CrossCheck Blog

As a business owner, protecting your company from fraudulent financial activities is critical during these uncertain economic times. Check fraud and accepting bad checks can result in significant financial losses for your organization. However, by applying preventive measures, careful practices, employee training, and partnering with a check approval company, you can minimize the risks associated with check fraud. In this article, we will explore essential tips to help businesses avoid check fraud and protect themselves from accepting bad checks.

If you've ever wondered about the difference between check verification and check guarantee services, then imagine this scenario: a customer presents you with a check to pay for goods or services rendered. Whether you’re in the finance department of an auto dealership; a veterinarian caring for a sick dog; or a heavy equipment dealer receiving payment from a contractor building a new apartment complex, the payment you receive is crucial to the continued success of your business. You inherently trust the person giving you the check but you’d like to know – to whatever extent possible – that the funds will reach your bank account without any trouble. Trust…but verify, which is the very reason that check verification and check guarantee services exist.

Mobile check verification is the perfect way for a multitude of merchants and entrepreneurs to accept checks using a mobile phone or smart device. Imagine it’s Black Friday and the furniture store has slashed prices by as much as 50 percent in many cases. People have lined up in front of the store waiting for the doors to open. A woman is hoping to be the first to get her hands on the brown leather La-Z-Boy her husband has been eyeing for weeks. She’s not the only one.

CrossCheck's Mobile Pay app boosts flexibility and security for mobile merchants. The application - easy to use for anyone with a smart device - is a powerful POS solution for merchants on the go, including plumbers, HVAC repairmen, auto glass installers and more. 

Mobile Pay is the perfect way for a multitude of merchants and entrepreneurs to accept checks using a mobile phone or smart device. The CrossCheck app will turn any smart device into a powerful POS solution, allowing any business to quickly and securely accept a paper check by simply taking a photo of the check and depositing it remotely. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar location or you are a mobile merchant or service provider, CrossCheck’s Mobile Pay will come along for the ride.

Seven-year-old Ralph (or Ralphie, as his friends call him) comes into your office. You’re his optometrist and you’ve just fitted him for his first pair of glasses. Ralphie has struggled in school because of headaches and vision problems, which in some cases have even resulted in behavioral problems because he feels unsure whenever he is asked to read something off the board at the front of the classroom.

Increased consumer awareness of environmentally friendly solutions like water-saving appliances, as well as smart technology and expansion into HVAC and more will boost opportunities for plumbers. More opportunities will lead to higher revenues, both in terms of size of individual tickets and number of customers, which will likely prompt a need for more solutions to accepting payment. With the Multiple Check and Check Guarantee services, Cross-Check can help plumbers accept larger checks with full knowledge that the payment will be securely deposited in their accounts.

A recent study by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has determined that the issuance of credit cards has declined significantly since the start of the COVID pandemic. According to the study, the success rate of credit card applications dropped from 45 percent in January 2020 – the start of the COVID pandemic – to approximately 30 percent a few months later.

Before I entered the business world, accepting a paper check seemed simple. I made sure the value written on the check was correct, endorsed the back and it was done … right? Check transactions change when you’re a merchant. Whether it be receiving invoice payments or accepting checks at the point of sale, you have to consider more than just the written value and a signature. An important aspect to consider is mitigating the risk of accepting bad checks. As a self-proclaimed "finance geek" I can confidently say I know a thing or two about the payment solutions available to business owners, especially those designed to mitigate risk. Luckily, I’m here to tell you about how to look for common warning signs on your own and the services available to verify your checks.

Imagine a world where businesses and consumers could scan checks, upload the images via the web, and quickly determine if the checks are valid. Better yet, imagine if those same stakeholders could continue the process by depositing the checks, all without visiting a bank or leaving their offices. It could be a foolproof system, but on this date, April 1, (aka “April Fool’s Day”), the reality is that free online check verification doesn't exist ― never has and probably never will.