Positive Pay at Synovus: Advanced Check and ACH Fraud Prevention

Synovus Positive Pay is a comprehensive fraud prevention service designed to protect businesses from check and ACH fraud while simplifying account reconciliation and strengthening internal controls. Built for organizations of all sizes, Positive Pay provides automated verification of items presented for payment, flexible exception handling, and detailed reporting that helps reduce risk and improve operational efficiency. With configurable workflows and real-time decisioning, Synovus Positive Pay empowers treasury teams to detect and prevent unauthorized transactions before funds leave the account.

Key Features

• Check Positive Pay: Upload issued check details (check number, account, amount, payee) and automatically match presented checks against the issued file to identify discrepancies.
• ACH Positive Pay: Review incoming ACH transactions and screen them against approved ACH prenotifications, payee lists, and company-authorized formats to intercept suspicious debits and credits.
• Reverse Positive Pay: Receive images or details of presented checks and confirm approval or issue exceptions before payment clears, offering a second layer of authorization.
• Customizable Rules Engine: Configure tolerances, thresholds, and matching logic (exact match, amount variance, payee match) to align with company policies.
• Real-Time Notifications: Receive alerts for exceptions and potential fraud via email, SMS, or secure bank messaging to accelerate review and response times.
• Web-Based Portal: Access a secure, intuitive portal to review exceptions, approve or return items, and manage user permissions and roles.
• Batch File Uploads & API Integration: Submit issued item files via secure file transfer, or integrate directly through APIs for automated, timely transmission.
• Exception Management: Centralized queue to review, research, and document decisions on suspect items with the option to annotate, escalate, or route tasks.
• Comprehensive Reporting: Detailed activity logs, exception trends, reconciliation reports, and audit-ready records to support compliance and internal controls.

How It Works

Synovus Positive Pay operates on a simple, secure workflow that integrates into existing treasury and accounts payable processes:

1. Issue File Submission: Your company submits a file containing details of checks or ACH payments issued during the day. Files can be uploaded manually, sent via secure FTP, or transmitted through authorized APIs.
2. Automatic Matching: When items are presented for payment, Synovus compares each item to the issue file using preconfigured matching rules. Items that match are paid automatically.
3. Exception Detection: Items that do not match — due to incorrect check numbers, altered amounts, mismatched payees, or unauthorized ACH entries — are flagged as exceptions.
4. Review and Decision: Authorized users review exceptions through the secure portal, approve valid items, return fraudulent or unauthorized items, or request additional documentation.
5. Action and Reporting: The bank acts on approved returns and releases, and provides detailed reports for reconciliation and audit purposes.

Benefits

• Fraud Mitigation: Prevents unauthorized or altered checks and suspicious ACH transactions from clearing, reducing exposure to financial loss.
• Operational Efficiency: Automates routine verification tasks, cuts manual review time, and streamlines reconciliation processes.
• Improved Controls: Enforces a formal review process with user roles and audit trails, strengthening corporate governance and compliance.
• Faster Decisioning: Real-time alerts and web-based tools allow treasury staff to respond quickly to potential threats.
• Scalable: Suitable for small businesses with limited payment volumes as well as large enterprises processing thousands of transactions daily.
• Reduced Liability: By detecting unauthorized items early, Positive Pay can help limit the bank and customer liability associated with fraudulent payments.

Implementation and Integration

Synovus makes implementation of Positive Pay straightforward and adaptable to your technology environment. Onboarding includes account setup, configuration of matching rules and user permissions, and training for authorized personnel. Issue file formats are flexible and can be accommodated to match existing payroll, accounts payable, and ERP outputs. For organizations seeking deeper automation, API connections and secure batch transmission methods enable seamless daily delivery of issuance data directly from enterprise systems.

Security and Compliance

Security is central to the Positive Pay offering. All data exchanges utilize secure, encrypted channels and adhere to industry-standard authentication practices. The solution provides auditable logs and exception histories that support regulatory compliance, internal audits, and corporate policy reviews. Role-based access controls ensure that only authorized users can approve or return items, and detailed timestamps and user IDs create an immutable record of each decision.

Reporting and Analytics

Synovus Positive Pay includes robust reporting tools to help treasury teams understand payment patterns, exception trends, and fraud attempts. Standard and customizable reports provide visibility into matched and unmatched items, daily reconciliation summaries, and user activity. Analytics capabilities help identify recurring issues, inform adjustments to matching rules, and guide internal process improvements to further reduce risk.

Best Practices for Maximizing Value

• Submit issuance files consistently and as close to time of issuance as possible to maximize match rates.
• Maintain an up-to-date payee and authorized ACH originator list to improve automated matching.
• Establish internal workflows for timely review of exceptions and assign clear roles and responsibilities.
• Regularly review matching tolerances and rule exceptions to adapt to changing payment behavior.
• Train staff on the portal and escalation procedures to ensure rapid response to potential fraud.

Who Should Use Positive Pay?

Positive Pay is ideal for any organization that issues checks or transacts via ACH and seeks to protect cash flow, reduce fraud exposure, and simplify reconciliation. Typical users include commercial enterprises, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public sector entities. Whether your organization issues a handful of checks per month or processes thousands of ACH transactions daily, Positive Pay can be scaled and configured to meet your risk management needs.

Conclusion

Synovus Positive Pay provides a powerful combination of automation, control, and visibility that helps organizations proactively guard against check and ACH fraud. With flexible configuration, secure integration options, and detailed reporting, it enhances treasury operations while reducing fraud risk and operational burden. Implementing Positive Pay is a key step toward stronger payment integrity and more efficient cash management.

Address Bank: Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Bank: Synovus
Headquarters: Columbus, Georgia
Products: Payments & Treasury
Type: Positive Pay