Implementation and Operational Guide
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: PRO-CHEX Module 3
PRO-CHEX Configuration Overview 4
Deployment Type 4
Special Data Handling 4
Written Statement Presentment Rules 5
Return Deadlines 5
Notification Methods 5
PRO-CHEX Deployment Options 7
Suspend Model Process Flow Chart 7
Post & Notify Model Process Flow Chart 8
Third Party Data Center 9
PRO-CHEX Data Formats 12
PRO-CHEX Daily Input Files 12
File Filtering Rules & Configuration Options 13
PRO-CHEX Output Files 16
PRO-CHEX Custom File Exchange Options 23
PRO-CHEX Import Data Files 24
Accounts 25
Approved Lists 26
Notification Rules 27
Notification Contacts 28
Client User Account Mapping 29
Client User Access Rights 30
Custom Extract Files 31
Activity Report 32
Audit Report 33
Return List 33
Customer List 34
Customer Approved List 34
FI User List 35
PRO-CHEX Special Configuration Options 36
Return Rules & Timing 36
Chapter 2: Training 40
PRO-CHEX Training Agenda 40
General 40
Process Flow 40
Chapter 3: Appendix 41
Chapter 4: Exhibits 42
Chapter 1: PRO-CHEX Module
PRO-CHEX protects account holders from fraudulent check activity. FIs nationwide use PRO-CHEX as their preferred “Check Positive-Pay” solution. PRO-CHEX processes provide end-to-end automation, enabling FIs to provide Check positive pay services to all Clients efficiently and profitably.
PRO-CHEX will work for any financial institution, regardless of size or processing scenario. PRO-CHEX doesn’t require a financial institution to change processing systems, it is designed to enhance existing systems. ACH Alert’s Fed Command connection enables FIs that don’t receive their own in-clearing check file to use PRO-CHEX without the cost of involving their data center.
PRO-CHEX boast an array of configurable options to meet the needs of the diverse group of FIs we service.
This guide is designed to outline all the implementation and configuration options available today and the steps required to complete them. In addition, user documentation and information to aid in supporting day-to-day operational processing is provided with the goal of insuring a successful, efficient implementation and excellent on-going experience for our FIs customers and their Clients.
The User guides for PRO-CHEX can be found in the Appendix.
ACH Alert provides tools to help FIs sell PRO-CHEX to their Clients. They include:
Client Sales Videos / Click HereClient Training Videos / Click Here
Sample marketing collateral
• Service introduction letter
• Rack cards/statement stuffers/brochures
• Web banner, lobby signage, window signage / Ask your Account Manager for details.
PRO-CHEX Configuration Overview
The PRO-CHEX module is highly configurable to help each financial institution define the experience for themselves and their Clients. A brief overview of each configuration option is summarized below. More details can be found in the PRO-CHEX Special Configuration Options portion of this guide.
Product Name / The default product name is PRO-CHEX, however, FIs that elect to brand the application can define their own product name to appear as the module name in the FI & Client portals.Issuance End of Day / Each FI can specify a daily cut-off time/time zone for PRO-CHEX to prepare and make the Client issuance files available to the FI.
Decision End of Day / Each FI can specify a daily cut-off time/time zone for PRO-CHEX to prepare and make the disposition files available. All Pay/Return decisions are final at that time.
Alert Methods / Email and SMS text alerting is available. FIs may choose to allow one or both. The Client portal will display options for entry for whichever alert methods have been enabled for the FI.
Alert Content / The FI can specify the “From” and “Reply To” content of the alerts.
Deployment Type
FI Matched / FIs that have systems available to reconcile issuance items to the checks being presented for payment.ACH Alert Matched / FIs that DO NOT have systems available to reconcile issuance items to the checks being presented for payment can allow PRO-CHEX to perform the reconcilement function.
Special Data Handling
If the FI will match issued items to checks being presented for payment to create exceptions, the FI must provide sample issuance/exception/disposition files and file specifications.
If ACH Alert will reconcile issuance items to checks being presented for payment to create exceptions, by default PRO-CHEX expects an X9.37 formatted file to match enrolled accounts.
Data Decision & Presenting Rules
Pay & Adjust / By default, PRO-CHEX will present Clients with a Pay button only. However, if FI’s want to allow Clients to request an item serial number or amount be adjusted and paid, the system can be configured to provide an Adjust link where a pop-up appears to allow serial number and amount to be modified.Exception Reasons / PRO-CHEX comes with a standard list of exception reasons, which can be modified during configuration by the FI.
Return Reasons / PRO-CHEX comes standard with a list of return reasons supported by the Federal Reserve Bank. FI’s may choose to modify the return reasons presented.
Notification Methods
PRO-CHEX supports (2) two notification methods.
· SMS Text
This section of the guide will outline information important to note about each method.
Email notification capabilities are standard with PRO-CHEX. The Notification Delivery Report in the FI portal provides information for undeliverable emails.
Email notifications can be customized, inserting the FIs name as outlined in Exhibit 2: PRO-CHEX Branding –Message Questionnaire.
SMS Text
SMS text notifications are an option. FIs must decide during implementation if this is a notification method they want to make available to their Clients. There is an additional charge for each SMS text message and ACH Alert’s agreement with our SMS gateway provider requires a pass-through agreement requirement from the carriers which can be found as a special in the ACH Alert Master Services Agreement executed when signing up for the service with ACH Alert.
ACH Alert currently uses a shared short code for SMS text delivery. This is the number that will be displayed as the sender of a text message. The short code being displayed today is:
878-787
NOTE:· If the Client has ever opted out of receiving SMS text messages from another company that shares this short code, SMS text messages will not be delivered to the Client.
· ACH Alert reserves the right to change the short code without notice.
· The Notification Delivery Report within the FI portal will display any undelivered SMS text messages.
PRO-CHEX Deployment Options
FI Matched / FIs that choose to reconcile issuance items to checks presented. A process flow diagram can be found at FI Matched Model Process Flow Chart.ACH Alert Matched / FI’s that are unable to reconcile issuance items to checks presented. A process flow diagram can be found at ACH Alert Matched Model Process Flow Chart.
Third Party Data Center / FIs whose check in-clearing files are delivered to a third-party data center can take advantage of ACH Alert’s access to the Federal Reserve and designate ACH Alert to receive a Supplemental MICR file on their behalf. A process flow diagram can be found at Third Party Data Center.
FI Matched Model Process Flow Chart
Step / Description
1 / Customer enters Issuance data into PRO-CHEX either manually or uploading a file through the UI
2 / PRO-CHEX Service Module generates an Issuance File
3 / FIIT, which is installed at the FI, connects to the PRO-CHEX and downloads the Issuance File
4 / FI generates an Exception File and uploads to PRO-CHEX via FIIT
5 / PRO-CHEX reads the Exception File
6 / PRO-CHEX sends ALERTs to the Customer
7 / Customer makes pay/no pay decision via PRO-CHEX
8 / At EOD, PRO-CHEX generates the Disposition File
9 / At EOD, FIIT, which is installed at the FI, connects to the PRO-CHEX and downloads the Disposition File
ACH Alert Matched Model Process Flow Chart
Step / Description
1 / Customer enters Issuance data into PRO-CHEX either manually or uploading a file through the UI
2 / FI uploads a x9.37 file via FIIT, which is installed at the FI
3 / PRO-CHEX generates an Exception File
4 / PRO-CHEX sends ALERTs to the Customer
5 / Customer makes pay/no pay decision via PRO-CHEX
6 / OPTIONAL: At EOD, PRO-CHEX generates the Issuance and Disposition File
7 / OPTIONAL: At EOD, FIIT, which is installed at the FI, connects to the PRO-CHEX and downloads the Issuance and Disposition File
Third Party Data Center Process Flow
Step / Description
1 / ACH Alert makes a secure connection to the Fed via a Fed VPN Tunnel
2 / ACH Alert downloads the Supplemental MICR File
3 / ACH Alert generates 2 files: File 1: Unmatched Transactions and immediately destroys; File 2: Matching Transactions and sends to PRO-CHEX
4 / PRO-CHEX generates an Exception File
5 / PRO-CHEX sends ALERTs to the Customer
6 / Customer makes pay/no pay decision via PRO-CHEX
7 / OPTIONAL: At EOD, PRO-CHEX generates the Issuance and Disposition File
8 / OPTIONAL: At EOD, FIIT, which is installed at the FI, connects to the PRO-CHEX and downloads the Issuance and Disposition File
PRO-CHEX Data Formats
An ACH formatted file is ACH Alert’s standard for loading incoming ACH transactions into PRO-CHEX. PRO-CHEXs standard end-of-day (EOD) output files are NACHA formatted ACH Files.
ACH Alert also supports the Fiserv CNS format that provides an EPA Positive Pay interface to allow unmatched (non-authorized) items to be sent to PRO-CHEX for decisioning. Upon return of the Positive Pay Response File to CNS, the items will follow the standard CNS decisioning process; the items will be released for distribution (“Pay”) or rejected and returned (“No Pay”). For details on this method, contact your ACH Alert representative.
PRO-CHEX Daily Input Files
The PRO-CHEX application requires a X9.37 formatted or custom file/files to be loaded daily. FIIT will read the file and send relevant information to ACH Alert’s MFT server.
Instructions for FIs sending/receiving files via SFTP are as follows:
Issuance File Pickup Location
Issuance File Naming Convention
Exception File Delivery Location
Exception File Naming Convention
Disposition File Pickup Location
Disposition File Naming Convention
NOTE:Direct Send FIs that choose to encrypt the file should follow the standard file naming convention plus the extension of .pgp
File Filtering Rules & Configuration Options
By default, FIIT or the PRO-CHEX hosted application reads the daily input file/files to capture check transactions for active, enrolled routing/account numbers.
By default, PRO-CHEX will select transactions that match enrolled routing/account number combinations and will search for the account number. However, ACH Alert offers special configuration options in FIIT and PRO-CHEX host to support:
Ignore Leading Zeros / This configuration option is used to ignore the zeros in front of an account number within an input file. This feature cannot be used if an FI has account numbers that legitimately start with a zero.EOD-Cut-Off Time
FIs can determine the daily Issuance File EOD time so issuance items submitted up until that time by the Client, can be used to build the Issuance files for delivery to the FI. The Issuance EOD time can be specified in hours, minutes and time zone. The Issuance EOD time is sometimes referred to as the “Issuance cut-off” time.
Files loaded before the daily cut-off time generate issuance EOD files the same day. Files loaded after issuance cut-off time generate issuance EOD files the next business day.
Return Handling
The following exception reasons are standard in PRO-CHEX, however, FI’s may choose to customize the list.
Exception Reason Missing / The exception reason present in the file does not exist in CP_EXCEPTION_REASON_TBLIssuance Already Used / Check presented with a serial number previously presented
Issuance Amount Mismatch / Check presented where amount of check differs from issue amount
Issuance Not Found / Check presented where no issue item is found to match against
Issuance Payee Mismatch / Check presented where payee name differs from issue payee name
Issuance Stopped / Check presented with a serial number of an issued item marked with a stop status
Issuance Voided / Check presented with a serial number of an issue item marked with a void status
Holidays & Weekends
If any of the dates above fall on a weekend or holiday, PRO-CHEX will automatically adjust to the next business day. ACH Alert observes the Fed holiday calendar, however, ACH Alert can support customized holiday calendars for an FI upon receipt of a change request.
Input File Confirmation
When an input file is received at the PRO-CHEX host, an email confirmation is sent to the financial institution. Most FIs choose to setup a group email address so multiple departments can be advised.
A second email is sent once the input file has been successfully processed and there were no issues with the input file.
NOTE:
If the first email is not received, there was probably an issue with file transmission. If the Processed email is not received, there was probably an issue with the format of the input file.
File Load Failure Notifications
Invalid File emails:
• To FI Users with “Receive Alerts” selected.
• Example: Duplicate File fails
File Load Failure emails:
• To ACH Alert admin users.
• Examples:
PRO-CHEX Output Files
PRO-CHEX systematically creates files at EOD to automate processing for pay/return decisions made by Clients. The EOD files created will depend upon the:
• Deployment method chosen
• Customer pay/return decisions
• Return decisions made after the daily cut-off time
As a rule, PRO-CHEX will create an EOD file/files for every input file, but customization options are available. This section of the guide is designed to define each EOD output file type, its purpose and when it’s applicable, file naming conventions and customization options.
The standard daily EOD output files can include any the following:
• Issuance File
• EOD Disposition File
Details of each EOD file type and naming conventions are defined below and apply for all FIs regardless of the data exchange method. FIs that are exchanging data using the Direct Send method should note the following: