Re: Dupliicate check #s

On Friday, June 23, 2023 at 11:33:00 AM UTC-5, Andrew wrote:
> On 6/22/2023 1:49 PM, Kobac wrote: 
> > On 06/22/2023 10:03, Andrew wrote: 
> >> On 6/21/2023 4:27 PM, Kobac wrote: 
> >>> My bank (Webster Bank) does not use check numbers when using their 
> >>> online Bill Pay system, which I use by logging into my bank account 
> >>> and making payments. 

> >> What happens if your credit union has to cut ?& mail a physical check 
> >> for a payee that does not accept ACH transmitted electronic payments? 
> >> The paper check indeed DOES have a check number assigned, which shows 
> >> up in the DOWNLOADED PAYEE field when I accept the cleared payment.  I 
> >> don't ever need to manually write it in the CHECK # field in the 
> >> register, but indeed it does still exist in these cases. 
> >> 
> >> When I enter these payments in my register when I tell the CU to make 
> >> the payment, I simply record the check # as 'BILLPAY' regardless of 
> >> whether the CU (or their agent such as CHECKFREE that I believe they 
> >> use) goes ACH or physical.  I don't know how they do it, nor do I care 
> >> unless I really get into the weeds and see how my payee is set up in 
> >> their system. 
 
> > I do very occasionally run into that situation where a paper check is 
> > sent out to the payee. I record it as an EFT. On our bank statement 
> > those payments show up as a debit with no check number.

> I'm discussing this only since I'm interested in the payment methodology 
> process, not to bust your chops or belabor any point, please know this. 
> 
> Do you get a chance to look at the paper copy via your bank online 
> account? My CU typically has a link to what the actual check looks like 
> online. If not, might be interesting for you to pay yourself $1 and see 
> what to looks like when you receive the real check in the mail. You 
> still might see a check number! 

FWIW

In my experience with two different financial institutions, the usefulness of online billpay check numbers appears to depend on the specific online biller.

At Bank of America; when an online bill was paid by check, the check# that appeared in the Quicken transaction bore no relationship to the check# that appeared on the physical check. In my BofA statements, those online billpay checks were not included with my manual checks, but with my "Withdrawals" ... and the "check#" was not displayed.
[Also, those checks appear to have been written on non-Bank of America accounts - such as Wells Fargo and Northern Trust for example.]

At USAA; when an online bill was paid by check, the check# that appeared in the Quicken transaction was exactly the same as the check# that appeared on the physical check. Those checks were written on my USAA checking account, and they appeared in the "Checks" section of my statement with the same check number that was on the actual check (and downloaded to Quicken).