J.’s debit card has a limit on how many transactions he can use it for in a day, so he often kicks it like it’s 1993 and writes checks for things. This isn’t normally a problem, but it is at Target, where their third-party check verification service, Certegy, is incorrectly convinced that he’s been writing bad checks. Fine, he dealt with Certegy, but still can’t write checks. Why? Target’s internal check verification department says so. He won’t be able to pay that way until he has a history of successful check writing at Target. What’s wrong with this picture? [More]
certegy
Certegy Decides Whether Or Not Kmart Will Accept Your Check
By 4.23.08
S. wrote a check at Kmart earlier this month and it was denied. No reason was given—just “denied.”
Walgreens Apologizes For Insinuating Reader Might Be Committing Check Fraud
By 4.11.07
Reader DudeAsInCool got an apology from Walgreens and a $20 coupon after submitting his complaint over the hassle he was put through when trying to pay with a check. Somehow the who/what/when/why/where/how of his purchase tripped Walgreen’s check verification service, Certegy, and he had to go through a ridiculous phone call in order to get his check cleared.
Statistically Speaking, His Check Was Fraudulent
By 3.12.07
Checking systems’ vagaries make them susceptible to scams, so we can understand why Walgreens might want to protect themselves against our reader by denying his drug purchase.
