Advanced Financial Solutions announces 'AFS Return 21'

Any financial institution with an image-enabled check capture platform will benefit from AFS Return 21. AFS Return 21 streamlines the entire process of returning checks that were originally presented as paper inclearings. Rather than physically attaching a paper strip to the original item and re-encoding it on a proof machine or a power encode pass, AFS Return 21 identifies the return item and creates the Return substitute check all in one pass, on special paper stock that is pre-perforated with a strip onto which the return MICR line is printed. AFS Return 21 saves financial institutions the time and expense of having to re-pass the original inclearing run to out-sort the returned items.

"Financial institutions will benefit from the operational advancements of AFS Return 21," said Jeff Vetterick, AFS Vice President of Marketing. "Banks will be able to reduce equipment and click charges, since return items will no longer need to be re-passed through a sorter. Faster clearing means faster collection -- with significant reductions in handling and processing costs. And finally, by accelerating the return item process, financial institutions will minimize opportunities for check fraud."

Each point at which a check is transported and processed by sorting equipment is a point of potential error and slows the clearing of the check. The printing of substitute checks will allow banks to truncate 100% of transit items as well as reduce physical items by sorting items electronically and printing substitute checks for return processing, as provided for in the Check 21 legislation. Substitute checks provide indemnity and expedited credit for consumers and truncating banks. AFS Return 21 is an image-enabled return item processing and substitute check solution that enables financial institutions to quickly adapt and benefit from the provisions of the Check 21 Act.