Business Online & Mobile Banking - Positive Pay

Positive Pay

Positive Pay is a fraud detection tool that matches ACH and/or check transactions presented for payment against previously authorized transactions by your company, to help you prevent fraud before it occurs.

Accessing Positive Pay Services

Access your Positive Pay services by taking the following steps:

1. Log in to business online banking by clicking Login from the top right of any page on alpinebank.com.
   
   
2. Enter your username and password and select Sign In.
   
   
3. From the menu options on the left side, select Positive Pay from the Payments dropdown.
   
   

ACH Positive Pay offers additional protection from unauthorized ACH transactions. This online tool provides the ability to monitor and control which ACH transactions (debits and credits) post to your account(s).

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Working ACH Positive Pay Exceptions

ACH transactions sent from authorized ACH companies will go through without the need for review. Any company that is not on the approved ACH filter list will be presented as an exception and must be reviewed by the person who decides if they should be paid or returned. Complete the following steps to review and work ACH exceptions:

1. From the Positive pay screen, select Work ACH exceptions.
   
   
2. Review each ACH transaction on the Work ACH Exceptions screen. You can see additional information on the transaction by clicking on the transaction.
   
   
3. To Pay an item, select the pay radio button to the left of it. To Return an item, select the return radio button to the left of it. To pay all items, select the Pay all option. To return all items, select the Return all option. Then select Submit.
   
   NOTE: ACH exceptions must be reviewed and worked each business day between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time. If the items are not worked by 12:00 p.m., they will be returned.

Viewing ACH Filter Rules

1. From the Positive pay screen, select ACH filter rules.
   
   
2. The ACH filter rules screen displays all authorized ACH companies that will go through without the need for review.
   
   
3. You can see additional information on the ACH filter by clicking on it.

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Check Positive Pay can help prevent unknown check transactions from hitting your account by allowing you to upload a list of issued checks that the Bank uses to automatically verify checks as they post to your business account. Check transactions that are not on your issued checks list will be available online for you to approve or return. Your business is responsible for uploading or entering your issued checks so that the system can recognize which check items are exceptions.

Adding Check Positive Pay Items:

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Manual Entry

If you do not have many checks to issue, entering them manually might be a good option. Complete the following steps to enter issued checks manually:

1. From the Positive pay screen, select Add checks and then select Add your checks manually. 
2. Select the account that you are issuing checks on.
   
   
3. List the Check number, Check amount, Payee name, Type, and Check date for the check that you are issuing. If you are issuing multiple checks, select Save and enter another, then select Review _ checks once all the information has been entered.
   
   
4. Verify the information on the Review checks screen and select Approve. Then select Approve on the approve check popup.
   
   
5. Your issued checks will be listed on the Positive pay screen with a status of Pending. Select Review & approve to complete the process.
   
   
6. Verify the information on the Review checks screen and select Approve.

CSV File Upload

CSV files are created from your accounting software, or in Excel, and saved in a CSV (Comma delimited) format.

1. The Excel spreadsheet should include vital information in separate columns. For example, the check number, the check amount, the issue date, and the payee’s name.

2. To save the spreadsheet as a CSV file, go to File, then Save As. Name the file and use the Save as type drop-down menu to select CSV (Comma Delimited), then select Save.

3. Before you can upload a CSV file, it is important to make sure that the import layout matches the columns in the CSV file. Select Manage templates from the Positive pay screen to complete this.
   
   
4. Select + New template and then select Delimited.
   
   
5. Within the Create delimited template screen, enter a Template name, select the format options, and match the column numbers in the Excel spreadsheet with each type of information. (For example: Column A=1, Column B=2, Column C=3, etc.) Once you have matched the CSV file layout to your file, click Review.
   
   
6. Verify the information on the Review delimited template screen and select Save. 

7. After you have set your import layout, return to the Positive pay screen and select Add checks.
   
   
8. Select template, Choose associated account, and drag and drop your CSV file into the upload window or select Browse and locate your file to upload; then select Submit.
   
   
9. Your issued checks will be listed on the Positive pay screen with a status of Pending. Select Review & approve to complete the process.
   
   
10. Verify the information on the Review checks screen and select Approve.

Fixed Position File Upload

Fixed position files are typically created in accounting software and are formatted as text documents.

1. Before you can upload a fixed position file, it is important to make sure that the import layout matches the columns in the CSV file. Select Manage templates from the Positive pay screen to complete this. 

2. Select + New template and then select Fixed Position. 

3. Within the Create fixed position template screen, enter a Template name, select the format options, and match the positions within the fixed position file with each type of information. (For example: Item Number = characters 1-5, Item Amount = characters 16-22, Issue Date = characters 7-14, etc.) Once you have matched the fixed position file layout to your file, click Review.

4. Verify the information on the Review fixed position template screen and select Save. 

5. After you have set your import layout, return to the Positive pay screen and select Add checks.

6. Select template, Choose associated account, and drag and drop your CSV file into the upload window or select Browse and locate your file to upload; then select Submit. 

7. Your issued checks will be listed on the Positive pay screen with a status of Pending. Select Review & approve to complete the process.

8. Verify the information on the Review checks screen and select Approve.

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Working Check Positive Pay Exceptions

1. From the Positive pay screen, select Work check exceptions.
   
   
2. Review each check on the Work check exceptions screen. You can see additional information on the check, including the full check image by clicking on the Check #.
   
   
3. To Pay an item, place a checkmark in the box to the left of it. To Return an item, leave the box unchecked. To pay all items, select the Pay all option. To return all items, select the Return all option. Then select Submit.
   
   NOTE: check exceptions must be reviewed and worked each business day between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time. If the items are not worked by 12:00 p.m., they will be returned.

Instructional How-To Video

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