A check verification service provides businesses or individuals with either the ability to check the validity of the actual check or draft being presented, or the ability to verify the history of the account holder, or both. [1]
There are a number of different methods that can be used to provide the service, these include checking different databases with negative or account history, checking that routing and account numbers are valid using algorithms, or contacting the bank that issued the check to get confirmation about the account status.
Check verification services have been most common in the United States, in Europe a cheque guarantee system operated for a number of years that could be used by merchants until the usage of cheques declined to the point where it was no longer necessary. Outside the United States the decline in check usage in favour of debit cards and credit cards has meant that cheques are rarely accepted by merchants thus rendering cheque verification services obsolete. In the United States, there are a number of third-party companies that provide check verification services.
Some banks bundle a level of this service with a business checking account or with a bank credit card acceptance program. Check verification companies will often offer one, two, or all of the different services in their own system. Some check verification services also offer collection agency service [2] for the civil prosecution of check fraud.
Check verification services can use a number of different methods or may combine a number to verify the validity of a check.
A negative check database contains a comprehensive list of people who either wrote a bad check at a retail location, paid a bill with a check that was returned, [3] also called "bouncing a check".
Historical data check verification services that use a national network with a negative check database can be difficult for consumers and businesses to remove themselves from once they get on, even in the case of errors.[ citation needed ]
These databases are often bundled with "check guarantee" services like ChexSystems. This leaves companies that use historical data reliant systems in a position of sometimes denying customers that have a valid check, but managed to get on the negative check database. [4]
This type of verification is usually linked to the person writing the check and runs the verification using their driver's license number. [5] This type of information is a valuable tool for loss prevention because it identifies historically or habitual check bouncers who are more likely to re-offend. [6] Negative check database systems can cause customer service issues between retailers and their own customers, because there is no limit to the time period that is considered.
The account history database offers a database with historical data on the account itself, and not just the person writing the check. This type of system keeps records of the account number for all checks that don't clear and can tell if that particular checking account has had returns in the past. [7]
Because this type of system is based on the history of all checks written against the account, it can provide valuable information, just like the negative check database except the information is not based on the identity of the person writing the check.
This is particularly valuable for taking business checks or company checks because often the identity of the person writing the check has little to do with the company check. In the account history database, a good account with no flags would receive full approval, regardless of the status of the employee who writes the check because identity is not verified.
There is also a checking account validation network that can poll the results of the actual bank account to get the current status from the bank. Newer systems provide a result that is based on the bank account's actual status provided by the bank as of that business banking day are increasing in popularity for companies that take checks by phone, manage monthly check payments, or automatic billing with bank drafts, or who process ACH transactions received by phone or for monthly billing.
Account status verification systems give you the status of the account as of the beginning of the business banking day. They tell you if there is an open active account at that bank and if the check is likely to clear. Status messages such as closed account, NSF, stop payment or invalid account can help determine if a check or ACH transaction will be good.
The results are based on account validity, so there is no way to know if the check will actually clear when it is presented, or if the exact dollar amount is going to be available.
This type of system is used less at retail establishments, and more for companies that do checks by phone sales, monthly check drafting, monthly billing via ACH and online sales. It reduces the number of bad payments that are deposited due to human error, fraud or account status.
Often called "verifying funds" or "merchant funds verification", it was common practice until the mid-2000s that any business or individual could call the bank where the check was drawn and ask for check verification. The bank would ask for the account number, the name on the check, the amount and the check number and just look up the account.
Due to banks issuing privacy policies [8] [9] designed to protect identity and fraud, telephone merchant funds verification by calling the bank directly is now rare for any bank or credit union to offer this service. [10]
Some banks still offer merchant funds verification, while others are limiting the information they will provide to telling you if the account is open with a positive balance, only.
Other banks provide this service as a pay-per-call, or offer bank validation for a fee. The majority of banks do not provide any direct telephone account verification.
Yet another form of check verification is to cross reference the ABA routing transit number, also called the Routing Number or ABA Number, with the bank to check against the actual item being presented. The routing number verification can provide the bank's name, address for processing, and phone number.
Some routing number verification systems use an algorithm to validate the routing number, rather than cross reference the results in a database.
Routing number verification is limited to verifying the bank name, address and phone number and cannot determine if the checking account is valid of perform funds verification. It can be valuable in locating fraudulent checks or drafts, and in getting contact information for the bank for merchant funds verification or account validation. Using the bank phone number, a business can attempt merchant funds verification if the bank offers the service.
A debit card, also known as a check card or bank card, is a payment card that can be used in place of cash to make purchases. The card usually consists of the bank's name, a card number, the cardholder's name, and an expiration date, on either the front or the back. Many new cards now have a chip on them, which allows people to use their card by touch (contactless), or by inserting the card and keying in a PIN as with swiping the magnetic stripe. Debit cards are similar to a credit card, but the money for the purchase must be in the cardholder's bank account at the time of the purchase and is immediately transferred directly from that account to the merchant's account to pay for the purchase.
The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is an internationally agreed upon system of identifying bank accounts across national borders to facilitate the communication and processing of cross border transactions with a reduced risk of transcription errors. An IBAN uniquely identifies the account of a customer at a financial institution. It was originally adopted by the European Committee for Banking Standards (ECBS) and since 1997 as the international standard ISO 13616 under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The current version is ISO 13616:2020, which indicates the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) as the formal registrar. Initially developed to facilitate payments within the European Union, it has been implemented by most European countries and numerous countries in other parts of the world, mainly in the Middle East and the Caribbean. By July 2024, 88 countries were using the IBAN numbering system.
A dishonoured cheque is a cheque that the bank on which it is drawn declines to pay (“honour”). There are a number of reasons why a bank might refuse to honour a cheque, with non-sufficient funds (NSF) being the most common, indicating that there are insufficient cleared funds in the account on which the cheque was drawn. An NSF check may be referred to as a bad check, dishonored check, bounced check, cold check, rubber check, returned item, or hot check. Lost or bounced checks result in late payments and affect the relationship with customers. In England and Wales and Australia, such cheques are typically returned endorsed "Refer to drawer", an instruction to contact the person issuing the cheque for an explanation as to why it was not paid. If there are funds in an account, but insufficient cleared funds, the cheque is normally endorsed “Present again”, by which time the funds should have cleared.
A transaction account, also called a checking account, chequing account, current account, demand deposit account, or share account at credit unions, is a deposit account or bank account held at a bank or other financial institution. It is available to the account owner "on demand" and is available for frequent and immediate access by the account owner or to others as the account owner may direct. Access may be in a variety of ways, such as cash withdrawals, use of debit cards, cheques and electronic transfer. In economic terms, the funds held in a transaction account are regarded as liquid funds. In accounting terms, they are considered as cash.
Cheque clearing or bank clearance is the process of moving cash from the bank on which a cheque is drawn to the bank in which it was deposited, usually accompanied by the movement of the cheque to the paying bank, either in the traditional physical paper form or digitally under a cheque truncation system. This process is called the clearing cycle and normally results in a credit to the account at the bank of deposit, and an equivalent debit to the account at the bank on which it was drawn, with a corresponding adjustment of accounts of the banks themselves. If there are not enough funds in the account when the cheque arrived at the issuing bank, the cheque would be returned as a dishonoured cheque marked as non-sufficient funds.
Wire transfer, bank transfer, or credit transfer, is a method of electronic funds transfer from one person or entity to another. A wire transfer can be made from one bank account to another bank account, or through a transfer of cash at a cash office.
A giro transfer, often shortened to giro, is a payment transfer from one current bank account to another bank account and initiated by the payer, not the payee. The debit card has a similar model. Giros are primarily used in Europe; although electronic payment systems exist in the United States, it is not possible to perform third-party transfers with them. In the European Union, the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) allows electronic giro or debit card payments in euros to be executed to any euro bank account in the area.
Cheque fraud, or check fraud, refers to a category of criminal acts that involve making the unlawful use of cheques in order to illegally acquire or borrow funds that do not exist within the account balance or account-holder's legal ownership. Most methods involve taking advantage of the float to draw out these funds. Specific kinds of cheque fraud include cheque kiting, where funds are deposited before the end of the float period to cover the fraud, and paper hanging, where the float offers the opportunity to write fraudulent cheques but the account is never replenished.
A traveller's cheque is a medium of exchange that can be used in place of hard currency. They can be denominated in one of a number of major world currencies and are preprinted, fixed-amount cheques designed to allow the person signing it to make an unconditional payment to someone else as a result of having paid the issuer for that privilege.
A cheque is a document that orders a bank, building society to pay a specific amount of money from a person's account to the person in whose name the cheque has been issued. The person writing the cheque, known as the drawer, has a transaction banking account where the money is held. The drawer writes various details including the monetary amount, date, and a payee on the cheque, and signs it, ordering their bank, known as the drawee, to pay the amount of money stated to the payee.
In banking and finance, clearing denotes all activities from the time a commitment is made for a transaction until it is settled. This process turns the promise of payment into the actual movement of money from one account to another. Clearing houses were formed to facilitate such transactions among banks.
An address verification service (AVS) is a service provided by major credit card processors to enable merchants to authenticate ownership of a credit or debit card used by a customer. AVS is done as part of the merchant's request for authorization in a non-face-to-face credit card transaction. The credit card company or issuing bank automatically checks the billing address provided by the customer to the merchant against the billing address in its records, and reports back to the merchant who has the ultimate responsibility to determine whether or not to go ahead with a transaction. AVS can be used in addition to other security features of a credit card, such as the CVV2 number.
A payment gateway is a merchant service provided by an e-commerce application service provider that authorizes credit card or direct payment processing for e-businesses, online retailers, bricks and clicks, or traditional brick and mortar. The payment gateway may be provided by a bank to its customers, but can be provided by a specialised financial service provider as a separate service, such as a payment service provider.
An overdraft occurs when something is withdrawn in excess of what is in a current account. For financial systems, this can be funds in a bank account. In these situations the account is said to be "overdrawn". In the economic system, if there is a prior agreement with the account provider for an overdraft, and the amount overdrawn is within the authorized overdraft limit, then interest is normally charged at the agreed rate. If the negative balance exceeds the agreed terms, then additional fees may be charged and higher interest rates may apply.
Payment cards are part of a payment system issued by financial institutions, such as a bank, to a customer that enables its owner to access the funds in the customer's designated bank accounts, or through a credit account and make payments by electronic transfer with a payment terminal and access automated teller machines (ATMs). Such cards are known by a variety of names, including bank cards, ATM cards, client cards, key cards or cash cards.
A credit card is a payment card, usually issued by a bank, allowing its users to purchase goods or services or withdraw cash on credit. Using the card thus accrues debt that has to be repaid later. Credit cards are one of the most widely used forms of payment across the world.
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Cheque truncation is a cheque clearance system that involves the digitization of a physical paper cheque into a substitute electronic form for transmission to the paying bank. The process of cheque clearance, involving data matching and verification, is done using digital images instead of paper copies.
Mobile payments is a mode of payment using mobile phones. Instead of using methods like cash, cheque, and credit card, a customer can use a mobile phone to transfer money or to pay for goods and services. A customer can transfer money or pay for goods and services by sending an SMS, using a Java application over GPRS, a WAP service, over IVR or other mobile communication technologies. In India, this service is bank-led. Customers wishing to avail themselves of this service will have to register with banks which provide this service. Currently, this service is being offered by several major banks and is expected to grow further. Mobile Payment Forum of India (MPFI) is the umbrella organisation which is responsible for deploying mobile payments in India.
Digital identity is used in Australia by residents to validate who they are over digital media, such as over the Internet.
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