I owed a friend some money for some shared expenses. I used Fidelity’s online bill payment service to pay him because he doesn’t have a PayPal account and I was too lazy to find an envelope and a stamp.
A few weeks passed and I still don’t see the check hitting my account. Fidelity uses CheckFree for online bill payment. For personal payees not set up to receive electronic payments, CheckFree issues a paper check to the payee. CheckFree debits my account only after that paper check clears.
I was worried that CheckFree didn’t issue the check as I instructed. When I saw my friend again, I asked him if he had received the check. He said he did receive a check but he wasn’t sure what it was. He was afraid it was a scam.
I got curious in what made him think it could be a scam. So I used the system to pay myself. A check arrived few days later. It came by itself in an envelope, with no accompanying letter. The envelope just says Payment Processing Center with a PO Box in Hickory, NC.
The check looks like this:
For obvious reasons I whited out the identifying information and replaced them with markers. The name and address of the person who’s paying the bill (“payor”) show up in (1). The optional note the payor entered with the bill payment is printed in (2). The payee’s name and address show up in (3).
There is a “Please Direct Any Questions” section in the top center of the check. It lists a toll free number 877-246-7923 and an address:
Payment Processing Center
PO Box 1029
Hickory, NC 28603-1029
If you suspect it’s a scam, you are not going to call that toll free number.
The bank routing number on the bottom of the check is 071923828. It belongs to Northern Trust in Illinois. That’s the bank used by the online bill payment service.
This check is of course legit. I know it because I made the online bill payment and I knew it was coming. If someone just receives it out of the blue, I see how it can be suspicious.
If you receive a check like this, don’t throw it away! If you are not sure whether it’s legit, contact the person whose name and address are shown on the top left of the check.
If you use online bill payment service from your bank to pay your friend or family, how do you make them more comfortable and not scare them?
Give them a heads-up. After you make the payment, tell them a check is coming in the mail in a few days. Tell them it’s coming from a bill payment service; it’s not going to be a personal check from you. Tell them the amount.
I thought the check would be obvious to my friend. I was wrong.
Enter a note/memo. Include a personal note or memo when you do the online bill payment. The note may help the payee recognize what the check is for.
I did include a note, but the font for the note isn’t very large on the check. My friend apparently missed it.
Can the bill payment service make it better for the payee? I think so. A letter would be nice. “So-and-so used our online bill payment service to pay you $XXX.XX. It’s for blah-blah-blah. If you have any questions about this check, please contact so-and-so at [phone number or email address].” That’ll do it.
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Richard C. says
I just got a check in an envelope marked “return to sender–no such number–unable to deliver” as my return address was in the window. I didn’t recognize the name it was addressed to. When I opened the envelope, there was a check to “Princess Victorino” at a PO Box in Veneta, Oregon. Of course I checked all bank accounts and found it was not sent from any of mine. The top center of the check does not have a financial institution name. It only says “Online Bill Payment Processing Center and has the phone number. It should have the name and address of the bank. I’m not about to call this phone number as, even if I block my caller ID, I understand they can still see it. No point in giving these scammers more information.
Jeff Miller says
Same here! I got a check in the mail that was, as far as I was concerned, a complete scam! I googled the info on the check and found this page and realized – this is the check that I had just requested from Fidelity! I was about to rip it up! Thank you for putting this up. I was literally 5 seconds away from ripping it up!
ancient landlord says
I’m 75, been in rental business for probably 45+ years. Being a landlord, we think in all these years ‘we’ve seen/experienced everything’, right? Wrong! This is 2 days before first of month. Went to mailbox & got the usually insurance bill for those houses, along with my utility bills. There was another envelope that look just like an advertising with bold lettering saying ‘check enclosed’. I didn’t recognize the return address. I was half way putting this envelope in the trash can by my desk when hubby grabbed it [he likes to waste time reading advertising]. He opened it & there was a very faux looking check that did have the address of one of our rentals. It looks legit once we realize the amount & address are the same as a house we own. Is there a charge for the sender? Oh, by the way, I supply my renters with stamped, self-addressed envelopes. All they have to do is write out the check & seal [don’t even have to lick]. Last month, another renters [who has stamped, self addressed envelopes also] had the rent check sent by courier to my house with cost of $25. Inside the envelope was the check in my stamped [not used] addressed envelope. Maybe election year has the masses in total confusion about the presidential candidates or I’ve been a landlord too long. Paying these extra fees won’t help in saving up money for a down payment for a home.
Kimberly says
Ok I’ve received three of these checks bank holding one for five days….it would be a blessing. .. called they say it’s fraudulent. . I can’t afford to pay bank n I have two more that came today….Help
Chuck says
Our tenant uses this service to pay her rent and utilities.
Today when I opened it, there was an additional check payable to someone else unrelated to us but who happens to work in the building in another office.
Looks like they just bundled all the checks with same address together regardless of payee…
Not very secure.
Dusty says
Based on a recent personal experience, the author of this blog provides good advice. Confusion is magnified by the the fact that the funding bank is not identified.
Sy Kadelik says
I received one of these the other day and was expecting the check to be from BOA.
Needless to say I was suspicious as others here.
Just got off the phone with Northern Trust and got the low down on cashing these.
Only way to get cash in person is through a check cashing shop.
NT will not cash it as they are simply a third party intermediary for the clearing/processing house.
BOA won’t cash it either as it’s not drawn on their account.
WTF is the point of this???
Seems to me this method opens the door for fraud (as mentioned above) and extra routing/handling/fees. Why would BOA (or any other institution) pay for this service, since they ultimately eat the charge (or pass it onto the issuing account holder w/ a fee).
I’ll have to ask them if they get dinged paying with this method.
Unless this is some form of protection by using an intermediary….
Roberto says
Today I received a check like this. I immediately thought it was legit. But I wanted to know more about this and found this thread. Here is the thing. I still don’t know where this came from. I am the payor AND the payee and I did not send a check to myself. At this time my best guess is that I have a small account somewhere and it is generating interest and sending it to me this way. I just don’t understand why they don’t identify themselves. There is no memo. Instead there is a long string of numbers probably identifying an account and unless I know where it is, that’s no use.
T says
Me too, I got one last night, a little over $500… no idea what it’s for.
kushin says
Ok I got this check in mail today and about to rip it up. Just googled and found this page.
I realize this is from simple.com (online bank). They moved their bank to BBVA Compass from Bankcorp. And for customers who didnt move their account within the specified time, they automatically closed the account and cut a check for the balance. It would have been helpful if they had some kind of note on it. At the top of my check is Account: migrated customer.
Hope someone in similar situation may find this info useful.
JK says
Hey! Thanks for the reminder! I too was a Simple.com customer. I completely forgot that they were going to send me my money as a check.
Scott says
Thank you! I thought it was a scam too and was about to toss it. Now I know I can cash it. That Migrated Customer thing really got me…
Abracadebra says
Wow, I see how long this thread has been going on, and glad I Googled and found it!!! I received a check today and just knew it was a scam. But for some reason or another, I faintly remembered the exact amount of the check which is $304.00. And there is reference under the payer regarding the payment of two invoices. Think, think, think real hard … and it came to me about my bank account closure due to fraud earlier this year. I had an outstanding check so I alerted the merchant a replacement check would be issued from a new account. Apparently, the bank has now resolved the matter and released the payment. It’s a nice surprise, but seriously, these checks should have better documentation than a plain envelope and unrecognizable check.
Steve Whitmore says
Received 2 of these checks and have no idea why. Curious on what to do.
Frank says
This is an Outsource service. get a life, asked your Credit Unions about their Outsource service, which has been going on for decades,
Even in Perth Australia. where I was stayed for 3 weeks. the Housekeeping Service was Outsource. it cut down on the Hotel Rent.
Credit Unions Outsource unlike Giant Monopoly Banks to cut down on ridiculous greedy fees.
Credit Union has been around for 85 years, Credit Unions are NOT Banks.
John says
I use the online bill pay service from Wells Fargo and they use this payment processing center to process their checks. I sent a check to myself to see how this process works and I found it incredibly stupid that the envelop that these checks come in are printed with the words “PAYMENT ENCLOSED” is large, emphasized print at the top of the envelop.
In this day of stolen mail and fraudulent check cashing how moronic is this practice. Why don’t they just print “CHECK ENCLOSED … STEAL ME”!
Geesh … what idiots.
Mike B says
If you have to make a payment online to a friend or family member the best thing to use other than having a PayPal account is to get the Venmo app. It’s very simple to transfer the money from account to account. There’s no scams and no bills. completely paperless
Rick says
I manage properties , after tenants leave all types of mail show up , today an envelope with 8 checks showed up made out to a business that doesn’t exist . Total amount is over $2000.00 . Not sure what to do with the checks ?? Can you advise ?
Joyful Spirit says
BEWARE – SCAM! I received a letter dated Saturday, January 20, 2018 on Chase letterhead enclosing what seems to be a bill pay check for $100.00 dated January 22, 2018 made payable to Chase Cardmember Services, PO Box 15153, Wilmington, DE 19886-5153. The check has my full name and address on it (upper left corner); but, it does not have my correct checking account number. The letter says to send a replacement check as soon as possible because the account number is wrong. However – I do not have a Chase credit card and did I direct my bank to pay Chase nor did my bank send this check to Chase. I called the number on the check under “Please Direct Any Questions To:” 855.739.0856 – Payment Processing Center, PO Box 1029, Hickory, NC 28603 (underneath it states Northern Trust). They could only help me understand this check and the letter I received IF I provided them with my full name and bank account number. UM….no. So I called my bank and Chase and confirmed: I do not have a Chase credit card and nothing was sent from my bank account to Chase. I do not know who is doing this but this is for sure a SCAM. Also, the letter has a different payee address than the one on the check. There are so many red flags…I can’t list them all. I also tried to google Bank of America Payment Processing Center….they do not have one at the address or phone number listed on this check and that’s what they claimed to be when I called…. NO WAY!
Michele says
WoW great article & comments I got a check this week for $6,750 it looks fishy like a scam it looks fake.
Last year I had a fraudulent check from Bank of America i took it to BOA they were going to investigate it too.
chaunte says
i recieved a check from payment processing center for 950 is itok to cash it
Jim says
This is exactly the way a personal check sent (using Bill Pay) from my capitalone.com online checking account looks. The checks I send have my name and address on the top left of the check and DO NOT contain my account number and there is no reference to CapitalOne Bank anywhere on the check either. *** Great security feature ***.
The check’s Routing Number is for Northern Trust Bank/Dupage. I guess Northern Trust Bank has a service to process these types of transactions.
From the envelope:
Payment Processing Center PAYMENT ENCLOSED
P.O. Box 74618
Chicago, IL 06075-4618
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
#BWNHNJW
ALBEIRO says
Good morning, I need help on July 11 I made a deposit at Beckie Renhart Tax Coll for payment of taxes, and they returned a check since the amount I paid was not what I had to pay.
Well, the check was lost and I could not make the claim but now I find a copy of it on my cell phone.
How do I cash this check and who can help me with this?
Thank you
Jimmy says
I received a legitimate check from a company I did some work for using this payment processing method. It says on the check who is paying you, and they also can put something into the memo box.
David Hernandez says
I recently emptied an account at fidelity (it was a 529, college savings). After that, an interest credit showed up, so there were like $6.49 left in the account. Asked Fidelity to send me a check. I got one of these checks from Payment Processing Center (Wells Fargo in this case). No explanation, no notes (i didn’t write a memo since I was sending it to myself and it was from Fidelity, what reminders would I need?).. Almost threw it away but the amount clicked and I went and checked. Indeed. Fidelity used Wells Fargo credit processing center..
And sigh.. There’s an effin $0.02 credited to my account AFTER the check was issued. LOL.. Not asking fidelity to send me a check for $0.02 .
S says
THIS CHECK IS A SCAM. It may have your account and name, but it says it is PAYABLE TO THE ORDER OF RELIANT with my address. DO NOT CASH, TRASH. Scam to get your banking information!!!!!!! BEWARE. It is saying out of MY account paying reliant that money, HELL NO.
Staci says
I also received a check for a large amount, has the #BWNHNJW on outside of envelope, presort first-class postage. 800-243-2508 number to call, online bill payment processing center. I called the number and spoke to a gentleman that asked for check number, name of payee and payor, date of check, amount and the last set of digits on bottom of check. He told me the check was fake. The bank name is Andrew Johnson Bank and the person who sent it I did not know and was from Tennessee, I dont know anyone in Tennessee and I dont live in Tennessee either. Just letting others know my experience and outcome. Be safe and be knowledgable before going to your bank. Take care!
Anon says
Be aware, this could be a real check for money owed you. I got one today and looked at it very carefully. Yes, I recognized the name of the person sending it and they did owe me money. There was no letter or anything else telling me to do anything. It’s for a small amount, so I’m going to deposit it.
Be careful and be smart if you get one of these.
Confused says
I have been receiving these periodically for small amounts and tried to research once and got nowhere so believed it to be a scam and have always thrown them out. Mine never say who is paying me. Just shows it is from checkfree.com PO Box 2168 Columbus OH 43216-2168. Direct questions to: 877-246-7923 PO Box 74618 Chicago IL 60675-4618 . WELLS FARGO PROVISIONAL CREDIT. Got one today for $29. Have no clue who they come form and afraid to do anything with it. I have no accounts with Wells Fargo???
Rick says
i got a check 3 days ago for 10000 dollars from someone i think i remember meeting.
it came from FIS bill payments after looking every thing on the check up and finding everything on the up and up, i called the 1 877 number and got a recording stateing for me to use email address if unable to talk to someone. i asked the question can i deposit this check in my bank account. next day i got a response from fis everything looks ligit askinfor a check number. so i gave them the number. i deposited the check into a brand new checking and savings account. bank says there will be a hold on the check for 9 or 8 days they counted the day of the deposit for one day. i will find out if the check is good or not
Harry Sit says
Do you know why this person is paying you $10,000?