Checking cheques over the internet

CHEQUE Images Online sounds impressive, but what is it?

It is BankWest’s new online service. Through this new service, BankWest allows its Online Banking customers the opportunity to view details of cheques that they have written by calling up images of the cheques on a computer screen.

When customers call up the image they will see the cheque number, the amount, the account and the process date, in addition to images of the front and back of the cheque.

BankWest recognises this represents a significant advantage over the old paper-based system, where originals of cheques are stored and customers must make a request at a service centre or over the telephone if they want to retrieve cheque details.

Often this type of process would involve a physical search for the cheques and would take at least a day and could also be quite expensive, meaning a fee would be levied.

“By going online BankWest customers can access cheque information in an inexpensive way in a matter of minutes,” BankWest’s head of e-commerce Marcus Stafford said.

“The service will be a boon to our small business customers in particular, who tend to be the most frequent users of the paper–based process.

“BankWest has a number of initiatives in the pipeline aimed at increasing the flexibility and range of services that our customers can perform and access online.”

Until August 11 BankWest offered the Cheque Images Online free, however, the service will cost the customer $1 per image.

Online banking has gained considerably in popularity in recent times.