Processing Checks and Coupons

This topic explains the process of creating and printing check or coupon enclosures from Emplifi Agent.

Note: You should be completely familiar with defining letters and paragraphs to complete the necessary steps for creating checks and coupons.

Creating the Check or Coupon in Emplifi Agent

1. Define a Letter Type of Check.
Create Standard Paragraphs

You will need to define Standard Paragraphs that make up the text that displays on the check. Static text (such as "Pay to the order of:") can be added directly to the template file. Other text, such as the name of the payee, the amount, and the date will all need to be paragraphs and will probably require the use of paragraph inserts. For information on check value inserts, refer to Giving an Insert a Value.

Note: When setting up your checks and coupons, best practice would be to make the fields on the case mandatory or to enter a default (refer to Default and Null Values for Paragraph Inserts) so that a Null value does not appear on the check /coupon.

Create a Letter Template File

Follow the instructions for Letter Template Files on how to create an HTML template.

Note: When you create a template for use with printing checks and coupons, include a special bookmark as the placeholder for the check or coupon number in the following format: <DocumentNumber />. Your standard letter definition does not need to include the check number in any of its paragraphs. When the check is printed, the check number is automatically placed in the location of the DocumentNumber bookmark.

Keep in mind that the amount of information that you "hard code" directly into the template is up to you. You can make a completely generic template that can be used with any checking account by including bookmarks for items such as the bank name, routing information, and account number. Or you can put this information into the template directly, but then you will need a separate template for each account that you will be using.

Create a Standard Letter

You need to create a Standard Letter definition that defines the format of the check. You will use the letter template file and paragraphs created in the previous steps.

2. (Optional) Define any suggestions for the check/coupon or the paragraphs to include, these suggestions appear to users as part of the standard case data entry.
   

Create a Checking Account

The checking account used for checks and coupons is just a standard category code. You add one code for each checking account that you want to track.

To access the Checking Accounts screen:

• In Administration, select Company Setup Fulfillment Additional Enclosure Definition Enclosure Attribute Categories Checking Account.

The first time you create a checking account you may have to first create the Checking Account category. Navigate to the above path and click the New Category button on the banner. The Checking Account category is called JFA. Follow the standard procedure for defining a category. When you save the new category, you may get a message prompting you to regenerate the "CategoryCodesTable" layout. Go ahead and perform the generation; it generally requires 30-60 seconds.

When defining the actual code values for each checking account, the only special step you need to take is to enter the Standard Letter ID code of the letter used to print checks for this checking account in the Description 2 field of the code definition.

Create an Enclosure Definition

The enclosure definition must refer to the checking account defined in the previous step.

Note: If you are creating a coupon, you must enter the Coupon DataWindow field.

Processing Checks and Coupons in Emplifi Agent

1. Add the enclosure to the case.

1. The system only allows you to add one check to the case.
2. If the check is not a fixed value, the system does not allow you to enter a value of “0”.

2. Run the Enclosure Approval utility to review and approve enclosures that require approval.
3. Run the Manage Batches utility to create a fulfillment batch.
4. Run the Process Batch utility and pick the batch.

Note: Checks appear as both Enclosures and Checks in the list.

5. In the Process Batch banner, select Print Documents. The documents that are ready to print appear in the viewer. The view includes a separate line for each bank account.

1. Enter the Start Number for the check or coupon. This number defaults to a minimum of the max document number already used plus one. For example, if the last document number used is 30, the next run can start at 31. The system does allow you change this value to a number larger than this value; however, best practice is to not skip any numbers.
   
   The following steps are for client-side printing, if you are using server-side printing for letters, refer to Printing Checks and Server-Side Printing.
2. Click the Print button next to the check/coupon that you want to print. A new browser window displays with a preview of the check.

Note: The check/coupon is marked as printed in the database as soon as you click the Print button. A check displays in the check box next to the Print button.

3. Verify that the printer is loaded with the correct paper types in the correct trays.
4. Verify that all extra print output on the browser is turned off, such as title bars, page numbers, and URL references.
5. Select Print and manually select printer settings.
6. After the document is printed, select OK. The system updates the case with the check number.
7. Once you have printed the necessary files for the batch and are done working with the files, click the Mark Done button . The batch is marked as printed.

Reprinting a Check or Coupon in Emplifi Agent

You may need to reprint checks or coupons due to the correct paper not being in the printer, a printer jam, or a customer indicating they never received their check or coupon. You will need to follow one of the following steps to reprint a check or coupon. The steps you choose are based on the specific need to reprint. Option A allows the reuse of check or coupon numbers and Option B does not.

If the check or coupon number is pre-printed and the correct paper was used to print the checks or coupons, then Option B must be used. If the check or coupon number is not pre-printed but the check or coupon was properly printed and sent to the customer, Option B should be used. Option B can always be used for reprinting regardless of the reason.

If the checks or coupons were printed on the wrong paper, then Option A will work. If the check or coupon was printed on the correct paper but was never sent, and the check or coupon number is not pre-printed on the paper, Option A can be used. Option A has fewer tracking capabilities; once the check or coupon is reprinted, there is no evidence of the first printing.

Note: There is no reprint option from the Process Batch Utility once you click the Print button. If there is an issue when you print the checks or coupons, you will need to follow these reprint steps.

Option A

1. Mark the check or coupon as void using the Check Register Utility or Coupon Register Utility.
2. Unbatch the Batch containing the checks and coupons using the Manage Batch utility.

Note: This will unbatch all letters and enclosures included in the batch, marking them as "not sent."

3. Run the Manage Batches utility. This will add the voided checks, coupons, and all other items from batch along with any letter or enclosure that needs fulfilled.
4. Run the Process Batch utility for the batch just created.
5. Complete Step 5 of theProcessing the Check or Coupon in Emplifi Agent section above.
   1. Voided checks and coupons will appear as a link on the Print Document view. The Start Number column will display “Voided.”
   2. Voided checks and coupons will print separately from any new checks and coupons in a batch. You cannot set a Start Number for voided checks and coupons. The voided checks and coupons will print with the same document numbers as the original print run.

Note: If the starting check number needs to be lower than the default check starting number, please contact Emplifi Support to have them assist you in removing the check number from the batch document table.

Option B

1. Mark the check or coupon as void using the Check Register Utility or Coupon Register Utility.
2. For each check or coupon you void, add a new check or coupon to the appropriate case.

Note: If a letter was associated with the check or coupon, a new letter will also need to be added to the case.

3. Follow the steps above for processing. Only the newly added checks and coupons and letters will be included in the batch.

 

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