As a part of our accept payments offer, we provide a check deposits feature for accepting checks from your clients, if integrated by your Swan provider. Merchants can accept payments with French checks.
Process overview
By following these guidelines, you will be able to easily use the check deposit feature, ensuring the successful and timely acceptance of payments.
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Validate the check.
Validating checks is important to make sure they meet the criteria for cashing. Before depositing a check, ensure that you meet the following criteria:- Amount: confirm that the amount on the check matches the declared registration amount, and is less than 10K€.
- Names: verify the accuracy of your name (merchant) and your customer’s name (debtor) on the check.
- Date: confirm that the date on the check is valid within one year and eight days, and ensure that the date is not in the future.
- Signatures: sign the back of the check and write your account number. Ensure the debtor has also signed the check.
- Format: ensure the amount is correctly written in a valid format, using either letters or numbers where required.
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Register the check.
After validating the check, enter the check numbers and amount on the designated platform to register it. -
Send the check.
Send the check to a designated check provider's postal address within 30 days (strictly). This ensures the check is processed for cashing, and your account can be credited.
Returned checks
A check, subject to a fee according to your Swan partner guidelines, may be returned for various reasons, including but not limited to:
- Rejection (refer to the rejection reasons table)
- Insufficient funds in the debtor's account
- The debtor's account is closed
- Loss or theft
Rejection reasons
| Rejection Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Amount mismatch | The amount on the check doesn't match the registered amount. |
| Beneficiary mismatch | The beneficiary name and account details don't match. |
| Merchant name error | Your name (merchant) is missing or incorrect. |
| Late check | The check arrived at Swan's check provider more than 30 days after being registered. |
| Canceled check | Swan's provider received a canceled check. |
| Date issue | There's no date on the check, or the date is in the future or invalid. |
| Debtor name missing | The customer’s name (debtor) must appear on the check. |
| Unsigned check | The back of the check isn't signed, and the Swan account number is missing. |
| No amount | There's no amount written on the check. |
| Invalid amount format | The amount is written in an invalid format (numbers instead of letters). |
| Signature problem | The signature is missing, or there's a problem with the signature. |
| Fraud suspicion | There's suspicion of fraud with the check. |
Handling returned checks
If a check is returned due to any issues with the check, resolve the problem and resend it within the 30-day timeframe. Make sure to register it again as a new check.
If you have further questions, submit a request to Swan Support.