What is an eCheck?

Posted by Checkbook on Jun 01, 2020

eChecks (aka. Electronic Checks) are a payment tool that are used to send funds electronically.

A picture of a check is sent via email to the recipient. Funds are then withdrawn from the Originator’s Checking Account. Those funds are transferred through the ACH Network, and deposited into the Recipient’s Account.

eChecks hasten the payment process in an environmentally friendly way. They allow the facility to email a picture of a check, rather than mailing an actual physical check. If Paper Checks represent the age of dinosaurs, then eChecks are the first ice age. The modern day world runs on Digital Checks due to a number of flaws of eChecks.

1. eChecks don’t always update in real time and funds received through an eCheck take more than 3 business days to settle.
2. eChecks can’t verify the amount of funds in a payor’s account, making the eCheck more likely to be bounced when an overdraft occurs.
3. eChecks require senders to find their Routing and Account Numbers, which is inconvenient, and often impossible.
4. eChecks put senders’ sensitive information at risk by exposing them to the payee.
5. eChecks only convert the check information into ACH files, which slows down the process for all parties involved.
6. eChecks make it impossible to instantly verify bank accounts and thereby prevent fraud.

Digital Checks are the payment method of now, and the future. Join Checkbook in revolutionizing the way we send funds, all for under a dollar.

About Author: The Checkbook Team