bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

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JohnFiscal
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Location: US citizen now retired in Canada. Subject to income tax in both.

bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

Post by JohnFiscal »

update: (4-13-2021) The second phone call to Capital One 360 support was a bit more fruitful. The representative indicated that the "check image" feature has been temporarily suspended because "they are working on it", presumably to implement new features, or to fix something that's broken. No word on when it will be restored. I will check back there in a week. At the moment I am not interested in changing banks.

update: (4-20-2021) by a strange coincidence, for the first time ever, I believe, I actually need that cancelled check or check image. I got a call from a local home service (Florida home power wash) asking to be paid for the service in January. I had paid with a check that day and it had been cashed right away. In fact, it was one of the checks I'd tried to view the image the week before. Small company, their own records are messed up. Another call to Cap One...confirms they are "updating" the check image feature but they will send me an image by post...5-10 bidness days. I was pretty much through with checks and this incident might be the last nail in the coffin.


It recently became apparent to me that on-line check images are not being provided for some of my checks by my bank (Capital One 360). Per their FAQ , images are provided, and I do recall seeing them in the past. But currently I am unable to access these. On the other hand, I've hand-written only 3 checks in the past year so I am not able to determine if all checks are so affected or if the 3 affected (written to two different providers) have some other issue going on.

I searched BH and found a number of similar posts regarding check images, often discussing those that used to be included with bank statements etc.

Capital One phone help was of no help at all with my question.

Cap One's FAQ says in part "Certain check images will not be available to view online, including Bill Pay checks, checks sent through Mail A Check, checks converted to ACH withdrawals". The first two exceptions certainly don't apply.

I am thinking that checks where the on-line image is not available may have been deposited electronically as "mobile deposits" using a smart phone. Both of my providers that I paid with 3 checks are smaller local businesses (one being a one-man lawn care operation). If so, this might fall under the phrase "checks converted to ACH withdrawals".

I've read through a number of sites, both for consumers (such as banks for consumers, talking about mobile deposits) and businesses (banks talking about the benefits of accepting mobile deposits) and this operation is never discussed very much in-depth.

One site describes: "When a customer writes a check that may be converted into an electronic payment processed through the ACH network, information such as the routing number of the bank, the customer's account number and the check serial number is captured. The transaction is then processed through the ACH Network and a one-time debit is made to the customer's account. The customer's payment experience has not changed, merely the way the payment is processed; however, customers must receive notification that their check may be converted prior to making the payment. Each check conversion process has specific authorization/notification requirements." [http://achdirect.com/solutions/checkconversion.html]

So the mobile deposit of the paper check seems to run through the ACH system? On the other hand, my "payment experience" has indeed changed (no check image) and I have never "received notification" that my check is converted.

My question, to make this actionable, is, can anyone confirm this is so? If it is, what other possible recourses are there for proof of payment for such a case? A paid receipt, certainly. But sometimes these aren't provided...my lawn guy doesn't provide them, and I've never gotten one from any medical provider that I've mailed check payments to (I have stopped sending checks to medical providers).
Last edited by JohnFiscal on Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Jack FFR1846
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Re: bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Switch to DCU. I can see front and back of every check I've ever written. Well, as far back as I have needed to go, anyways. I've been there since about 1980.
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prudent
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Re: bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

Post by prudent »

Seems one must know what determines if/when a check can converted to an ACH withdrawal. Up to the payee? The payor's bank? Agreement between payee and payor's bank?
increment
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Re: bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

Post by increment »

Sometimes on a bill there is fine (or gray) print that says something like, "If you pay by check, we may convert it into an ACH transaction." I believe that I have seen customer agreements with similar language (and I suppose this would remove the need for saying so on bills).

In my experience, when a check is processed through ACH, the bank statement says something like "ACH HomeInsCo" or even "ACH HomeInsCo 1885" (for check #1885).
shess
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Re: bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

Post by shess »

We write checks for a variety of tradespeople, individuals, etc, and I can't offhand recall any numbered check which didn't have an image. And I do look at the images monthly because my wife doesn't record numbers and dates and who it's written to, but I like to see that info. So to me it feels like this is more about your provider than about who you're writing checks to.

We use Alliant CU for our check writing.
criticalmass
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Re: bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

Post by criticalmass »

It's more fun when you pay a vendor who insists on ACH conversion with an account that doesn't allow ACH conversion.
Then it's up to them to redo the transaction as a check.
rooms222
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Re: bank check images, and mobile deposits and ACH ?

Post by rooms222 »

criticalmass wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:11 pm It's more fun when you pay a vendor who insists on ACH conversion with an account that doesn't allow ACH conversion.
Then it's up to them to redo the transaction as a check.
Yes, this issue was dealt with imperfectly in this thread. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=342133
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Bogle7
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Get a better “bank”

Post by Bogle7 »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 4:01 pm Switch to DCU. I can see front and back of every check I've ever written. Well, as far back as I have needed to go, anyways. I've been there since about 1980.
I have been with DCU since 1976 (before it was DCU).
I am very happy with all of DCU’s services.
I write 4-5 checks a year.
Everything else is via online banking. iPhone and iMac.
Old fart who does three index stock funds, baby.
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