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Positive Pay Checks Admin Guide

  • Updated

Check Positive Pay is an automated fraud prevention service that protects your business against unauthorized or altered check transactions. This guide outlines how authorized users with "Manage Account" permissions can configure the system, including setting up users, assigning roles, managing trusted check payees, and establishing active matching rules.

 

Roles & Permissions

Positive Pay features a standard set of system roles for your users. If your business requires custom user configurations, we can establish and add additional roles to meet your needs. 

Role Permissions
Check System Admin Manage Account, View Issued Checks, Add Issued Checks, Edit Issued Checks, Delete Issued Checks, View Presented Checks, View Check Exceptions, Make Check Decisions, Approve Check Decisions
Check Account Manager View Issued Checks, Add Issued Checks, Edit Issued Checks, Delete Issued Checks, View Presented Checks, View Check Exceptions, Make Check Decisions, Approve Check Decisions
Check Exception Specialist View Issued Checks, View Presented Checks, View Check Exceptions, Make Check Decisions

 

Creating a Custom Role

Authorized users can also create custom roles for their organization by grouping a set of available permissions.

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Roles & Permissions
  3. Click Add Role
  4. Name the role and choose permissions
  5. Click Save.

Manage Custom Roles

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Roles & Permissions
  3. Click By Permission or By Event.
View Permissions
By Permission Displays each permission and the area, roles, and users that apply to that permission
By Event Displays each notification event and the permissions, users, and schedules for each notification event

 

Check Permissions Library

Permission Definition
Manage Account Gives the user visibility to the Settings screen for their organization and allows them to perform configuration, including Account Settings, Accounts, Users, Roles and Permissions, File Formats, and Email Templates. Provides access to system logs and API information.
View Account Provides the user read access to all Manage Account functionality.
View Issued Checks Provides the user read access to the Issued Checks screen.
Add Issued Checks Allows the user to manually add Issued Checks.
Edit Issued Checks Allows the user to edit Issued Checks that have not been validated.
Delete Issued Checks Allows the user to manually delete Issued Checks.
View Presented Checks Provides the user read access to the Presented Checks screen.
View Check Exceptions Provides the user read access to check exceptions in the Exceptions and Exception History screens. In combination with Make Check Decisions, allows the user to be notified when new check exceptions are generated. In combination with Approve Check Decisions, allows the user to be notified when an approval request for a check exception decision is generated.
Make Check Decisions Allows the user to make a pay or return decision for check exceptions and notifies the user when a Default Decision is made.
Approve Check Decisions Allows the user to receive notifications when check exception decisions are ready for review, allows the user to approve or change decisions, and notifies the user when a Default Decision is made.

 

Manage Users

Add a User

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Users
  3. Click Add User
  4. Fill out the required User Info fields
  5. Click Save.

Edit User

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Users
  3. Select Edit next to the user
  4. Change the desired fields
  5. Click Save.

 

User Info Fields

Field Description
First Name (Required) User's first name.
Last Name (Required) User's last name.
Email Address (Required) User's email address.
Cell Phone User's mobile phone number. This field is optional; however, it must be filled in if the user is to receive text message notifications from the system.
Send Welcome Email Determines whether a welcome email goes to the user, prompting them to log in and create a password. We set the default.
Landing Page Determines which screen the user sees first when logging in. The default is Home. Other options include: Issued Checks, Presented Checks, ACH, and Exceptions.
User Roles Determines the roles that apply to the user.
Accounts Determines which accounts are associated with the selected user role. The default is All Accounts.
Notification Settings Select which notifications the user wants to receive and when they should be delivered. See the table below.

 

Notification Settings

Setting Description
New Exception Notifies the user when an exception is generated.
Approve Exception Decision Notifies the user when exception decisions are pending approval.
Timing Immediately, or on a set time interval: Not set, Every 15 Minutes, Every 30 Minutes, or Every Hour. If set to Every Hour, choose the specific hours for notifications to go out. Multiple times can be selected.
Notification Method Notify by Email, Notify by Text Message, or both. To receive text messages, the Cell Phone field must be filled in.

⚠️ Important Note: New Exception alerts require the View Check Exceptions permission. Approve Exception Decision alerts require the Approve Check Decisions permission.

 

Check Payees

Add a Check Payee

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Check Payees
  3. Click Add Payee
  4. Enter the name of the payee
  5. Click Save.

Manage Existing Check Payees

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Check Payees
  3. Click Edit or Delete next to the payee you wish to manage.

⚠️ Important Note: Add each payee only once. Ensure spelling is consistent across all entries to prevent unnecessary exception alerts.

 

Check Decision Rules

By default, each company starts out with an "Exact Match" rule that will pay any check where all data elements match between the issued and the presented check information.

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Automation Check Decision Rules
  3. Click Add Rule
  4. Define the required Rule Conditions
  5. Click Save.

Check Decision Rule Conditions Fields

Field Description
Rule Name (Required) Enter a name for the rule.
Effective Date (Required) Date the rule will take effect. By default, the current date is used. 
Expiration Date (Optional) Date the rule will no longer be in effect.
Rule Conditions (Required) Select one or more conditions to create the rule. Options include: Routing Number, Account Number, Amount, Check Number, Check Number Out of Range, Check Voided or Stopped, Duplicate Presented Check, Invalid Presented Date, and Payee Name (matches payee on issued check or select a name from the list)
Rule Decision (Required) Options include: Pay or Return.

⚠️ Important Note: Rules configured to "Pay" automatically bypass the manual user review process. Please carefully verify each rule's criteria before saving to ensure unauthorized transactions are not inadvertently approved.

 

Check Approval Rules

If an authorized user reviews exceptions generated for checks, the company may also want to review and approve some or all of their decisions. If so, you will need to set up an approval workflow using check approval rules.

Add a Check Approval Rule

  1. Select Settings
  2. Click Check Approval Rules
  3. Click Add Rule
  4. Define the required Rule Conditions
  5. Click Save.

Check Approval Rule Conditions Fields

Field Description
Rule Name (Required) Enter a name for the rule.
Effective Date (Required) Date the rule will take effect. By default, the current date is used. 
Expiration Date (Optional) Date the rule will no longer be in effect.
Rule Conditions (Required) Select one or more conditions to create the rule. Options include: Routing Number, Account Number, Amount, Check Number, Check Number Out of Range, Check Voided or Stopped, Decision (Pay or Return), Duplicate Presented Check, Invalid Presented Date, and Payee Name (matches payee on issued check or select a name from the list)

⚠️ Important Note: 

 

Reverse Positive Pay

Reverse Positive Pay helps to prevent check fraud by presenting every posted check to be decisioned by the company. When Reverse Positive Pay is on, every presented check appears in Exceptions for a "Pay" or "Return" decision.

This feature requires company authorization and must be enabled by Grasshopper Bank. To request Reverse Positive Pay, contact Client Services and provide the following setup preferences:

  • Activation Status: Confirm that you want Reverse Positive Pay turned on for your company.
  • Account Scope: Specify the exact account numbers to be included in the service.
  • Default Decision: Define your preferred default action for exceptions left unresolved by the daily cutoff time. 

⚠️ Important Note: Any exceptions not decisioned by the cutoff time will return by default unless the company settings are changed. 

 

Support

If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, you contact Client Services Monday-Friday 9am-9pm ET by dialing 888.895.9685 or emailing support@grasshopper.bank.

For your convenience, we also offer support via secure message or chat.
 

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