Define Remittance Coupon

The Define Remittance Coupon page allows you to capture images of sample remittance coupons, and to define the data zones and data fields that must be recognized on those remittance coupons. This page also allows you to revise the definitions of existing remittance coupons.

The Coupon Amount field is required on each remittance coupon definition. This field is used for remittance balancing and will normally be the amount due or the discounted amount for early payment, but you can use any amount field on the coupon. The value of the Coupon Amount field will appear in the Post Amount field in the data record for the item, and is the only remittance coupon data not stored in a custom field.

Tip: Although you define one type of remittance coupon at a time, you should scan more than one sample of that remittance coupon so that you can observe and account for printing and cutting differences.

The system uses the coupon definitions in alphabetic order, and accepts the first match found, so your coupons should be defined (and named) in sequence from most unique to least unique. When the data fields are identical on two coupon types, list the most common coupon before the less common one.

Note: Before you define a new coupon, review the existing custom fields, and if necessary create new custom fields to support this new coupon type.

1. Enter a unique name for this new coupon in the Name box.
2. Enter a short description in the Description box.
3. Make a choice for Measure zones from (You would normally measure from a cut edge, not a user-torn edge.)
4. Optionally, you may use the document size constraint entry fields to specify the minimum and maximum pixel height and width requirements for the coupon. Once defined, scanned coupons must fall within the configured size ranges in order to match the coupon definition. When setting the document size constraint entry field values, note the following:
   • When you first start a new coupon definition, the Use document size constraints check box will not be selected. To configure size constraints for a remittance coupon, select the Use document size constraints check box to display the document size fields (Minimum width, Maximum width, Minimum height, and Maximum height) and a Recalculate button.
   • Once you scan a coupon, the document size constraint entry field values will be populated automatically as follows:
     • Minimum width – Identifies the minimum horizontal dimension (in pixels) required for the coupon. Initially, the value will be set to 95% of the scanned coupon width.
     • Maximum width – Identifies the maximum horizontal dimension (in pixels) required for the coupon. Initially, the value will be set to 105% of the scanned coupon width.
     • Minimum height – Identifies the minimum vertical dimension (in pixels) required for the coupon. Initially, the value will be set to 95% of the scanned coupon height.
     • Maximum height – Identifies the maximum vertical dimension (in pixels) required for the coupon. Initially, the value will be set to 105% of the scanned coupon width.
   • After you scan a coupon, you can modify the document size constraint entry field values to suit your own specific minimum and maximum size requirements for the coupon definition.
   • To have the application automatically re-calculate default values for the currently displayed coupon (clearing any values you have manually configured), click the Recalculate button.
   • If you scan multiple sample coupons, any configured size constraints you set must apply to all scanned samples. Attempting to save the coupon definition with one or more samples that do not conform to the configured size constraints will result in an error message being displayed, indicating that the definition can not be saved.
5. If necessary, use the Document Orientation controls to change the orientation of scanned documents matching this definition prior to those documents being recognized or displayed to users within the application. You can either leave the orientation of those documents as scanned (by selecting Default orientation from scanner) or can have the scanned images for those documents rotated 90° clockwise (by selecting Re-oriented for display and recognition) before recognition is performed on those documents, and before images of those documents are displayed.

   Note: Depending on the scanner model you are using to capture your coupons, you may need to either adjust the direction in which you feed documents into the scanner, or adjust the Document Orientation control settings to ensure that your scanned documents display in the proper orientation within the Sample images display frame.

6. Load one or more samples into the scanner and then click the Scan button.
7. If you are working with a large document, use the zoom controls ( to zoom in () or out ()) to size the image to an appropriate level (and to display the portion of the document containing the zone you wish to define) before clicking the Define Zone button to proceed with zone definition. The magnification on the portion of the document on which you have zoomed the image will be maintained when you click the Define Zone button, allowing you to define zones more easily on large documents.
8. Click the Define Zone button and then drag the resulting shadow-box over the sample image onto a data zone.

   Drag the box handles to resize the box so that it completely covers the data zone. While this box needs to be big enough to account for printing variations, it must not overlap other zones on this document type.

9. Complete the zone definition:
   • In systems configured to use the advanced remittance coupon setup option, you will have access to the zone definition font drop-down menu, allowing you to select the font for the zone. When selecting zone fonts, note the following:
     • Auto-detect Zone Font – The default menu selection. Select this option when you are not sure of the specific font type being used within the zone. When selected, the application will automatically iterate through each of the menu entries (in the order in which the entries appear within the menu, but with an extra barcode type being tested after the OCR types) to find a suitable font type to use for the zone. Note that the auto-detect method for determining the best type to apply is not always exact and you are better off choosing the specific font type for a zone when you can.
     • OCR fonts (OCRA, E13B, OCRAALPH, OCRB, OCRBSP, OCRBALPH, and CMC7) – Select the corresponding OCR font when you know that font is being used within the zone.
     • CARLAR – Select this option for courtesy amount/legal amount fields. This option is best suited to zones containing a numeric amount field, typically preceded by a dollar sign ($). Note, when selecting this option, your zone can be made larger than the actual amount (for example, can include the entire courtesy amount box).
     • Number – Select this option for numeric fields that contain a generic non-OCR font (for example, Times Roman). By default, the following characters are valid for this field type: "0123456789,.$" (any other characters present in the field will be considered invalid and assigned a "!" value during Rules processing).
     • Date – Select this option for date fields that contain a generic non-OCR font. By default, the following characters are valid for this field type: "0123456789/-" (any other characters present in the field will be considered invalid and assigned a "!" value during Rules processing).
     • Text – Select this option for text fields that contain a generic non-OCR font. By default (set to ""), all alphanumeric characters are valid for this field type.
   • Use the View Zone button to display a pop-up showing the zone image that will be passed to the Rules application when attempting to determine the zone value. After a zone definition has been saved, the View Zone button will no longer be accessible. Instead, you can click the View Zone () icon for the zone definition to display the zone image.
   • Use the Previous and Next buttons to verify that the selection box adequately covers the zone on all samples.
   • Use the Undo Zone button to cancel your current zone definition activity and/or return to navigate (and/or resize) the entire document.
10. When you are satisfied with the zone definition settings, click the Lock Zone button.

    View the Current Value field to ensure the zone contents are readable and complete. If the zone is incomplete, edit the zone size or position.

11. Create any other zones needed.
12. Click the Define Field button to define at least one data field per zone. You will return to this page as you save each field.

    The Defined Fields List box displays any fields defined for this remittance coupon, and the current value for each field.

13. Click the Save button to complete the new coupon.

    Note: You can also click the Cancel button to abandon your input.