or deposit a check. In response to such actions, data representing transaction 30 is created and communicated over network 16 to settlement processor 18. Optionally, distinct networks 16 may associate a network identifier 44 with transaction 30 as transaction 30 travels through networks 16.

At settlement processor 18, transaction 30 may be logged and processed for later use in generating automatic clearing house file 32 for settling transactions and for generating reports to send to institutions 20. Settling transactions comprises indicating accounts 33 to be debited and credited in order to properly balance and distribute funds. For example, user 12 may be a customer of Bank A and withdraw $40 from ATM- 1-4 owned by Bank B. If Bank B honors the withdrawal- request, Bank B will have disbursed the $40 to user 12 even though user 12 is a customer of Bank A. Settlement involves transferring $40 from account 33 associated with user 12 at Bank A to Bank B in order to balance the $40 disbursed to user 12 from Bank B. In addition, fees or surcharges may also be assessed.

Settlement processor 18 receives a plurality of transactions 30 which collectively may be used to generate ACH file 32. Settlement processor 18 may also receive single point correction type transactions 30 from institutions 20 which may also be used in generating ACH file 32. After ACH file 32 is generated, settlement processor 18 communicates ACH file 32 to clearing house 22 and federal reserve bank 24 which may facilitate the actual transfer of funds between institutions 20 based on ACH file 32. ACH file 32 may be communicated to reserve bank 24 and clearing house 22 periodically, such as, for example, at a predetermined time each day. Settlement processor 18 may also generate a plurality of reports to be communicated to institutions 20. The reports may comprise transactions, an indication of the type of the transaction, an. indication of the account the transaction affects, an indication of whether the transaction is a debit or a credit, an indication of the institution '20 supporting the account, an indication of the institution 20 associated with the user 12 who initiated the transaction, an indication of the network 16 providing communication between ATM 14 and user 12, and other information items associated with settlement processing. Some of these items may be omitted or other items included without departing from the scope of the invention. The -reports may be used by institutions 20 to comply with reporting requirements, records keeping and other purposes. FIGURE 2 illustrates an embodiment of a general purpose computer 49 that may^' be used with settlement processor 18. General purpose computer 49 may be adapted to execute any of the well-known MS-DOS, PC-DOS, OS/2, UNIX, MAC-OS, -'mainframe, minicomputer and Windows operating systems or other operating systems. General purpose computer 49 comprises processor 50, random access memory (RAM) 51, read only memory (ROM) 52, mouse 54, keyboard 56, and input/output devices, such as disk drives 58, printer 60, display 62 and communications link 64. The present invention includes programs that may be stored in RAM 51, ROM 52 or disk drives 58 and may be executed by processor 50. Communications link 28 is connected to network 16 and could be connected via a telephone line, an antenna, a gateway or any other type of communication link. Disk drives 58 may include a variety of types of storage media such as, for example, floppy disk drives, hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, optical drives-- or magnetic tape drives. • Although this embodiment employs a plurality of disk drives 58, a single disk drive 58 could be used without departing from the scope of the invention. FIGURE 2 only provides- one example of a computer 49 that may be used with the invention. The invention could be used on computers other than general purpose computers, ^■ as ^■ well as on general purpose computers without convention operating systems.

FIGURES 3 ' and 4 are" block- diagram's illustrating further details' of settlement processor-- .18. For increased clarity, FIGURES 3 and 4 are discussed together. Settlement processor 18 (FIGURE 3) comprises network interface 64, a transaction processor 72, a settlement processor 74, a report generator 76, and a communications interface 78. Settlement processor 18 (FIGURE 4) further comprises a plurality of tables 80. Tables 80 comprise a transaction journal table 82, a reconciliation table 84, a correction journal table 86, an auto adjustment table 88, a visa fee table 90, a settlement information table 92, a settlement account information table 94, and a general ledger table 96.

Transaction processor 72 comprises a software module or other software or hardware-based application executed by processor 50 to examine transactions 30 and store transactions 30 in the appropriate table 80. Settlement processor 74 comprises a software module or other software or hardware-based application for combining information in tables 80 to generate general ledger table 96, ACH file 32, a settlement balance table^" 98 and a report 100. Communications interface 28 comprises a network information card, a modem and other suitable wireless and/or wireline communications interfaces for supporting data communication between institutions 20, clearing house 22 and reserve bank 24.

Transaction journal table 82 comprises data stored on disk 58 and organized to track and record transactions 30 received at settlement processor 18. Reconciliation table 84 comprises information received using network 16 and institutions 20 regarding transactions 30. Correction journal table comprises information regarding single point .correction transactions received from institutions 20. Auto adjustment table 88 comprises data from institutions 20 regarding auto adjustments for funds in accounts 33. Visa fee table 90 comprises information associated with fees charged by the VISA^® credit card and debit card systems to institutions 20. Settlement information table 92 comprises information regarding institutions 20 , network 16 and ATMs 14 used by settlement processor module 74 in generating general ledger table 96. Settlement account information table 94 comprises information regarding specific accounts 33 associated with users 12 and institutions 20 to be settled using settlement processor 74. General ledger table 96 comprises information generated by settlement processor 74 from the other tables 80 and maintains a record of all transactions 30, fees, surcharges, reconciliations, and single point corrections performed by settlement processor 74. In operation, a transaction 30 is received at settlement processor 18 from network 16 over network interface 64 or from institutions 20 over communications interface 78. Transaction processor 72 then stores transaction 30 in transaction journal table 82. Single point correction transactions are received over network interface 64 and placed by transaction processor 72 in correction journal table 86.

Auto adjustments received from institutions 20 over network interface 64 are stored by transaction processor 72 in auto adjustment table 88. Auto adjustments comprise transactions • -30 where type 42 indicates an auto adjustment type of transaction. Auto adjustments are used when a large number of individual corrections are required by institution 20, such as when institution 20 has suffered a major systems failure and numerous accounts 33 need to be corrected.

Visa fees associated with transactions 30 are received by network interface 64 and placed in fee table 90 by a transaction processor 72. Visa fees comprise transactions 30 where type 42 indicates a visa fee type. A visa fee is a fee charged by Visa® for using Visa cards in ATMs 14. Fees for other credit card companies may be processed similarly.

Manual adjustment actions are received from institutions 20 over interface 78 and stored in auto adjustment table 88 and represent account related corrections entered manually by institutions 20. Manual adjustment actions are transactions 30 where type 42 indicates a manual adjustment type.

Settlement information table 92 is configured by an administrator associated with settlement processor 18 when institution 20 contracts for service from^" settlement processor 18. Settlement information table 92 comprises information identifying each institution 20 which has contracted for service from settlement processor 18. Table 92 also associates an indication of whether each institution 20 uses clearing house 22 or reserve 24, which information is to be provided in reports 100 and may also store sort orders to use with reports 100. Table 92 further stores a settlement processor account number associated with each institution 20 for identifying the institution 20.

Settlement account information table 94 -is also configured by the- administrator associated with settlement processor 18 when institution 20 contracts for service from settlement processor 18. Table 94 stores information regarding the particular bank number and account number indicating account 33 to be used for each type of transaction for particular institutions 20. Stated another way, for each institution 20 contracting for service from processor 18, table 94 identifies which particular accounts 33 at which institutions 20 are to be used as the settlement accounts, fee accounts, surcharge accounts, single point correction accounts and reconciliation accounts.

Reconciliation table 84 uses information in transaction journal table 82 and notes discrepancies between information provided by network 16 about transactions 30 and information from institutions 20 about transactions 30. For example, transaction 30 may be generated by user 12 requesting to withdraw $300.00. Institution 20 approves the user's request to withdraw $300.00 and communicates an approval to ATM 14-^". However, the approval is lost in transit and ATM 14 disapproves transaction 30 from user 12 because ATM 14 has not received approval from institution 20. Reconciliation table 84 will note the discrepancy between ATM 14 having denied the transaction and institution 20 having approved the transaction and record in reconciliation table 84 that institution 20 should credit $300.00 to the account associated with user 12 because institution 20 has previously debited the $300.00 from the user's account when institution 20 approved the transaction, but ATM 14 did not receive approval and thus did not actually disburse the $300.00. Settlement processor 74 uses the differences noted in reconciliation table 84 to inform institutions 20 of the difference and assist institutions 20 in reconciling the difference by using ACH file 32.

Settlement processor 74 collects information from tables 80 to generate entries in general ledger table 96. Settlement processor then uses general ledger table 96 and information in settlement information table 92 to generate ACH file 32. Settlement processor 74 then generates settlement balance table 98 using the information in general ledger table 96. Settlement balance table 98 comprises a record of all information included in ACH file 32. Settlement balance table 98 may be used to provide error tracking and other logging functions regarding information included in ACH file 32. Finally, settlement processor 74 combines the information in journal ledger table 96 and settlement balance table 98 to generate report 100. Using the information from tables 80, settlement processor 74 generates ACH file 32 in order to" distribute funds to be received by and disbursed from institutions 20 to other institutions 20 using up to five accounts 33 at up to five different institutions 20. If additional transaction types are available, additional accounts may be used. More specifically, using the information in settlement information table 92 and settlement account information table 94, settlement processor 74 can distribute the various funds associated with the types 42 of transactions -30 to up to five distinct- -accounts 33 at up to five distinct institutions 20. For example, the settlement account for Sank A may be located at Bank A, while the fee account for Bank A is at Bank B, the reconciliation account for Bank A is at Bank C, the single point correction account for Bank A is at Bank D, and the surcharge account for Bank A is at Bank E. Transactions 30 may be directed to fewer than the five accounts at fewer than five institutions by combining accounts 33. For example, surcharge and fee transactions 30 may be combined into a single fee account while settlement, single point corrections, and reconciliation accounts are separate. For another example, the reconciliation and surcharge accounts for Bank A may be at Bank A while the settlement account for Bank A is at Bank B, the fee account for Bank A is at Bank C, and the single point correction account for Bank A is at Bank D. In general, any combination of up to five institutions 20 and five accounts 33 may be used depending on the configuration provided to settlement processor 18 by institutions 20. The flexibility provided by the accounts 33 and institutions 20 provides increased settlement processing flexibility from settlement processor 18 to institutions 20 and relieves institutions 20 of the responsibility of dealing with the limitations of existing systems .

In addition, institutions 20 may desire to separate out transactions 30 into accounts 33 based on networks 16. Processor 18 may be coupled to one or more networks 16 and transactions 30 may be delivered to processor 18 from ATM 14 using one or more of networks 16. In the disclosed embodiment, settlement processor .18 supports up to five accounts 33 at up to five institutions 20 for each network 16. For example, a first ATM- is associated with a first network while a second ATM is associated with a second network. The first network charges $1.25 per transaction while the second network charges $0.75 per transaction. A particular institution 20 may desire to have five accounts for the first network and five more accounts for the second network so that, for example, the higher charges associated with the first network affect one set of accounts while the lower charges of the second network affect a different set of accounts.

Report 100 is communicated to institutions 20 in order provide institutions 20 with information regarding the current status of their accounts 33. Specifically, report 100 comprises a plurality of entries, each entry indicating a type of message that settlement processor 74 acted upon, such as a reconciliation message, an ATM transaction message, a single point correction message, and a visa fee message, the account which the message applied to, the network 16 from which the message originated, if the message has an associated network 16, and the amount of funds debited or credited to the account as a result of the message.

Report 100 provides institutions 20 with current information regarding transactions 30 and accounts -33 associated with the institution -2-0. Institutions 20 may use report 100 to check that processor 18 is properly performing settlement processing, to determine errors that have occurred, and for other records keeping and reporting requirements. For example, report 100 may indicate that a user's account 33 was debited for an ATM withdrawal, but' the user has indicated that the money became stuck iri the ATM machine. -For another example, report 100 my satisfy a legal reporting requirement associated with institutions 20. FIGURE 4A illustrates details of ACH file 32. ACH file 32 may comprise a plurality of entries 133, and each entry may comprise a source account 130, a destination account 131 and an amount 132. Source account 130 indicates a particular account 33 at a particular institution 22 from which funds will be credited or debited. Source account 130 may comprise any account, such as a fee account, a surcharge account, a single point correction account, a reconciliation account, a settlement account or an account associated with a business or other customer of an institution 22. Processor 18 may generate ACH file 32 with any account 33 listed as the source account 131 based on the transaction 30, network 16, tables 92 and 94 (described in more detail in FIGURES 6 and 6A) and other information. Destination account 131 indicates a particular account 33 at a particular institution 22 to which funds will be deposited or removed. Destination account 131 may also comprise any account, such as a fee account, a surcharge account, a single point correction account, a reconciliation account, a settlement account or an account associated with a business or other customer of an institution 22. Processor 18 may generate ACH file 32 with any account 33 listed as the destination account 131 based on the transaction 30, network 16, tables 92 and 94 (described in more detail in FIGURES 6 and 6A) and other information. - Processor 18 generates file 32 to support the capability of distinct accounts 33 based on the type 42, network 16/ and institution 22 associated- with transactions 30. Amount 132 indicates the quantity of funds transferred and may be either positive or negative depending on whether a credit or debit is to occur. In general, ACH file 32 may be generated to comprise an entry 133 for ones of the transactions 30 handled by settlement processor 18, may aggregate multiple transactions 30 handled by settlement processor 18 into single larger transfers or any combination of individual and aggregated transactions 30.

FIGURE 4B illustrates an example of a report 100 which has been sorted by an identification of network 16. Report 100 may comprise data such as date 102, time 104, client number 106, logo 108, name 110, an identifier 111 of network 16, an identifier 113 of user 12, an identifier 115 of institution 20, an identifier 117 of account 33, debit/credit indication 112 and a plurality of totals 114. Some of this data may be excluded or other data included without departing from the scope of the invention. Date 102 may comprise the date of report 100. Time 104 may comprise the time report 100 is generated. Client 106 may comprise a numeric, alphanumeric or other suitable identifier for identifying the client for whom report 100 is being generated. Typically, client 106 is an institution 20. Logo 108 comprises a short, one-word identifier for client 106. Name 110 may comprise an alphanumeric string indicating the full name of client 106.

Network identifier 111 may comprise a numeric, alphanumeric or other suitable identifier. User identifier 113 may comprise a numeric, alphanumeric or other suitable identifier. Institution identifier 115 may comprise a numeric-, alphanumeric or other suitable identifier associated with a particular institution branch or group of branches. Account identifier 117 may comprise a numeric, alphanumeric or other suitable identifier. Indication 112 typically indicates the amount of the credit or debit for each transaction 30.

Each total 114 typically indicates the total amount of credits and the total amount of debits for each network 16. Report 100 may also be sorted by user 12, institution 20 or account 33. Total 114 typically indicates the total based on the sort order. For example, when report 100 is sorted by account 33, total 114 would indicate the total amount of debits and credits for each account 33.

For example, the first line item of the report 100 illustrated by FIGURE 4B for network A indicates a transaction received over network A associated with a user 12 with user identifier 113 of 6789101112. The user is associated with Branch A of Big Bank, the--account 33 which the transaction affected is a fee account and $1.50 was be deposited in the fee account . Continuing the example, the second line item for network A indicates a surcharge transaction for the same user 12, but which affected a surcharge account at Big Bank Branch B for a debit of $1.00. As shown in the third line item for network A, the $1.50 fee was deducted from an account 33 associated with the user 12 who initiated the transaction. The user 12 initiated the transaction, shown in the fourth line item for network A, to withdraw $20 from an ATM 14. Report 100 shows that the $20 was - deducted from an account 33 associated with the user 12 in the fourth line item associated with network A. The fee charged by Big Bank to the user 12 in the first line item may have been charged because the ATM 14 used by user 12 to initiate the transaction shown in the fourth line item is associated with a network which charges Big Bank a $1.00 surcharge, as shown in the second line item. Big Bank then passed on the surcharge plus a $0.50 handling charge to the user 12 in the third line item. An institution 22 may use report 100 to see all or any portion of transactions 30 which have occurred and are associated with the institution 22. Report 100 allows institutions 22 to see where funds associated with the institutions 22 went. For example, if a large number of the institution's customers have been using ATMs 14 associated with a particular network 16, the institution 22 may attempt to renegotiate the surcharges charged by that network 16. For another example, the first line item for network B indicates a transaction for the same user 12 as described above,^" but over network B instead of network A. The transaction was an ATM transaction to withdraw $40.00 from the user's account 33 as noted in the first line item. The third line item illustrates the $5.00 surcharge charged to Big Bank Branch A by network B for the transaction and debited from the surcharge account for network B. The second line item illustrates that $5.00 was debited from the user's account by Big Bank Branch A to pay- for the surcharge charged by the network. The fourth line item illustrates the receipt of $5.00 in

^■ the fee account 'for network B at Big Bank Branch A from the user charged in the second line item. The surcharge and fee accounts affected by the third and fourth line items for network B may be distinct from the surcharge and fee accounts for network A based on the configuration provided to settlement processor 18 by Big Bank Branch A as settlement processor 18 supports distinct accounts based on network 16.

FIGURE 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing settlement processing at settlement processor 18. The method beings at step 150 where transaction 30 is received by transaction processor 72. Next, at step 152, type 42 associated with transaction 30 is determined. Specifically, type 42 associated with transaction 30 is examined to determine whether the transaction is the fee type, surcharge type, ATM transaction type, single point correction type or visa fee type. Then, at step 154, transaction 30 is stored in the appropriate table 80. When type 42 is the visa fee type, transaction 30 is stored in visa fee table 90. When type 42 is the single point correction type, -transaction 30 is stored in correction journal table 86. When type 42 is the fee- type, ATM transaction type or surcharge type, transaction 30 is stored in the transaction journal table 82. Then, at step 158, a particular institution 20 is associated with transaction 30. Up to five different institutions 20 may be used to provide the up to five different accounts 33 that may be used in step 156. Accounts 33 -may also be distributed among less than 5 institutions 20. Information in table 94 is used to determine which nstitution 20 is to be associated with each account 33. For example,- the settlement account may be located at Bank A while the surcharge account is located at Bank B. Next, at step 160, the particular networks comprising network 16 may be used to determine which account 33 and institution 20 is to receive the funds effected by transaction 30. Based on information in settlement account information table 94, the network to which ATM 14 is coupled may optionally be used to determine which account 33 and institution 20 is to receive the funds moved by transaction 30. For example, when transaction 30 originates over network A, table 94 may specify that transactions 30 originating over network A be associated with a particular set of up to five accounts 33 and five institutions 20. For another example, user 12 requests to withdraw $40 from ATM 14 coupled to network A and information in table 94 may specify that a withdrawal over network A is debited to account A while withdrawals by the same user 12 over network B are debited to account B. In general, sets of up to five accounts 33 and institutions 20 may associated with each network comprising network 16 based on the information associated with particular institutions 20 in table 94. More specifically, each account 33 and the account ' s associated institution 20- may be further broken down by network 16 to provide for separate handling of transactions 30 from different networks 16. The associations between accounts 33, networks 16 and institutions 20 are configurable according to the desires of institution 20.

Often, institutions 20 -need to- handle transactions 30 from different networks 16 as networks 16 link one or more ATMs 14 to one or more institutions 20 and may be owned by institutions 20 or may be independent from institutions 20. In general, networks 16 support communication of transaction data between ATMs 14 and institutions 20. Each network 16 may have distinct characteristics associated with it. For example, transactions from network A may have an associated fee of $1.50 while network B may have an associated fee of $1.00. A particular institution 20 may want the fees for network A to be deposited and withdrawn from a first fee account while the fees for network B are deposited and withdrawn from a second fee account . In general , any of the accounts 33 (surcharge, fee, settlement, reconciliation and single point correction) may be further distinguished by the network 16 from which the transaction originated to provide increased flexibility to institutions 20. In other words, up to five accounts at up to five institutions may be specified for each network with which a client's transactions are" processed. For example, if Bank A had arrangements with three networks to carry transactions for it, it could have up to fifteen accounts, five for each network.

Proceeding to step 156, one of the accounts 33 supported by an institution 20 is associated with transaction 30. The particular account 33 is determined by determining which institution 20 transaction 30 is associated with using information about user 12 which is included as pa'rt of transaction 30. Specifically, the user identifying information in transaction 30 is compared with account and institution informatio in table 94. Information in table 94 may specify that the - funds transferred in response to transaction 30 be stored in up to five different accounts based on type 42 of transaction 30. Individual accounts 33 may be specified for transactions based on the type 42. Typically, a reconciliation account is associated with the reconciliation type, a fee account is associated with the fee type, a surcharge account is associated with the surcharge type, a settlement account is associated with the ATM transaction type and a single point correction account is associated with the single point correction type. Any of the settlement, reconciliation, fee, surcharge and single point correction accounts may represent the same or distinct accounts 33 in order to provide flexibility in designating where to receive the funds affected by ACH file 32. In general, ACH file 32 directs reserve 24 and central 22 to transfer funds between accounts 33 located at institutions 20. Proceeding to decisional step 162, processor 74 determines whether the end of the day has arrived. Typically, settlement —is performed at a predetermined time at the end of the business day (which could be any specified time) for each institution 20 receiving settlement processing from processor 18. If the end of the day has not been reached, the NO branch of step 162 is followed back to step 150 where another transaction is received. If the end of the day has been"^"reached, then the YES branch of step 162 is followed to step 164.

At step 164 the general ledger table 96 is accessed to retrieve transactions 30 for the institution 20 to be settled. Then/ - at step 166, configuration information for the institution 20 to be settled is retrieved from tables 92 and 94. Next, at step 168, an institution data set, typically a report, is generated and at step 170 an automated clearing house data set, typically ACH file 32, is generated. Typically, one ACH file 32 is generated for each of central 22 and reserve 24 which cover multiple institutions 20. The institution data set is described in more detail in association with FIGURE 6. Proceeding to decisional step 172, the sort order of the institution data set is determined based on the configuration in tables 92 and 94 associated with the institution 20 being settled. Based on the configuration in tables 92 and 94, the institution data set may be sorted by network 16 at step 174, institution 20 at step 176, or by account 30 at step 178. At step 176, the institution-order sort will separately group client institutions and settlement institutions (as described with respect to FIGURE 7) . It should be noted that a plurality of institution data sets may be created from step 172 as institutions 20 may request multiple sort orders. Then, at decisional step 180, processor 74 determines whether more institutions 20 need settling. If more institutions 20 need settling, then the YES branch of decisional step 180 is followed to step 164 where information in table 96 is retrieved for the next institution 20 to be settled. If no more institutions 20 need settling, then the NO branch of decisional step 180 is followed back to step 150 where transaction receipt and processing begins again. FIGURE 6 is a block diagram illustrating further details of settlement information table 92. Table 92 comprises an ATM list 120 of ATMs 14 which communicate with processor 18, a network list 121 indicating the networks 16 which communicate with processor 18, the network identifiers 111 associated with the networks 16 which communicate with processor 18, client identifiers 115 of institutions 20 which have contracted for service from processor 18, client name 110 associated with identifiers 115, and one or more sort orders 122. ATM list 120 indicates ATMs 14 which may send transactions 30 to processor 18. Network list 121 indicates networks 16 which may communicate with processor 18. Some ATMs 14 and networks 16 may choose not to send transactions to settlement processor 18 for various reasons or some ATMs 14 and networks 16 may be excluded by processor 18 for various reasons . For example, processor 18 may reject transactions from a particular ATM 14 which is known to send out fraudulent transactions 30. Sort orders 122 indicate one or more identifiers 111, 113, 115, 117 and other criteria on which to sort reports generated- for client institutions. Multiple sort orders may be specified in orders 122.

FIGURE 6A is a block diagram illustrating further details of settlement account information table 94. Table 94 comprises one or more client identifiers 115 and identifiers 111, 113, 117, and fees and -surcharges 124 associated with each client identifier 115. Ranges of user identifiers 113 may be associated with each client identifier 115 to indicate groups of users associated with particular institutions. Client identifier 115 comprises an indication of an institution 22, such as a bank code. Table 94 maintains, for each client identifier 115, the relationship between accounts 33, identified by identifiers 117, for types 42 of transactions. In one embodiment, table 94 may maintain the relationship between accounts 33 and types 42 for a range of client identifiers 115. Also, ranges of accounts 33 and types 42 may be associated. For example, all accounts 33 with specific digits equating with "6789" may indicate accounts of customers associated with client identifier 115. For another example, table 94 may maintain the specific account at Big Bank used to handle fee type transactions. Table 94 also maintains the relationship between accounts 33, types 42 and networks 16 if a particular institution 20 breaks down accounts by network 16. In this manner, table 94 supports the sets of up to five accounts at up to five institutions by network provided by processor 18. In the disclosed embodiment, account identifiers 117 indicate both the account 33 and the institution 20 supporting the account. ACH file 32 is used to support the transferring of funds between accounts 33 at institutions 20 in response to processing performed by processor 18 on transactions 30. ACH file 32 is generated by processor 18 in response to transactions 30 such that United States Central 22 and Federal Reserve 24 will transfer funds between institutions 20 based on the configuration of accounts 33, networks 16 and transactions 30 provided by institutions 20 to processor 18. Stated another way, ACH file 32 instructs Central 22 and Reserve 24 where to move the funds and ACH file 32 is generated by processor 18 to support the distribution of debits and credits desired by institution 20.

Surcharges and fees 124 comprise fees and surcharges charged by the institution 20 identified by identifier 115 to institutions 20 and users 12. For example, if a user 12 of Bank A uses an ATM associated with Bank B, fees 123 for Bank B may indicate that a $1.00 fee be assessed against the user of Bank A for the use of the ATM associated with Bank B.

Using the associations between network identifiers 111, user identifiers 113, client identifiers 115, and account identifiers 117, settlement processor 18 supports multiple distinct accounts based on any of network 16, institution 22, user 12 and accounts 33. In association with table 94, processor 18 may generate reports 100 organized on any of the identifiers 111, 113, 115 and 117.

FIGURE 7 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of system 10 for performing settlement rollup. This embodiment of system 10 is used when one or more secondary institutions 200 contract with a settlement institution 202 for settlement services. Secondary institutions 200 comprise banks, credit unions and other financial institutions which Have contracted for settlement processing handling services from settlement institution 202. Settlement institution 202 comprises banks, credit unions and other financial institutions which have contracted for settlement processing services from settlement- processor 18. Settlement institution 202 also comprises one or more client accounts 204. Client accounts 204 comprise individually maintained, logical or physical repositories for funds associated with secondary institution 200. More than one institution 200 may contract with institution 202 for settlement services. This embodiment of system 10 may be used to provide settlement services to institutions 200 which are small and may not be able to afford settlement services directly from settlement processor 18 or larger institutions who simply choose to use another institution for settlement services. Instead, institution 200 receives settlement processing through institution 202 and, for example, become accounts associated with institution 202. For example, several institutions 200 may collectively contract for service from institution 202 so as to receive settlement processing at a lower overall cost.

In general, transactions 30 for secondary institutions 200 are handled by settlement institutions 202. As institutions 202 support the accounts 33 associated with institutions 200, transactions 30 result in funds being transferred to and from accounts 33 at institutions 202. Institutions 200 provide accounts to customers, but the accounts are supported by institutions 202 instead of by institutions 200 directly. Institutions 202 support accounts associated with institutions 200 in a manner similar to accounts 33 associated with customers of institutions 202, but also track which institution 200 the accounts are associated with.

In operation, settlement processor 18 receives transactions 30 for secondary institution 200 and settlement institution 202. Settlement processor 74 (FIGURE 4) identifies transactions 30 for secondary institution 200 as transactions 30 associated with settlement institution 202 using information from settlement account information table 94. Settlement processor 74 then performs settlement processing on "the transactions as previously described. In other words, settlement processor 74 treats transactions for all institutions 200 contracting with settlement institutions 202 as those for settlement institution 202 and processes them accordingly. Settlement processor 74 then generates a rollup report 206. Rollup report 206 comprises a report with the information in report 100 and an additional item associated with each entry identifying which transactions 30 are respectively associated with settlement institution 202 and each of the one or more secondary institutions 200. Settlement institution 202 uses report 206, for example, to determine the total amount of funds affected by transactions 30 on that date. In contrast to existing rollup reports, rollup report 206 identifies both transaction 30 and the -"associated institution to allow settlement institution 202 to easily separate, for example, the total amount of funds affected by. transactions for secondary institution 200 from transactions for settlement institution 202. As will be described below, rollup report 206 may also be sorted by institution.

FIGURE 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for performing settlement rollup. The method begins at step 250, where transaction 30 is received at settlement processor 18. Then, at step 252, transaction processor 72 receives transaction 30 from network interface 64 and determines which institution 200 or 202 is associated with transaction 30 »_ Next, at step 254, the associated institution 200 or 202 is added to the entry associated with transaction 30 in report 206. Proceeding to step 256, the user 12 associated with transaction 30 is determined and is added to the entry associated with transaction 30. Proceeding to step 262, network 16 associated with transaction 30 is determined and added to report 206. Next, at step 260, account 33 associated with transaction 30 is determined and added to report 206. Then, at step 258, type 42 is determined by transaction processor 72 and added to report 206.

Next, at decisional step 266, settlement processor 74 determines if the end of the reporting day has been reached. Typically, settlement processor 74 generates report 206 for institutions 20 at a fixed time each day or business day. If the end of the business day has not been reached, then the NO branch of decisional step 266 is followed back to step 250 and where settlement processor 74 waits to receive another transaction 30. If the end of the business day has been reached, then the YES branch of decisional step 266 is followed to step 268 where report 206 is generated.

Then, at step 269, the sort order of report 206 is determined and report 206 is sorted based on the determined sort order at step 270. The sort order of report 206 is determined based on the configuration provided for institution 20 in table 92. Report 206 may be —sorted by institutions 200 and 202, identifiers associated with network 16, identifiers associated with user 12 or identifiers associated with account 33 as. described in more detail in association with FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 9 illustrates report 206 which has been sorted by identification of institutions 200 and 202. Report 206 may comprise data such as date 300, time 302, client number 304, logo 306, name 308, identifier 111 of network 16, identifier 113 of user 12, identifier 315 of institutions 200 and 202, identifier 117 of account 33, debit/credit indication 310 and a plurality of totals 312. Some of this data may be excluded or other data included without departing from the scope of the invention. Date 300 comprises the date of report 206. Time 302 comprises the time report 206 is generated. Client 304 may comprise a numeric, alphanumeric or other suitable identifier for identifying the client for whom report 206 is being generated. A client 304 will typically be an institution 200 or 202. Logo 306 comprises a short, one-word identifier for client 304. Name 308 comprises an alphanumeric string indicating the full name of client 304. Identifier 315 may comprise a numeric, alphanumeric or other suitable identifier associated with a particular institution branch or group of branches. Report 206 typically includes transactions 30 for institutions 200 and 202 when report 206 is generated for a settlement institution 202 so that institution 202 may separate activity for accounts associated with institution 202 from accounts associated with secondary institutions 200. In contrast, when report 206 is generated for a secondary institution 200, only transactions 30 associated with that institution 200 are included.

Indication 310 indicates the amount of the credit or debit for each transaction 30. Note that since different accounts 33 can be used based on network 16 associated with transaction 30, the "fee" account in the second entry of Big Bank and Client Bank may comprise distinct fee accounts based on the different networks 16 associated with those entries. Also, even if the "fee" account in the second entry of Big Bank and Client Bank originated over the same network 16, if Client Bank is a secondary institution 200 to Big Bank the "fee" accounts may be distinct as being associated with different institutions.

Each total 312 indicates the total amount of credits and the total amount of debits for each institution 200 and/or 202. Report 206 may also be sorted by user identifier 113, network identifier 111, or account identifier 117. Total 312 will indicate the total based on the sort order. For example, when report 206 is sorted by account identifier 117, total 312 would indicate the total amount of debits and credits for each account 33.

For example, the first entry of report 206 illustrated in FIGURE 9 indicates a transaction 30 associated with Big Bank Branch A, originating over network A for a particular user and affecting the settlement account for network A for a $150.00 debit. The second entry indicates a transaction 30 associated with Big Bank Branch A, originating over network B for a particular user and affecting the fee account for network B for a $100.00 credit. Note that^' since the two transactions originated over different networks, the "fee" accounts may be distinct. Other transactions 30 may have occurred causing the settlement accounts to be credited and debited, but are not shown in this example. The first entry for Secondary Bank indicates a transaction 30 associated with Secondary Bank, originating over network A for a particular user and affecting the settlement account for network A for the secondary institution for a $3.00 credit. Since report 206 was generated for Big Bank, as indicated by name 308, Secondary Bank is a secondary bank 200 to Big Bank, thus, transactions 30 for Secondary Bank may affect a settlement account distinct from the settlement accounts for Big Bank. The second entry for Secondary Bank indicates a transactions associated with Secondary Bank, originating over network B for a particular user and affecting the settlement account for network B for the secondary institution for a $1.50 credit. Since the second entry's transaction arrived over network B, the affected settlement account may be distinct- from the settlement account for network A for Secondary Bank. Thus, in the example of FIGURE 9, up to four distinct settlement accounts may be affected based on institution 22 and network 16.

It should also be recognized that other changes, substitutions and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for settlement processing comprising: receiving, at a settlement processor, a first message having an associated first transaction type comprising a surcharge transaction and a second message having an associated second transaction type comprising an ATM transaction; and generating an automated clearing house data set in response to the first and second messages, the automated clearing house data set comprising first and second account entries responsive, respectively, to the first and second messages,- wherein the first account entry comprises data identifying a surcharge account associated with surcharges to customers of a first financial institution, and wherein the second account entry comprises data identifying a settlement account distinct from the surcharge account and associated with ATM transactions associated with customers of the first financial institution.

2. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 1 further comprising transferring money between the surcharge account and another account associated with a second financial institution in response to the first account entry.

3. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 1 further comprising: receiving a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising a fee transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a third account entry responsive to the third message, wherein the third account entry comprises data identifying a fee account distinct from the surcharge and settlement accounts and associated with fees charged to customers of the first financial institution.

4. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 3 further comprising: receiving a fourth message having an associated fourth transaction type comprising a reconciliation transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fourth account entry responsive to the fourth message, wherein the fourth account entry comprises data identifying a reconciliation account distinct from the surcharge, settlement and fee accounts and associated with reconciliation services provided the first financial institution.

5. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 4 further comprising: receiving a fifth message having an associated fifth transaction type comprising a single point correction transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fifth account entry responsive to the fifth message, wherein the fifth account entry comprises data identifying a single point corrections account distinct from the surcharge, settlement, fee and reconciliation accounts and associated with single point corrections to accounts associated with customers of the first financial institution.

6. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 5, wherein at least two of the single point correction account, reconciliation account, fee account, settlement account and surcharge account comprise the same account .

7. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 5, wherein at least two of the single point correction account, reconciliation account, fee account, settlement account and surcharge account are associated with the same financial institution.

8. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 5, wherein each of the single point correction account, reconciliation account, fee account, settlement account and surcharge account are distinct and respectively associated with distinct financial institutions.

9. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 1, wherein the second message is associated with a first network and further comprising: receiving a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising an ATM transaction and being associated with a second network distinct from the first network; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a third account entry responsive to the third message, wherein the third account entry comprises data identifying a further settlement account distinct from the surcharge and settlement accounts and associated with ATM transactions received over the second network and associated with customers of the first financial institution.

10. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 9 further comprising generating a report associated with the first financial institution based on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth account entries, and sorting the report based on the network.

11. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 1 further comprising: receiving a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising an ATM transaction associated with a second financial institution distinct from the first financial institution; and wherein the second account entry of the automated clearing house data set is further responsive to the third message, and wherein the settlement account is further associated with ATM transactions associated with customers of the second financial institution.

12. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 11 further comprising: generating a report to the first institution in response to the first, second and third messages, the report comprising a first, second and third line item respectively associated with the first, second and third messages; and sorting the report by the financial institution associated with the first, second and third line items.

13. A method for settlement processing comprising: receiving, at a settlement processor, a first message having an associated first transaction type comprising a reconciliation transaction and a second message having an associated second transaction type comprising an ATM transaction; and generating an automated clearing house data set in response to the first and second messages, the automated clearing house .data set comprising first and second account entries responsive, respectively, to the first and second messages, wherein the first account entry comprises data identifying a reconciliation account associated with reconciliation services provided a first financial institution, and wherein the second account entry comprises data identifying a settlement account distinct from the reconciliation account and associated with ATM transactions associated with customers of the first financial institution.

14. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 13 further comprising transferring money between the reconciliation account and another account associated with a second financial institution in response to the first account entry.

15. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 13 further comprising: receiving a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising a fee transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a third account entry responsive to the third message, wherein the third account entry comprises data identifying a fee account distinct from the reconciliation and settlement accounts and associated with fees charged to customers of the first financial institution.

16. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 15 further comprising: receiving a fourth message having an associated fourth transaction type comprising a surcharge transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fourth account entry responsive to the fourth message, wherein the fourth account entry comprises data identifying a surcharge account distinct from the reconciliation, settlement and fee accounts and associated with surcharges to customers of the first financial institution.

17. The method for . settlement processing according to Claim 16 further comprising: receiving a fifth message having an associated fifth transaction type comprising a reconciliation transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fifth account entry responsive to the fifth message, wherein the fifth account entry comprises data identifying a single point corrections account distinct from the surcharge, settlement, fee and reconciliation accounts and associated with single point corrections to accounts associated with customers of the first financial institution.

18. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 17, wherein at least two of the single point correction account, reconciliation account, fee account, settlement account and surcharge account comprise the same account .

19. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 17, wherein at least two of the single point correction account, reconciliation account, fee account, settlement account and surcharge account are associated with the same financial institution.

20. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 17, wherein each of the single point correction account, reconciliation account, fee account, settlement account and surcharge account are distinct and respectively associated with distinct financial institutions.

21. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 13, wherein the second message is associated with a first network and further comprising: receiving a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising an ATM transaction and being associated with a second network distinct from the first network; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a third account entry responsive to the third message, wherein the third account entry comprises data identifying a further settlement account distinct from the surcharge and settlement accounts and associated with ATM transactions received over the second network and associated with customers of the first financial institution.

22. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 21 further comprising generating a report associated with the first financial institution based on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth messages, the report comprising first, second, third, fourth and fifth line items respectively associated with the first, second, third fourth and fifth messages, and sorting the report based on the network.

23. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 13 further comprising: receiving a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising an ATM transaction associated with a second financial institution distinct from the first financial institution; and wherein the second account entry of the automated clearing house data set is further responsive to the third message, and wherein the settlement account is further associated with ATM transactions associated with customers of the second financial institution.

2 . The method for settlement processing according to Claim 23 further comprising: generating a report to the first institution comprising the first, second and third account entries; and sorting the report by the financial institution associated with the first, second and third account entries .

25. An automated clearing house data set stored on a computer readable medium comprising: a first account entry comprising a surcharge account associated with a first network and with surcharges charged to customers of a first financial institution, the first account entry being generated in response to a first message having an associated first transaction type comprising a surcharge transaction; and a second account entry comprising data identifying a settlement account distinct from the surcharge account associated with the first network and with ATM transactions associated with customers of a second financial institution, the second account entry being generated in response to a second message having an associated second transaction type comprising an ATM transaction.

26. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 25 further comprising a third account entry comprising a fee account associated with the first network and with fees charged to customers of a third financial institution, the third account entry being generated in response to a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising a fee transaction.

27. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 26 further comprising a fourth account entry comprising a reconciliation account associated with settlement services provided to a fourth financial institution, the fourth account entry being generated in response to a fourth message having an associated fourth transaction type comprising a reconciliation transaction.

28. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 27 further comprising a fifth account entry comprising a single point correction account associated with single point correction services provided to a fifth financial institution, the fifth account entry being generated in response to a fifth message having an associated fifth transaction type comprising a single point correction transaction.

29. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 28 , wherein at least two of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth accounts comprise the same account .

30. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 28, wherein at least two of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth financial institutions are the same financial institution.

31. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 28, wherein each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth accounts comprise distinct accounts.

32. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 28, wherein each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth financial institutions comprise distinct financial institutions.

33. The automated clearing house data set according to Claim 28, wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth entries are arranged as an automated clearing house file.

34. A settlement processing system comprising: a computer readable storage medium; computer software stored on the computer readable storage medium and operable to: receive, at a settlement processor, a first message having an associated first transaction type comprising a surcharge transaction and a second message having an associated second transaction type comprising an ATM transaction; and generate an automated clearing house data set in response to the first and second messages, the automated clearing house data set comprising first and second account entries responsive, respectively, to the first and second messages, wherein the first account entry comprises a surcharge account associated with surcharges to customers of a first financial institution, and wherein the second account entry comprises data identifying a settlement account distinct from the surcharge account and associated with ATM transactions associated with customers of the first financial institution.

35. The system for settlement processing according to Claim 34, wherein the software is further operable to: receive a third message having an associated third transaction type comprising a fee transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a third account entry responsive to the third message, wherein the third account entry comprises data identifying a fee account distinct from the surcharge and settlement accounts and associated with fees charged to customers of the first financial institution.

36. The system for settlement processing according to Claim 35, wherein the software is further operable to: receive a fourth message having an associated fourth transaction type comprising a reconciliation transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fourth account entry responsive to the fourth message, wherein the fourth account entry comprises data identifying a reconciliation account distinct from the surcharge, settlement and fee accounts and associated with reconciliation services provided the first financial institution.

37. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 36, wherein the software is further operable to: receive a fifth message having an associated fifth transaction type comprising a single point correction transaction; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fifth account entry responsive to the fifth message, wherein the fifth account entry comprises data identifying a single point corrections account distinct from the surcharge, settlement, fee and reconciliation accounts and associated with single point corrections to accotmts associated with customers of the first financial institution.

38. A method for settlement processing comprising: receiving, at a settlement processor, a first message having an associated transaction type comprising an ATM transaction and being associated with a first network and a second message having the associated transaction type and being associated with a second network distinct from the first network; and generating an automated clearing house data set in response to the first and second messages, the automated clearing house data set comprising first and second account entries responsive, respectively, to the first and second messages, wherein the first account entry comprises data identifying a first settlement account associated with the first network and associated with ATM transactions for customers of a financial institution, and wherein the second account entry comprises data identifying a second settlement account distinct from the first settlement account and associated with the second network and ATM transactions associated with customers of the first financial institution.

39. The method for settlement processing according to Claim 38 further comprising: receiving a third message being associated with the first network and having an associated third transaction type comprising an ATM transaction associated with a second financial institution distinct from the first financial institution; and wherein the second account entry of the automated clearing house data set is further responsive to the third message, and wherein the settlement account is further associated with ATM transactions associated with customers of the second financial institution and the first network.

40. A system for settlement processing comprising: a computer readable memory; an application stored in the memory; a processor coupled to the memory and operable to execute the application, the processor, when executing the application, being operable to: receive, at a settlement processor, a first message having an associated transaction type comprising an ATM transaction and being associated with a first network and a second message having the associated transaction type and being associated with a second network distinct from the first network; and generate an automated clearing house data set in response to the first and second messages, the automated clearing house data set comprising first and second account entries responsive, respectively, to the first and second messages, wherein the first account entry comprises data identifying a first settlement account associated with the first network and associated with ATM transactions for customers of a financial institution, and wherein the second account entry comprises data identifying a second settlement account distinct from the first settlement account and associated with the second network and ATM transactions associated with customers of the first financial institution.

41. The system for settlement processing according to Claim 40, wherein the processor, when executing the application, is further operable to_.: receive a third message having the associated transaction type and having an associated third network; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a third account entry responsive to the third message, wherein the third account entry comprises data identifying a third settlement account distinct from the first and second settlement accounts and associated with ATM transactions for customers of the first financial institution and the third network.

42. The system for settlement processing according to Claim 41, wherein the processor, when executing the application, is further operable to: receive a fourth message having the associated transaction type and having an associated fourth network; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fourth account entry responsive to the fourth message, wherein the fourth account entry comprises data identifying a fourth settlement account distinct from the first, second and third settlement accounts and associated with ATM transactions for customers of the first financial institution and the fourth network.

43. The system for settlement processing according to Claim 42, wherein the processor, when executing the application, is further operable to: receive a fifth message having the associated transaction type and associated with a fifth network; and wherein the automated clearing house data set further comprises a fifth account entry responsive to the fifth message, wherein the fifth account entry comprises data identifying a fifth settlement account distinct from the first, second, third and fourth settlement accounts and associated with ATM transactions for customers of the first financial institution and the fifth network