Affiliates? Would you accept checks by email?
 

HI Everyone, I am looking into options of being able to email out checks to my affiliates. Very little is needed on my end, but the affiliate would need to get black check paper in order to print the checks.

The affiliate would receive an encrypted pdf, that they just have to print out and deposit, completely eliminating the 'checks in the mail' issue. Would you be willing to buy the paper (which is cheap!) and use this service?

BTW, I do offer ACH/ direct deposit too, but looking for options for those that want checks instead.

sure checks were the way to go before

just make sure it doesnt say dp dollars on the check..lol

interesteing idea but how easy is it to get this paper?

Blank check stock is everywhere online, used often by accounting programs to batch write checks etc http://www.formsandchecks.com/BlankStock.htm this is just one of thousands that offer the paper .

I don't know banks are starting to get funny about things. Do you have an example of what it looks like?

Hmm an interesting idea isnt it.

I don't have an example off hand, but I have been using the blank check paper stock and mailing out the checks for years ( yes it has to be special paper) , the only difference is that you will be printing them instead me. I can see the issue with multiple printouts made, so I would have to see what happens about limited the number of times that check can be printed etc.

it like versa checks

i use to pay my peoples

banks are paranoid. would not fly.

The problem is 99.95% of affiliates do not have MICR toner.

Some banks charge a penalty for checks that are not compliant.

The encrypted .pdf to check solution should work fairly well.

As far as the multiple printing it probably works similarly to the way Coupons.com does it (did some work for them).

They have a "Coupon Application" that allows for a one time display of the coupon and automatically sends to the printer. The warn you in advance to check the printer for paper and test the print connection/ink etc before uploading the coupon, or in this case the check.

I've used it for years. It is awesome. It made it so much easier when I had a property management business with 5 bank accounts -- all of which were regularly used for checks.

With check stock paper, you do not need to have MICR toner, the only thing that banks need to be done in MICR magnetic ink certain few characters, which are included on the check paper, everything else is printed out with a inkjet/laser printer.

If it works properly, I think the idea is genius.

Some may be, but others are starting to offer 'remote deposit', which allows the customer to scan/image of the check and deposit it online without having to go to the bank, so I dont' know what problem they can have if you create a letgitimate check with correct check paper.

I prefer checks by mail, unless if you want to wire me the money and cover the cost out of your pocket.

US affiliates shouldn't mind it at all. I think it is the those damn foreigners with their progressive banks that don't want to accept paper checks any more. :winkwink: They might not like checks because their stupid banks charge them fees to deposit checks.

edit, oh i see you said email... I don't think my bank will accept a check i printed out on printer paper. What is the harm in mailing it ?

chase bank has an iphone app, you take a picture of the check and it deposits the funds into your account. See even us dinosaurs that use checks can also use technology to still make it convenient... and to all you whipper snappers bitching in the past about people who still use checks are being in the 80's, how is that working for you now that you can't seem to find a way to collect payment electronically ? and you lost thousands of dollars in you digital wallet and virtual visa...

As mentioned earlier, I have been sending such checks out for years, to my non-us affliates with no problems. It would be special check paper that you just load into your printer and print everything that is in the pdf file onto it, and you are good to go, no different then what I do on this end.

Oh, and other features like alertpay, xoom and others are options that are also available for non-us affiliates, i am just trying to provide more options for those that dont' want to wait for checks in the mail, but still want them

I think that in theory it sounds great. Love the uniqueness of the idea and that you are thinking outside of the box. However in reality I think that a lot of webmasters would shy away from it because it is so different and it just feels shady.

Also on your end I would worry a lot about the fraud factor. Just far to many really shady people out there. I just don't think as a business owner I would trust it AT ALL.

thats a cool idea. I just a tv commercial how someone deposited a check into their account by taking a picture of it from there cellphone

What's to stop an affiliate with multiple bank accounts printing the check several times and depositing them all - 1 per acct he/she has?

A adult webmaster with a printer and box of blank check paper would never think of doing anything like this:winkwink:

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

I'm sure the people who came up with the idea of users printing out their own checks thought of that - they probably consider the check a one-time token based on its number; after it's deposited once it cannot clear again.

Boobgirl: one thing I'm curious about, do you need to tell the bank which checks you've "sent" (ie, the check # and amount) or is it the same as a normal check book where the bank knows nothing of it until it is presented to them?

Nothing but then they'd be charged with fraud and probably never be able to cash checks again.

jesus, you'd trust people to print out checks for you? Hope you got lots of money to cover the extra ones and zero's lol!

I think ACH and Wire would be a better solution.

Fuck checks...

yeah epass is a much better solutions. :thumbsup

Is putting a stamp on an envelope really to difficult?

I like it old fashioned, already enough work to open all those envelopes, if I imagine printing all checks myself...no, no and no.

I'm sure that european banks would probably call a security if you bring them a paper like that.

Guys, Checks are Only Suitable For America, forget the checks, they are obsolete.

I would spend much more time, effort & money cashing the checks for 7 years than the amount of money I have in my ePass wallet right now.

Agree:thumbsup

No I do not have to tell the bank. It is a valid check. On the check form program, I include a check number, to make each one unique, just like writing them.

THere would be safeguards in place so that only one check can be printed and only exactly as displayed.

I have been printing checks on this paper for years, and many european affiliates have cashed them during that time.

I agree, but I am trying to come up with options for everyone. I have checks, direct deposit, wire, alertpay, xoom, and will be adding more soon. But I wanted to see if affiliates would accept such a payment option, thus saving the TIME of waiting for checks to arrive.

Ok, so question, do affilaites not work with CCbill sponsored programs because the only payment option is checks?

sure where do i sign up?

http://www.labnol.org/software/edit-pdf-files/10870/

Interesting idea. But I don't see much benefit for the webmasters. They will be able to get the checks a little earlier, but that's it. It's much more comfortable to receive them in the mail.

What about when you are dealing with webmasters that say 'check is in the mail'? Wouldn't you want to elliminate the issue of waiting, or having more confidence in the program if you are able to get the check ASAP?

I know there are issues with this in regards to security (like there isn't concerns regarding the new 'post-epass' payment options). I'm not saying that I have all the details worked out.

My goal is to provide affiliates with options where they can get their payments sooner, online, cheaper, and when so many are concern about these alternate payment programs, I wanted to see what the feedback was on a different 'check' format.

Thanks for the repsonses, its always great to hear other opinions!

How do you chase checks? they jump out of your mail box when you open it ?


Either the company sends the check or not. They either make the epass transfer or not. They either make the wire transfer or not.

Regardless of the method, the company needs to send the money. The only difference between checks and epass is that a check the money goes directly to you, with epass it goes to a un secure 3rd party first which as we all have seen isn't always a good thing.

Ordinary people aren't allowed to print cheques here.

Has to be done by a specialist company.

checks are good until some epass alternative gets into the mass usage...