Does Target use Telecheck or Certegy? (your complete guide)
Many check verification services, such as Telecheck and Certegy, are widely used by large store and retail chains to prevent losses from fraudulent checks.
Since Target, one of the largest retail chains in the US, allows customers to pay for purchases by check, you might be wondering – does Target use Telecheck or Certegy? Here’s what I found!
Does Target use Telecheck or Certegy?
Target uses Certegy to process check payments and may decline checks for reasons such as insufficient documentation, negative history, and unpaid debts. Some Target locations may also have a Telecheck service, which works in a similar way to Certegy.
If you’d like to learn more about how Certegy processes checks at Target, why your check might be declined by Certegy, and what you should do in this situation, read on!
Why Target uses Certegy?
When you pay with a personal check at Target, you must authorize Target to process the check electronically.
Because Target does not have direct connections with financial institutions to process checks, they rely on third-party risk management firms to assess the security of checks.
By doing this, Target avoids accepting potentially fraudulent checks that would bounce when processed and cause Target a lot of inconvenience (tracking the customer and getting paid) or loss (if it decides not to pursue the case).
How does Certegy work at Target?
When you present a personal check at Target’s sales registry, Certegy analyzes the check against its records and provides an “accept” or “reject” recommendation using its risk assessment technology.
In short, risk assessment involves a series of statistical analyses, looking at past transactions and check writing patterns, and comparing these to other checks already processed by the system.
Note that Certegy does not look at your credit card usage, credit score, or history of using other payment methods.
If the payment is accepted, the funds will be debited from the customer’s account by the next business day.
Additionally, Certegy closely monitors market trends and the financial sector to ensure they recommend the best option for each individual check.
Why did Certegy decline your check to Target?
Although Certegy’s risk assessment model is proprietary and the details aren’t public, the company shared some pointers on why your check might be declined at a POS terminal:
- Certegy has no record of you at all so will flag you as a risk
- You have a history of outstanding debt with financial institutions
- You have a negative record with Certegy, i.e. you have attempted to use a check without sufficient funds in the past
- The cashier entered incorrect information, confusing you with someone else
- Other “risk factors” not publicly explained by Certegy but which are part of its risk assessment model
What happens if Certegy declines your check to Target?
Since Target is not involved in approving or declining your check, you must checkout with a different payment method, please contact Certegy if Certegy declines your check.
You may contact Certegy’s Customer Service Department at 1-(800) 237-3826 to obtain more information on this issue, to find out why your check was declined, and to verify the accuracy of your documents.
Additionally, you can use Certegy’s free rejected check tracking service by providing the reference number (or date of transaction) and check number from the receipt you obtained from the sales registry.
Note that the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers the right to review all of their reports for free every 12 months.
Therefore, you can always contact Certegy and review your reports and documents to investigate check rejections and correct your details with Certegy.
To learn more, you can check out our related posts on Target’s shoplifting policy, and whether Target monitors its cameras, and Target’s lost and found policy.
in conclusion
Target uses Certegy as a third-party risk assessment service for all personal check payments at checkout.
This electronic evaluation service immediately advises Target to accept or decline your check, making the payment process fast and secure.
If your check is declined or you believe Certegy has made a mistake, you can contact them directly at 1-(800) 237-3826.
