Electronic Funds Transfer 101

Office of the State Controller

August 2008

Two Types of EFTTwo Types of EFT

• EFT is a generic term – Describing two different methods of transferring funds electronically

EFT

Wire Transfer ACH

• Common mistake to call an ACH payment a wire transfer– Each are handled by different departments at a bank

• Both performed through Federal Reserve Bank System (Except for “in-bank” or “on-us” transactions)

Wire TransferWire Transfer

• Movement of funds is real time – effected immediately

– FRB open for fed wires up to 6:00 p.m.– Book Transfers are memo posted up until midnight– ZBA (Zero Balance Account) sweeps are book transfers

• Fed Wire Affects banks’ Reserve Accounts maintained at the FRB– Sending bank’s account at the FRB gets debited– Receiving bank’s account at the FRB gets credited

• Foreign exchange and Euro dollars through “Clearing House for Inter-bank Payments System” (CHIPS) – 54 New York Banks

Wire Transfer

Fed Wire Book Transfer Foreign Wire

Between two banks Within same bank Foreign bank

Wire Transfer UtilizationWire Transfer Utilization

• When appropriate to use– Time sensitive - Funds need to be moved same day initiated– Large dollar amounts

• Examples– Debt Service Payments (preserve State’s credit rating)– Funding ACH payments (e.g. payroll direct deposit)– Funding investments (e.g., at custodian bank)– Adjusting balances (between depository banks)– Remitting ESC payments (to US Treasury)

• DOR accepts wire transfers from corporate taxpayers on an exception basis only

Initiating Wire TransfersInitiating Wire Transfers

• Banks provide corporate customers ability to initiate their own wires via online banking access

• Templates are used– Repetitive Transfers – Pre-established ABA# and acct.#– Non-Repetitive - Open wire – to anywhere

• State Treasurer initiates all wire transfers for agencies– Via Wachovia Connection and BOA Direct– As requested by agencies via Core Banking $ystem– Results in debit to agency’s disbursing / STIF acct.

DST’s Bank Payee’s BankOnline Wire SystemDisb. Acct.at DSTAgency Logs in

ACHACH

• Two types of ACH (Automated Clearing House)ACH

ACH Credits ACH Debits

Direct Deposit.

Debit Card Account

Direct Deposits

• Always initiated by sender

• Sender’s account is debited and receiver’s account is credited

• Receiver’s Acct– Bank account

– Debit card account

Electronic Drafts

• Initiated by sender or receiver

• If by sender – Sender authorizes a third party to initiate transaction

• If by receiver – Receiver initiates transaction

• Also referred to as Direct Payments

ACH Network – A batch-process, store and forward for future settlement

ACH UtilizationACH Utilization

• When appropriate to use– Large number of payments in a single file (batch)– At least one day is available between initiation and settlement– Any size dollar amounts

• Examples– Outbound Payroll direct deposit to bank account (ACH credits)– Outbound Payroll direct deposit to debit card account (ACH credits)– Outbound Vendor payments (ACH credits)– Inbound Taxpayer payments (ACH credits or debits)

• ACH Transactions can have Addendum Records– Remittance data attached– Can be interfaced with A/R system– DOR requires taxpayers to use TXP format

ACH PlayersACH Players

ACH Operator(FRB)

OriginatingDepositoryFinancial Institution

(ODFI)

ReceivingDepositoryFinancial Institution

(RDFI)

Originator(Company / Employer)

Receiver(Company / Employee)

Authorization / Enrollment

1

2 3

4

Trade GroupGoverning Org.

Primary DifferencesPrimary Differences

Wire Transfers

• Item Cost - $6.75• Same day funds• Transfer almost

instantaneous• Use for critical

payment (e.g. debt service)

ACH

• Item Cost < 1 penny• Next day funds• One day delay in

settlement

• Used for large batch files (e.g., payroll)

State ChecksAverage Cost - Range $.74

Electronic ChecksElectronic Checks• Loosely used term – Refers to two different methods

Electronic Checks

Online Paper Check ACH Conversions

Online Paper Check• Developed by “Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC) – Not-for-

profit group of CA banks• Initiated using a PIN and digital signature• Receiver prints out paper check for deposit

ACH Conversions (most common method referred to)• Transactions converted to ACH debits (e.g., ARC, POP, WEB, TEL)• Services can be provided by third party processors• Account verification determined upfront. Guarantees available.• Examples of services provided through third-party CyberSource (POP)

– Telecheck: – CheckFree: – AmeriNet: – Paymentech:

Applies to consumer checks only, not business checks.

Regulator GovernanceRegulator Governance• Regulation E, per Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA)

– Issued by Federal Reserve Bank– Covers ACH and debit cards (but not wires or credit cards)– Consumer protection oriented– Some protection afforded the consumer does not apply to corporate or

government customers

• NACHA Operating Rules– National Automatic Clearing House Association– Applies to ACH transactions only– Applicable to both consumer and corporate (including government)

• Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) – Article 4A– Applies to Wire Transfers Only

• Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Articles 3 and 4 and Reg CC– Applies to negotiable instruments (checks) – Reg CC issued by Federal Reserve - Applies to checks – not EFT– Check 21 (Check image conversion) governed by Reg CC, not Reg E

ACH TerminologyACH Terminology

• Typical ACH Standard Entry Class Codes– PPD – Prearranged Payments and Deposits (Consumer payments)– CCD - Cash Concentration or Disbursements (Corporate payments)– CCD+ - Corporate payments with 180 character addenda record– TXP – Addendum format for Tax Payments (Used by DOR)

• Check Conversion Standard Entry Class Codes– POP – Point-of-Purchase / Face-to-face (e.g., Wal-Mart)– ARC – Accounts Receivable Conversion – Non-face-to-face (e.g., Lockbox)– BOC – Back Office Conversion – Face-to-face, but later converted (Mar ‘07)Check Conversions not eligible for use with corporate or government checks

and have an amount limit of $25,000

• Other Standard Entry Class Codes (Debit entries)– WEB – Internet-initiated entries against a consumer account– TEL – Telephone-initiated entries against a consumer account– RCK – Represented check (representment of a non-sufficient funds check)

Daylight OverdraftDaylight Overdraft

• Federal Reserve charges bank interest per minute for overdrafts in their Fed account

• Banks do not allow wire transfers to be made from account if “available balance” is not sufficient– Over-the-counter deposits not posted until night– ACH credits are posted in mornings (6:30 and 8:30)– Could pose problems when need to wire funds out

• Some banks will assign an allowable daylight overdraft limit– Based upon customer’s credit risk– Based upon bank overdraft cap at the FRB– State’s arrangements with banks are handled by DST

Check 21Check 21

• Federal legislation – Result of 9/11 when planes could not fly• Became effective October 2004• Banks have option of presenting “substitute checks” instead of

original check• Also referred to as “Image Replacement Documents” (IRDs)

• Originals paper checks are to be destroyed

• Substitute document is legally same as original

• Check 21 is different than “Check Conversion” (POP/BOC/ARC)– POP, BOC & ARC - Check converted to ACH transaction– Therefore POP, BOC & ARC subject to NACHA Rules – not UCC– POP, BOC & ARC only applicable to “consumer” checks– Check 21 applicable to both “consumer” & “commercial”– Check 21 has no amount limit – Check Conversion limit is $25,000

EFT MilestonesEFT Milestones

• 1972 – SCOPE (Special Committee on Paperless Entries)• 1974 – NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association)• 1977 – Retirement System began using Direct Deposit for retirees• 1979 – Central Payroll began using Direct Deposit for employees• 1980s – University Payroll Centers began using Direct Deposit - employees• 1984 – GMTS (Governmental Moneys Transfer System) implemented by

DST for paying local units of government (Replaced by STEPS)• 1988 – DOT Payroll began using Direct Deposit for employees• 1992 – STEPS (State Treasurer’s Electronic Payments System) implemented

for local units (two-way street). (Ended 2003, except Retirement)• 1994 – DOR implemented EFT for corporate tax collections• 1990s – LEAs and community colleges implemented direct deposit for

employees (costs being paid for by DST)• 1999 – SB 222 enacted, giving OSC responsibility for EFT• 2002 – Common Payment System implemented (DMV-IRP first)• 2005 – OSC initiated expansion of Electronic Commerce Program

State’s E-Commerce ProgramState’s E-Commerce Program

• State’s Cash Management Legislation (G.S. 147-86.11) requires State Controller to develop policies regarding cash management practices, including E-Commerce.

• Two Master Services Agreements (MSAs) procured– MSA for Electronic Funds Transfer Services – Wachovia Bank– MSA for Merchant Card Services – SunTrust Merchant Services

• Agencies and local units of governments eligible participants

• Each participant must execute an Agency Participation Agreement (APA)

• Paying for Services – In accordance with MSA fee schedule– Agency pays in most cases– EFT for payroll and NCAS payments – DST pays

E-Commerce Inbound ProgramsE-Commerce Inbound ProgramsUtilizes Both Merchant Cards and EFT

StateState’’s Es E--Commerce StructureCommerce StructureInbound PaymentsInbound Payments

AcquiringProcessor

Citizen

(Taxpayer)

NC@YourServiceYahoo! Store

Gateway

( CPS or

Other )

Agency Windows Client

State’s Depository Bank

Agency POS Terminals

Agency A/R System

Agency Web Store Front

$State’s

EFT Bank(ODFI)

ACH TransactionsCard Transactions

$Agency’s 3rd Party Data Collection Center

Payor’s BankACH Credit

$

Wachovia Web ACHieve (Debits)

E-Commerce Outbound ProgramsE-Commerce Outbound ProgramsUtilizes EFT Only

StateState’’s Es E--Commerce StructureCommerce StructureOutbound PaymentsOutbound Payments

Payee (Citizen / Vendor/

Employee)

Gateway

( CPS or

Other )

Payee’s Bank

Agency / Univ A/P System

$State’sEFT Bank

(ODFI)

ACH Transactions

University Payrolls

NCAS E-Payments

Wachovia Web ACHieve (Credits)

Fed Reserve Bank

Central Payroll

DOT Payroll

Community College Payrolls

Local Schools Payrolls

Child Support Payments

More InformationMore Information

Office of the State Controller Web Sitewww.ncosc.net

David C. ReavisE-Commerce Manager

(919) 871-6483

August 2008 Robert PowellState Controller

Amber YoungCentral Compliance Manager

(919) 981-5481

Support Services Center

(919) 875-HELP (4357)