No. TeleCheck does not tell a business whether a check is good or bad. If your check is not approved, it simply means that TeleCheck does not have enough information about your check to approve the transaction or that you may have an unpaid check or debt in our check writer database.

Decisions are made based on information in TeleCheck's checkwriter database and a statistical analysis of your check compared to all checks that have passed through TeleCheck's system. In rare instances TeleCheck will be required to contact a consumer’s bank at which point the account balance may be verified.

TeleCheck can help you establish a positive file. If you provide TeleCheck with the information listed below, TeleCheck can verify the information in its database and update your file with current information which may improve the likelihood your checks will be approved in the future.

1. The Record Number (if provided on the courtesy card).
2. Your driver's license number and the state where it was issued.
3. The banking numbers printed along the bottom of your check.
4. Your Social Security Number, if you were referred by a financial institution.

If a transaction is declined, the clerk may hand the check writer a courtesy card with a seven-digit Record Number written on the front of the card. The Record Number on the courtesy card expedites customer service when a check writer calls TeleCheck to inquire about the transaction.

The TeleCheck Electronic Check Acceptance® (ECA®) service converts a paper check into an electronic item at the point of sale. The ECA service allows retailers to accept checks as quickly, safely and easily as they accept credit cards. Think of it as a check without the paper.

When you present your check to the sales clerk, your check is authorized through a specially-designed, secure TeleCheck system that captures banking information and the amount of the check. Once the check is approved, you'll receive a receipt of the electronic transaction to sign. When you sign the receipt, you will receive a copy for your records along with your check to keep. It's that simple.

Signing the ECA receipt is similar to signing a credit card slip. Your signature on the receipt authorizes TeleCheck to present the check to your bank electronically and deposit the funds into the business account.

An ECA transaction takes the same amount of time to be presented to the bank as a paper check, usually within one to two business days.

The ECA transaction appears on your bank statement in the same area as ATM transactions and direct deposit payroll checks. The transaction will reflect the date the check cleared your account, the check number, the amount and the place where the check was presented.

TeleCheck provides the TeleCheck Electronic Check Acceptance service so that businesses have the opportunity for increased efficiency, reduced risk and higher productivity, all of which eventually benefit you—the consumer.

This electronic process is governed under Regulation E, which governs all electronic processing, such as ATM and credit card transactions. In case of an error or dispute, check writers have 60 days from the posting date to notify the bank, the same time frame they have today with paper checks.