Positive pay file generator
Positive pay stops forged and altered checks: you send your bank a list of the checks you issued, and the bank pays only checks that match it. Build that issue file here, then upload it in your bank’s positive pay screen.
Free. Nothing is uploaded to us: the file is built in your browser.
| Check no. | Issue date | Amount | Payee |
|---|
File preview
Print checks and the positive pay file together. CheckWriter.app Pro numbers every check you print, keeps the register and exports the positive pay file for any date range in the format you set once.
What is positive pay?
Positive pay is a fraud control most business banks offer on checking accounts. Each time you write checks, you send the bank an issue file: check number, issue date and amount for every check, and often the payee name. When a check is presented for payment, the bank compares it with your file. If anything does not match, or the check was never issued, the bank holds it as an exception and asks you to decide: pay or return.
- Standard positive pay matches account, check number and amount.
- Payee positive pay also matches the payee name, which catches checks that were washed and rewritten to a new name. The name in the file must match the check exactly.
- Teller positive pay lets tellers check your file before cashing a check over the counter.
Positive pay is set up with your bank, and banks usually charge for it. Ask your treasury or business banking team which version your account has and what the cutoff time is for uploading files and deciding exceptions.
What goes in a positive pay file
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Check number | Yes | Digits only, usually up to 10. |
| Issue date | Yes | MM/DD/YYYY is the most common; the bank tells you which format it expects. |
| Amount | Yes | No dollar sign or commas. Some banks want the decimal point (1250.00), others implied cents (125000). |
| Account number | Usually | Required when one file covers several accounts. |
| Payee name | For payee positive pay | Exactly as printed on the check. |
| Issue or void code | If you send voids | For example I / V, or IS / CN. Some banks mark a void with a minus sign in the amount instead. |
How to upload it to your bank
- In your bank’s business online banking, open Positive Pay (sometimes under Fraud Protection or Payables) and find Upload issue file or Import checks.
- The first time, create a file mapping: tell the bank which column holds which field, the date format, the amount format and your void code. Most portals let you define the layout yourself, so the CSV with a header row option above works almost everywhere.
- If your bank gave you a spec sheet with a fixed layout, pick Custom above and match it: column order, separator, date format, amount format and codes.
- Upload the file the same day you mail the checks, before they can be presented. Late files are the most common cause of exceptions.
Why a positive pay file gets rejected
- The date or amount format does not match the mapping (for example 10/31/26 against MM/DD/YYYY, or 1,250.00 with a comma).
- The same check number appears twice in the file.
- Extra columns, blank lines or a header row the mapping does not expect.
- The payee name has different spelling, spacing or punctuation from the printed check.
- The account number in the file is not enrolled in positive pay.
Positive pay and voided checks
If you void a check after sending the file, send a void record for that check number so the bank will return it if it is ever presented. In CheckWriter.app Pro, a voided check in the register goes into the next file with your void code automatically.
Sources checked October 31, 2026: published positive pay file guides from Huntington (sample layout, IS/CN codes), Simmons Bank (file format and mapping) and Synovus (file mapping requirements). Formats differ between banks; your bank’s own spec always wins.