"They are not "Micro-encoded.""
That sort of makes sense, sort of. I think she meant MICR-encoded - that refers to the line on the bottom of a standard check that contains the routing number, account number, and check number (and when cashed, the bank adds the amount of the check as part of the processing). MICR-encoding uses a special ink or toner that can be magnetized and then read by a scanner, and banks rely on it for processing paper checks. If you're old enough to remember when banks used to send your canceled checks with your monthly statement, you've probably seen canceled checks with another MICR-line taped to the bottom. That was there to correct an error or an unreadable original.
I haven't seen one of these echecks, but I'm guessing they don't have a MICR line. Even if they do, they're not scannable unless you have magnetic toner in your printer (unlikely), but as I said above, the bank has a way to correct a paper check that can't be scanned. It may be that some banks aren't able to handle non-standard paper checks, but since companies like Deluxe are providing echecks, it's more likely a lack of knowledge at the local branch - someone didn't get (or didn't read) the memo. If the problem continues, I'd escalate it to a regional office.
In case anyone's wondering, MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition... |
