CrossCheck Blog

Nearly anyone can inadvertently write one bad check for insufficient funds, but doing it intentionally on a repeat basis constitutes check fraud. Also known as paperhanging, this type of crime is joined by a handful of other check fraud classifications. According to a report by the American Bankers Association (ABA), total check fraud attempts have reached a new all-time high in value: $15.8 billion in 2018 compared to just $8.5 billion in 2016. The ABA continued by saying that the financial loss from successful check fraud attempts rose from $789 million in 2016 to $1.3 billion in 2018. The ABA also said check fraud has been on the rise over the last 30 years due to digital channels. Is there a silver lining to this dark cloud? The answer is that U.S. banks prevent over 90% of check fraud attempts via early detection methods. Article Summary Types of Check Fraud Check Fraud in Relation to the History of Checks What Are the Penalties for Check Fraud? In Closing

When it comes to the question, “Guarantee or Verification?” there is no single right answer. Each merchant has different needs. Both services help businesses increase sales and mitigate risk, but there are fundamental differences. Verification is basically professional advice that works best for some merchants, but they will need to conduct their own collections if a check fails. Others will opt for check guarantee — the assurance that even if the check bounces, the sale will hold, the merchant will get paid, and the consumer will be given another chance to make good. The merchant is free to choose either one, but normally the choice depends on the amount of the check.

If you work in the payments industry, you will regularly hear comments such as, “Checks and cash are going away, and pretty quickly too!” Sometimes we hear random comments such as, “Millennials are not using checks,” because they use smartphones and social media for mobile banking and payments. However, the 2019 Federal Reserve Payments Study shows otherwise. Let’s look at the facts. Yes, there has been a decline in check usage over the last decade, but the value of check payments is still strong. According to the study, the value of check payments decreased four percent a year from 2015 to 2018. The current study shows a year-to-year drop from 18.1 billion items to 17.3 billion items — hardly a dramatic event. By the way, that is billions.

There are three main providers in the check guarantee business. All have been in business for many years, have seasoned and mature products, and a large book of business that covers the entire country. Naturally, merchants want to know how the top check guarantee companies differ from each other. Obviously, I cannot speak for the other two providers, but I can offer general information about the industry. While we all provide similar services, the business model for each company is different (see below for "Company Differences" and "The CrossCheck Approach"). The fundamental differences are how the product is sold, who the target market is, how the pricing is determined, the types of hardware supported, how authorizations are handled, how claims are paid, and how responsive customer service is to the merchant.

We get calls from merchants who want to know the difference between check verification and check guarantee. The typical scenario is that the merchant takes a bad check, tries to collect on it themselves, and discovers how difficult it is to do that. Other times, a check is missing from a bank deposit, or the merchant is just tired of taking an hour off to go to the bank every day. They have heard about check service companies and now they want to know how they can benefit from using one. Article Summary Check Verification Versus Check Guarantee Basic Check Guarantee Electronic Check Processing Some Merchants Prefer Checks How Check Guarantee Helps Protect Merchants How Check Guarantee Helps Consumers Additional Protection for Merchants There are two time-tested ways to deal with this. They are check verification and check guarantee.

The CrossCheck website receives a lot of queries: “Is this a good check?” … “I need to verify a check.” … “I received this check in the mail, is it real?” … and a dozen variations on a weekly basis. The marketing team responds as follows (or something similar) if the message is from a consumer: “CrossCheck provides check guarantee and other payments-processing services to merchants via monthly service agreements. We suggest you discuss the situation with the issuing bank. Thanks and good luck.” Sometimes the messages are disheartening: “Just got burned by a bad check.” If it’s a merchant, we explain that we can’t do anything about that particular check, but we can guarantee future checks to mitigate their losses.

What do Formula One auto racing and CrossCheck have in common? The answer is, “quite a bit.” Some explanation is in order. Formula One (aka “Formula 1” and “F1”) auto racing is one of the most exciting sports in modern Western civilization, with all the ingredients for a fabulous experience embedded into it. Article Summary Why is Formula One a fabulous experience? Who owns Formula One? What are the common denominators between F1 and CrossCheck? Why do auto dealerships prefer CrossCheck?

Check machines are a very common and often overlooked piece of technology used by merchants and other businesses today. Checks continue to be a preferred payment method for a sizable portion of consumers for certain purchases. Consequently, vendors should be equipped with check machines to streamline their check transaction process and mitigate the risk of bad checks.

Returned checks have been a domestic problem ever since checks were introduced in the U.S. by Boston businessmen circa 1681. Solutions vary, including pitches for “free online check verification” or “how to verify funds on a check before it bounces.” The bottom line, however, is that free check verification is as much of a myth as the proverbial free lunch or snake-oil elixirs. The cure, of course, is to contract a check verification and guarantee service provider. Acknowledging this fact, there are four general types of merchants who have or need check processing services: Merchants with check verification or guarantee. Merchants who don’t have check processing services. Merchants who want to accept check payments. Merchants with a returned check problem. Each of their stories is compelling, and each category has valid reasons for functioning with or without check processing services. The variables and outcomes are explored here.

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?