For those of you that are continuing to offer AUTOMATED check verification services, what security features are built into your system to determine that the caller is authorized to received the information about your customer's balance?

How many of you have actually discontinued offering this service? If so, have you received complaints from your customers?

Dolly Nugent
VP/Compliance Officer
Citizens Business Bank

We still offer automated check verification - the check # and amount (dollars and cents) must be entered. The system will only indicate if there are or are not sufficient funds at the present time.

I'm not sure how to make an automated system completely "Pretext-Proof", so again it's a balancing act between complete privacy and protection for the customer vs. convenience for the customer.

I hesitate to pull the plug on the automated verification. Taken to the fullest, paranoia over Pretext Calling could spell the end of consumer ability to use checks to pay for products or services. I, for one, choose not to use a Debit Card because I don't want the funds to be immediately sucked out of my account. Plus - it's too darn easy to lose track of how much I've spent!

We have continued to offer automated merchant verification. Our program has always required that the merchants must "enroll" in this program at the Bank. We get an application completed with name of business, type of business, etc. and they are assigned a PIN number. They also sign a confidentiality agreement and are limited to a certain amount of calls per 24 hour period.

This has been very successful for us & we have had no merchant or customer complaints.