Print this page Tell A Friend Add to Favorites

How to create successful relationships between third-party senders and banks when developing an ACH strategy

Kerry Sellen, VP, Electronic Payment Processing, TeleCheck Services and Joseph Belczyk, VP and ACH/EC Operations Group Manager, Treasury Management Division, PNC Bank


Abstract
Third-party senders and financial institutions, when working together to develop a strong Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment strategy and processing profile built on a foundation of sound operating controls, provide the ACH network with high-quality transactions which deliver significant value to all participants. This article explores the working interactions between third-party senders and financial institution, including an overview of strategic and tactical activities that are leveraged by both parties to manage ongoing ACH transaction quality and data integrity. The reader is introduced to the ACH third-party sender processing model and provided with insight into the deployment of various control points and quality assurance techniques. This article also highlights key interactions between third-party senders and financial institutions for establishing and monitoring qualitative and quantitative controls, which are important for evaluating ongoing performance and adherence to service levels.

Keywords
ACH, third party sender, originating depository financial institutation (ODFI), receiving depository financial institution (RDFI) NACHA, strategy


Kerry Sellen AAP is Vice President of Electronic Payment Processing for TeleCheck Services, Inc. She has responsibilities for the processing and settlement for all electronic products at TeleCheck. She serves on NACHA’s Electronic Check Council (ECC) Steering Committee and is the Co-leader of the ECC Strategic Initiatives Work Group. She also serves on NACHA’s Internet Council Steering Committee, is an active member of several NACHA Industry Support Groups, and speaks nationally on the subject of electronic commerce. Prior to joining TeleCheck, Ms Sellen was the co-founder of eFunds Corporation and worked for Barclays Bank. She graduated cum laude in Computer Programming and holds a Permanent Accredited ACH Professional designation.

Joseph Belczyk is Vice President and ACH/EC Operations Group Manager in the Treasury Management Division at PNC Bank. Mr Belczyk is responsible for the strategic development of PNC Bank’s e-commerce products as well as the coordination, testing, implementation and operations management of e-commerce collection and disbursement applications. As a member of PNC Bank’s Electronic Banking Group, Mr Belczyk has held the position of ACH/EDI Product Group Manager, Implementation Specialist and ACH/EDI Operations Group Manager. Mr Belczyk has been instrumental in the design, testing and production deployment of a number of EFT systems and product enhancements. Mr Belczyk graduated magna cum laude from Point Park College with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and from Geneva College with a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. He is also an Accredited ACH Professional and is actively involved in a number of ACH councils and workgroups.


If you wish to read the full text of the article you will need to subscribe.