Learning Lockbox Lingo: What Is a Check and List Transaction?
Written by Lou DiLeo
As CheckAlt expands its online and card payments services in response to payments convergence, we remain known in the industry as a leading independent provider of lockbox services in the United States. Our network of 13 lockbox processing centers allows our customers to do business nationwide. In order to operate such a vast network, CheckAlt has attracted and retained a talented lockbox and treasury management team made up of individuals who know the ins and outs of this industry. In this article, we explore one of the lesser known lockbox payment types and how CheckAlt’s solution addresses its complexity.
Most industry professionals are familiar with lockbox payment types such as “single check/single document,” “multi transactions,” “check only,” and “check with documents,” just to name a few. One payment type we do not hear much about is “check and list” transactions. When a company issues one check to cover multiple accounts, the information can be listed on either the check skirt and/or accompanied documents of various sizes—this is referred to as a check and list transaction. The listed information includes multiple accounts, each with an account description and the dollar amount associated with the account.
Typically, a health savings account will receive a check and list transaction with contributions for multiple employees. A mortgage insurance company may receive a check and list transaction listing for private mortgage insurance payments. These are just two examples of businesses that handle check and list transactions. At CheckAlt, we are experiencing an increase of check and list remittances for utility and energy companies, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities—especially for processing parking tickets paid by large delivery companies.
One of the challenges companies that receive check and list transactions often face is that some providers reject this transaction type and send it to the customer to process. This causes a delay in depositing the funds, as well as an increase in the risk of an account number capture error and in cost for in-house processing. When a check and list transaction contains thousands of accounts per check, some providers will deposit the check and perform deferred data capture, resulting in a delay in updating the accounts receivable database.
For example, one of our customers’ former processor could not provide same-day service for large check and list transactions. The customer, a municipality, receives hundreds of high-dollar-amount checks accompanied by support documents (from delivery and courier companies) that contain thousands of ticket numbers, which can exceed 7,000 per transaction. CheckAlt has successfully met this customer’s need for same-day deposit and accounts receivable updates.
At CheckAlt, we have an exceptional team as well as the software and hardware to deposit the check, capture all the transaction data, and send the information to our customers’ accounts receivable file the same day. If you would like to learn more about CheckAlt’s lockbox processing services, visit https://www.checkalt.com/products/lockbox-services.
