--- title: Positive Pay (QBO) slug: commercebank/positive-pay-qbo icon: {"faIcon":"fa-solid fa-money-check-dollar"} docTags: UiAorlxQIO6JpqxlFX5My createdAt: 2026-05-14T20:00:07.218Z --- The **Positive Pay** feature enables the secure transmission of payment details for in-house checks to your bank. It automatically extracts data from checks printed within QuickBooks Online, allowing you to submit a Positive Pay file for your entire check run in just a few steps. Follow this guide to get started. *** ## Prerequisites :::hint{type="info"} **NOTE:** To use this feature, the Positive Pay feature must be enabled for your account. Please speak with your sales officer to add this feature. ::: *** ## Getting Access to Positive Pay To gain access to the **Positive Pay** feature, simply re-run the onboarding wizard so we can sync your check information. This only applies to active plugin users. If you are using the plugin for the first time, no further action is needed. *** ## Print and Confirm a Check The plugin only transmits checks that have been confirmed inside QuickBooks Online. To complete this essential native QuickBooks Online process, follow the steps below. :::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Open the Pay Bills Window Click the **+ New **button in the top left corner of your dashboard, then select **Pay Bills **under the *Vendors *column. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/d_kh0yemN5xNLGRN16V8i-20260615-203706.png" size="50" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="1021" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="1021" alt="Select Pay Bills" showCaption="false"} ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Select Your Bank Account and Date From the **Payment account **dropdown menu, select the bank account you are drawing funds from. Set the **Payment date **to the date you want on the check. ::: ::::WorkflowBlockItem ### Configure Check Processing Method - **For batch computer printing: **Select the **Print later **checkbox. The *Starting check no. *field will be suppressed. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/P5PyyjIhLIzZ6klUAq82J-20260615-205256.png" size="60" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="216" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="216" alt="Select Print Later" showCaption="false"} - **For manual handwritten checks: **Deselect the **Print later **checkbox, then enter the exact sequential check number from your checkbook into the **Starting check no. **field. :::hint{type="warning"} **IMPORTANT:** Only check numbers containing **digits** can be synced; letters and special characters are not supported. ::: ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/YUGjsXzc3AfHWJB2-RUvD-20260615-205256.png" size="60" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="210" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="210" alt="Enter a Starting Check Number" showCaption="false"} :::: :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Select the Bill(s) to Pay In the list on the Pay Bills screen, check the box to the left of each bill you want to pay. ::: ::::WorkflowBlockItem ### Confirm Payment Amount Once you check a bill, QuickBooks automatically fills in the payment amount as the full open balance for that bill. You can leave it as-is, or edit it if you only want to make a partial payment. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/XQjljZ3VwflDs6tmvanrR_qbo-select-bills-to-pay.png" size="80" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="675" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="675" alt="Confirm Payment Amount, then Save and Close" showCaption="false"} - Click **Save and close **if you're writing and sending the check manually and just want to record the payment. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/VtWz6ZR7mR1ppiAsme-Dp_qbo-save-and-print.png" size="30" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="707" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="707" alt="Select Save and Print" showCaption="false"} - Click** Save and print **if you want to print a physical check now. If you clicked Save and print, QuickBooks takes you to the **Print Checks** screen. Check the box next to the check(s), confirm the starting check number, and click **Preview and print**. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/GJajJg_Z4fykOgVHYowCO_qbo-print-checks-screen.png" size="80" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="678" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="678" alt="Select the Bill(s) to Pay, then Preview and Print" showCaption="false"} :::hint{type="info"} **NOTE: **If you need to add a memo to the check, click directly on the bill payment (check), scroll to the **Memo** field and enter your memo. Save/close that check, then continue with **Preview and print **as normal. ::: :::: ::::WorkflowBlockItem ### PDF Preview After clicking **Preview and print**: - A PDF preview of the check(s) opens so you can review them. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/k0PR5GSBzCjVk-CpLsMye_qbo-print-preview.png" size="80" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="675" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="675" alt="Print Preview and Print" showCaption="false"} - Click **Print** to send them to your printer. - A pop-up asks "Did your checks print OK?" — choose one: ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/ITi7P7nkqhNsvPa3fd6xp_qbo-did-your-checks-print-ok.png" size="50" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="506" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="506" showCaption="false"} :::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"} **Yes, they all printed correctly** → those checks are removed from the print queue. ::: :::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"} **Some checks need reprinting, starting with check \[#]** → enter where the errors began. ::: :::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"} **No, keep all checks in the list** → they stay in the queue to retry. ::: - Click **Done** to close the window. :::: ::::: *** ## Transmit Positive Pay Once the check(s) have been printed and posted, they will be available for positive pay transmission in FISPAN Sync. ### Reviewing the Checks Dashboard ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/Ybd-ey-g5spPGzSy1muq3_fispan-sync-positive-pay-checks-tab.png" size="80" width="800" height="407" position="center" caption="View Checks Page" alt="Positive Tab -> Checks Tab" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="407" showCaption="true"} The Checks tab provides a real-time summary of your transmissible data: - **Dashboard Summary:** View the total count of **Open**, **Failed**, and **Invalid** checks at a glance. - **Alert Banners:** High-priority notifications will appear if checks fail to process or contain invalid checks. Click **View all Failed Checks** or **View Invalid Checks** to filter the list immediately. - **Action Icons:** Use the **Refresh** icon to update the list, the **Download** icon to export a CSV, or the **Filter** icon to narrow your view. Follow these steps to transmit Positive Pay in the plugin. :::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Transmit Positive Pay From the FISPAN Sync, go to the **Positive Pay **page**.** ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Select Checks In the Checks tab, use the individual checkboxes to select specific payments, or use the header checkbox to select all available **Open** and **Failed** checks. As you select items, a blue status bar will appear showing the total number of **Checks Selected** and the **Total Vendors** involved. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/Ybd-ey-g5spPGzSy1muq3_fispan-sync-positive-pay-checks-tab.png" size="80" width="800" height="407" position="center" caption="Select Checks" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="407" showCaption="true"} ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Initiate Transmission Click the **Transmit** button in the top right corner of the dashboard. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/YeuAbFjvPlS_mYAM-JAt9_fispan-sync-click-transmit.png" size="60" width="800" height="332" position="center" caption="Click Transmit" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="332" showCaption="true"} ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Review Transmission Overview A summary window will appear, automatically grouping your checks by currency. Review the Total Amount, Check Count, and Vendor Count for each currency group. You can click on the **Export** button on the top-right of the dialog to export this view of the transmission. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/RAv7WJaWSd-QKTjFMijom_fispan-sync-review-transmission.png" size="80" isUploading="false" position="center" width="800" height="604" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="604" alt="Review Transmission" showCaption="false"} ::: ::::WorkflowBlockItem ### Finalize and Confirm Transmit Click **Transmit Checks** to securely transmit the Positive Pay file to the bank. A "Checks Successfully Transmitted!" window will appear, confirming the final counts. You can click the** Positive Pay History** link in this window to track the real-time status of your request. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/119oJvxZ7qc4AQo3gLRIT_fispan-sync-confirm-transmission.png" size="80" width="800" height="750" position="center" caption="Confirm Transmission" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="750" showCaption="true"} :::hint{type="info"} **NOTE:** If your organization has Payment Approvals enabled and a rule is configured for Positive Pay, the transaction will move to the Approvals module. It must be approved there before being sent to the bank. If rejected, the checks return to the Positive Pay page for re-transmission. ::: :::: :::WorkflowBlockItem ### Review History To audit past activity or check the status of a current transmission, navigate to the **History** tab within the Positive Pay page. View the real-time status of each transmission: **Completed**, **Failed**, or **In Progress**. Each entry provides a **Status Message** with specific feedback from the bank (e.g., "Completed", "Processing", "Waiting for Approval"). Track who initiated the transmission (**Transmitted By**) and the exact date and time it was processed. **Search & Filter:** Use the **Show Filters** icon to locate specific check numbers or vendors within your history. ::: ::::: *** ## Managing Exceptions ### Invalid Checks A check is flagged as **Invalid** (orange warning icon) if the respective bank account of the payment is not mapped within the Portal. These are payments associated with a bank account that has not yet been matched within the bank plugin in the Portal. You must log in to the Portal and follow the **Account Mapping** steps to ensure the specific bank account used in Business Central is correctly matched to the corresponding account in the plugin. *** ## Deleting Checks from the Checks Page If a check appears that should not be transmitted, you can remove it from the plugin view. :::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem **Locate Check** Find the check in the table and click the **Garbage icon** on the right. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/VI5nobq3sXwyiDJmNfZFW_fispan-sync-click-on-garbage-icon.png" size="80" width="800" height="337" position="center" caption="Click on "Garbage Icon"" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="337" showCaption="true"} ::: ::::WorkflowBlockItem **Confirm Deletion** Select **Yes, Delete** in the pop-up. ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MM6nC_bKbIkwCRqiFZqEu/O_j4A1QGy8XgF1yUJ_U_1_fispan-sync-delete-check.png" size="80" width="800" height="128" position="center" caption="Delete Check" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="128" showCaption="true"} :::hint{type="info"} **NOTE: **This only removes the check from the Positive Pay page in the plugin; the record remains active in QuickBooks Online. ::: :::: ::::: *** ## FAQs :::ExpandableHeading **Which checks are available for transmission?** To be eligible for transmission, checks must meet the following criteria: - They must be from matched accounts. - The check's state must be **Confirmed **(meaning it has been both printed and confirmed). - The checks must not yet be cleared. ::: :::ExpandableHeading **What are the invalid checks?** Invalid checks are those that could be transmitted if the bank account associated with them were matched. To transmit them, please match your account using the installation wizard, and the checks will be available in the** Checks** tab. ::: :::ExpandableHeading **Does deleting a check in the plugin also void it in ERP?** No. Clicking the garbage icon only removes the record from the Positive Pay transmission list. To void a check, you must use the native QuickBooks Online "Void Checks" process. ::: :::ExpandableHeading **How do I handle a "Failed" check?** Checks that fail during transmission will be moved back to the **Checks** tab. You can click the red error icon to see the specific error message, resolve the issue, and attempt the transmission again. :::