Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for conducting transactions through a financial network using a document such as a check or money order at an unattended automated machine. For security purposes a signature detector detects the signature and the user uses a card to operate the machine. A reader reads the amount on the document; and, for a check, the LAR and CAR amounts are compared. If the document is a money order, the user may be prompted to endorse the money order if the signature detector fails to detect a signature. A card writer writes an amount on the card related to the amount of the transaction being done and a calculator calculates the amount to be written on the card and subtracts a user's service charge. A bill may be paid and a receipt generator will provide a receipt preferably showing payment of the bill and the service charge. If the check or money order is for an amount greater than the bill and service charge amounts, the card writer may write the difference on the card.

Abstract: An automated document cashing system is provided with an automated machine that cashes monetary transaction documents such as checks, money orders, and that makes deposit entries into the bank account of the user after validation of the user and monetary transaction document, without the aid of a bank teller. Validation of the identity of the user is performed with the use of a card associated with intelligence that identifies the user. A biometric device also may be used in identifying the validity of the user. Validation of the document involves one or more of: validating the presence of a signature; validating the amount of the monetary transaction document including a manual entry of the amount by the user; validating CAR against the LAR; and validating the banking system parameters and rules for the customer and/or the transaction. To assist in the automatic analysis of data on monetary transactional documents or on remittance documents, the user is prompted to provide a bounding box about the data.