Positive Pay — United Bank (West Virginia)

Positive Pay from United Bank (West Virginia) is a proactive check and ACH fraud-prevention solution designed for businesses of all sizes. By matching issued items against presented items at the point of clearing, the service helps detect unauthorized payments, counterfeit checks, altered payees, and other forms of check and ACH fraud before funds are disbursed. Positive Pay is a key component of a layered cash-management strategy that reduces risk, protects working capital, and improves payment control.

How Positive Pay Works

The core of Positive Pay is a simple but powerful reconciliation process:

• Customers transmit a file to the bank containing details of checks or ACH items they have issued (check number, date, amount, payee, ACH trace numbers, etc.).
• When items present for payment, the bank automatically compares each presented item to the issued-item file.
• If an item matches the issued information, it is processed normally. If an item does not match, it is flagged as an exception for customer review.
• The customer reviews exceptions using online tools and instructs the bank to pay or return the flagged items, usually within a specific decision window set by the bank.

Key Features

• Check Positive Pay: Compares check number, dollar amount, and issue date to detect altered checks and counterfeits.
• Payee Positive Pay: Adds payee name matching to the comparison process for additional protection against unauthorized payee alterations.
• ACH Positive Pay: Validates ACH debit and credit items against pre-approved origination files or filters, helping stop unauthorized ACH activity.
• Reverse Positive Pay: Provides an alternative workflow in which the bank presents items for customer approval each day before payment.
• Batch and File Uploads: Support for multiple file formats and secure transmission methods to accommodate in-house accounting systems and ERP platforms.
• Exception Management: Online dashboard for reviewing, approving, rejecting, or returning exception items with audit trails.
• Custom Rules and Limits: Set dollar thresholds, date tolerances, and payee-match tolerances to align with company risk policies.
• Reporting and Alerts: Automated reporting, email or in-platform alerts for exceptions, and transactional histories to assist reconciliation and audits.

Benefits for Your Business

• Reduce Financial Loss: Stop fraudulent items before funds leave your accounts and minimize exposure to check and ACH fraud.
• Improve Cash Control: Keep better control over disbursements and improve predictability of cash flow with fewer unanticipated outflows.
• Strengthen Internal Controls: Integrate Positive Pay with existing payment workflows to enforce segregation of duties and oversight.
• Streamline Reconciliation: Automated matching and clear exception handling make month-end reconciliation faster and more accurate.
• Customizable Protections: Tailor matching rules and exception thresholds to your business risk tolerance and payment behavior.

Typical Workflow

1. Prepare an issue file in your accounting system listing checks or ACH items you intend to issue.
2. Securely transmit the file to United Bank (West Virginia) prior to items presenting for payment.
3. The bank performs automated matching when items present for payment and identifies exceptions.
4. Authorized users log in to the bank’s online cash-management portal to review exceptions.
5. Users instruct the bank to pay or return each exception; the bank acts on those instructions within the agreed decision window.
6. Generate reports and maintain records for audit and reconciliation purposes.

Implementation and Integration

Positive Pay can be implemented with minimal disruption to existing payment processes. United Bank (West Virginia) supports a range of file formats and secure transmission options to integrate with common accounting and payroll systems. Implementation steps typically include:

• Configuration of matching rules and exception thresholds to fit your operational needs.
• Testing file submissions and exception processing in a controlled environment.
• Training for authorized users on exception review, approval workflows, and reporting tools.
• Ongoing support and periodic reviews to adjust rules as your business evolves.

Security and Compliance

United Bank (West Virginia) builds Positive Pay on secure transmission channels and robust authentication controls. The service supports multi-user access with role-based permissions so that only authorized personnel can submit files or approve exceptions. Comprehensive audit trails document each exception, decision, and user action to support internal controls and regulatory compliance. Using Positive Pay helps organizations meet diligence expectations for fraud prevention and can be a component of broader risk-management programs.

Best Practices

• Transmit issue files daily before checks and ACH items begin to present to maximize protection.
• Limit the number of users with approval authority and apply strong authentication measures.
• Establish formal review and escalation procedures for exception items to ensure timely decisions.
• Regularly review and refine matching rules and thresholds to reduce false positives while maintaining control.
• Combine Positive Pay with other fraud controls such as positive pay for ACH, account reconciliation, and employee training.

Who Should Use Positive Pay?

Positive Pay is suitable for any organization that issues paper checks or electronic payments and is concerned about fraud risk. It is particularly valuable for businesses with high check volumes, large-dollar disbursements, decentralized payment processes, or public companies with heightened control requirements. Nonprofits, municipalities, and small to mid-sized enterprises can also benefit from increased protection and simplified reconciliation.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I send my issued-items file?

To maximize protection, send your issued-items file each business day before checks begin to present. Specific cut-off times depend on your account setup and should be coordinated with your treasury services representative.

What happens to an item that does not match?

Non-matching items are flagged as exceptions. Authorized users review exceptions through the online portal and instruct the bank to pay or return the item according to company policy.

Can Positive Pay be tailored to our needs?

Yes. Matching criteria, payee tolerances, dollar thresholds, and decision windows can be configured to align with your organization’s risk tolerance and operational requirements.

Conclusion

Positive Pay from United Bank (West Virginia) is an essential tool for businesses seeking to mitigate payment fraud and strengthen treasury controls. With configurable matching rules, comprehensive exception management, and integration options for a variety of systems, it delivers practical, daily protection for both check and ACH activity. Implementing Positive Pay helps preserve cash, reduce fraud losses, and provide peace of mind in an environment of increasing payment risk.

Address Bank: Charleston, West Virginia, United States Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Bank: United Bank (West Virginia)
Headquarters: Charleston, West Virginia
Products: Payments & Treasury
Type: Positive Pay