CrossCheck Blog

A lot can happen in an instant. For example, there is instant change, instant credit, instant gratification, instant mashed potatoes, and naturally, instant check verification. Dictionary.com says the adjective instant is defined as “succeeding without any interval of time; prompt; immediate.” No argument here. Instant check verification is paramount to many U.S. merchants though some would argue that instant coffee tops the list. Nevertheless, all would agree that the two most important factors are succeeding in an instant.

Paper checks and check guarantee services are like everyday things that keep running and running: the iconic rabbit from the battery commercials, the backup fridge in the garage, the commuter car from way back when, and the guy in the movie named after a bunch of trees. Despite Fintechs saying they are "old and in the way," traditional checks keep millions of American businesses running and running. Furthermore, a few financial prognosticators also predicted checks were going to be obsolete decades ago. Nevertheless, paper checks continue to prevail. As a famous author once said, “The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated.” Why do checks keep running and running, and what role do check guarantee services play in their success?

The “Smarter-Faster” PAYMENTS 2019 conference for payments professionals takes place May 5 – 8 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla. According to NACHA, the event producer, “PAYMENTS 2019 unites thousands of payments system stakeholders from business end-user and financial and technology services organizations to debate and explore the more pressing issues and opportunities today. Attendees will experience world-class education with concurrent sessions and workshops featuring payments and innovation experts.” The conference also features an interactive expo hall as well as networking events for executives and senior-level payments professionals from fintech, financial services and corporate environments.

CrossCheck, the leading privately held check guarantee company in the nation, is celebrating the success of its merchant customers during National Small Business Week 2019. The recognition coincides with challenging times for merchants who continue to thrive amidst ongoing threats from online giants, increasing overhead and new labor shortages. CrossCheck provides these merchants with guaranteed payment solutions that help increase sales and mitigate risk while saving time and money.

“TRANSACT is the one show focused solely on the business of payments technology,” states its producer, the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the world’s largest payments industry trade group. Payments technology, however, is not the only focus. There are no less than 11 opportunities for electronic payments experts to socialize with peers, vendors and organizers over food and beverages.

Check processing machines? Yes, we have them. More importantly, though, what does CrossCheck do with them? Like the old adage about tools only being as good as the craftsmen who use them, CrossCheck leverages check processing machines to help merchants increase sales and mitigate risk while saving time and money. Check processing machines became a necessity after Congress passed the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21) in 2003 and it went into effect the following year. The vulnerabilities of the old system — including the overnight exchange of checks between financial institutions — became apparent in the days following Sep. 11, 2001 when all non-military aircraft were grounded for security reasons. As a result, Check 21 allows banks to process checks electronically, making for a more efficient and sustainable check-clearing system.

TRANSACT 2019 is where professionals working in electronic payments want to be. ETA, the leading organization in electronic payments, presents its annual conference April 30 to May 2 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The event features three-plus days of seminar sessions, keynote presentations by leaders in payments technology, an exhibit hall, and networking events such as business luncheons and dinners, galas and awards presentations, and a golf tournament.

“Diagnostic equipment does not tell you what’s wrong,” said Gary Uyematsu, the national technical training manager at BMW of North America while discussing the auto service technician shortage. “It’s just a tool, and a diagnostician needs to interpret the messages.” Similarly, most articles about the auto service technician shortage provide the tools for analysis, but few sources have interpreted the messaging. This analysis of the shortage connects the dots and finishes with a holistic solution.

Experts predict 2019 will be the year that Americans start seeing dramatic change at all levels of the healthcare industry, including managed healthcare systems, hospitals, medical groups and private medical practices. The most profound transformations involve technology, compliance, value-based healthcare, analytics, human resources and marketing. The changes are expected to place short-term demands on the industry, but ultimately deliver better healthcare and financial stability.

A recent article in Gizmodo, “I Cut the 'Big Five' Tech Giants from My Life. It Was Hell,” provided some inspiration about the old versus the new way of doing things. Writer Kashmir Hill details her boycott of Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Apple, and how it turned into a five-week odyssey “to answer the question of whether it’s possible to avoid tech giants.” Her experience was challenging to say the least. Hill not only stopped using their products, she also had a technologist design a special network tool that prevented her devices from communicating with the tech giants’ servers.