AUTOMATED PAYMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

A system and method of collecting payments uses an automated system to generate a draft, payable to the creditor and drawn on the payor's checking account, pursuant to the payor's authorization. The draft is then executed by the debt collector as authorized signatory for the payor, and deposited into the payee's account to complete payment. The automated system has an input screen which shows necessary information for generation of the draft, and may be read to the system operator over the telephone by the authorizing payor. When verification is complete, the system generates a paper bank draft payable to the payor, using MICR ink so that the draft can be processed in the banking system like an ordinary check. The signature block of the draft is made for the collection agent "as authorized signatory for" the payor. The system provides for an authorization code to be given to a client system to permit printing of a specified additional number of checks. The client system includes an indicator which is activated when a remaining number of authorized number of checks is running low. Client instructions are also recorded when requesting an authorization code, and a recording is made of a location on a recording medium of the recorded authorization. The system provides for automatically producing a deposit slip for depositing a plurality of checks.