How can I verify a check? 
Will banks verify a check if I call?
Why won't some financial institutions verify a check?
What services are available to verify a check is good?
 

In today's world, it is very difficult to verify a check through any bank, or financial institution, even if you can track down the phone number to call. 

Many banks will cite their privacy policy when refusing to verify a check.  Banks are under no obligation to verify an account or verify funds on any check drawn on their bank. 

FOR THE INDIVIDUAL:
For an individual, the best you can do is to call the bank and ask if they will verify a check over the phone. For some banks, they will simply say no.  Other banks may tell you if the account is a real account at the bank. Still other banks may be able to verify if the money is actually in the account at the time of the call.

To locate the bank phone number to verify a check, you can use a free routing number look up tool called RoutingTool.  At the RoutingTool site, anyone can get the bank name and bank phone number by typing in the 9 digit routing number at the bottom of the check.  The database is updated every banking day.

FOR BUSINESS:
For business, you have another option. For nearly 9 out of 10 bank accounts in the U.S. businesses can verify checks in real-time when they establish a merchant verification account with a verification network like BetterCheck.

For companies taking several checks per day, or who do monthly check billing via check draft or ACH where you may bill dozens or thousands of customers monthly, there is a system that will verify checks and drastically reduce bounce rates.

Verify a check is real, that the routing number and account number are open and active at that bank, and that there is a positive balance in the account. Check for NSF, Stop Payment, Uncollected Funds, and many other status codes.

Businesses that use BetterCheck must be verified, and use of the system must be for legitimate business purposes.  Users must agree to the terms of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and must not use the system as the only reason to base the decision of approval or decline.

What does that all mean? It means it is not a check guarantee service and that it is designed to drastically reduce the number of bad checks deposited, and not to tell if any one particular item is absolutely going to clear.

BetterCheck cannot tell how much money is in an account, nor can it hold funds aside. The system is designed to significantly reduce the number of invalid items deposited to bring down bounce rates.

The BetterCheck system will pay for itself if used properly by any business.

CONCLUSION:
Individuals and business alike can benefit from RoutingTool to verify a check is real, get the bank name, bank phone number and then call the bank to verify the check.  This tool is free and can be used by anyone.  A professional version and private use database are also offered at the RoutingTool site.

Businesses doing a regular volume of check transactions, or monthly billing can benefit from BetterCheck by signing up for the service.  Once a user, you can verify a check is real, the account is open and active at the time and check for stop payment, uncollected funds and other status codes. 

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Who provides this service?
BetterCheck™ is a product from yourfavorite.com. Yourfavorite.com has been providing software to the payment industry since 1996. Yourfavorite.com publishes CheckWriter™ brand check by phone software, as well as RoutingTool™, the routing number verification software, and 123ACH, the electronic fund transfer virtual terminal for ACH.  Software published by yourfavorite.com is used by all 100 of the Fortune 100 companies.

Try a FREE BetterCheck™ Demo: Click Here

Place an order for BetterCheck: Order Here