EFT, Electronic Payment Via the Banking System (ACH, or Automated Clearing House)
The Kansas Payment Center (KPC) provides employers and payroll services the option to submit support payments to the KPC electronically through the banking network known as the Automated Clearing House (ACH). If any of your employees have their take-home pay directly deposited into their bank accounts, you are already participating in the ACH. Making support payments through EFT is a similar process.
What is Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)?
EFT automatically uses your instructions to transfer a specific amount of money from business bank account to the KPC bank account. Your bank also sends the detailed payment information we need record the individual payments for your employees via an Electronic Data Interface (EDI). Federal law requires EFT/EDI transactions for support payments to be in one of two NACHA formats: CCD+ (Cash Concentration and Disbursement) or CTX (Corporate Trade Exchange).
How do we enroll in EFT?
If you are interested in EFT, please contact the Employer EFT Coordinator at the Kansas Payment Center by calling our employer helpline at 1-877-729-6367 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday (except state holidays). Ask for the Employer EFT Coordinator, who can provide more detailed information and help you get started.
Before you call, you may want to review our EFT Manual, prepared to help guide you through the process. It’s about 17 pages long and explains the steps involved. You may download a copy in pdf format by clicking here. (Please click here if you need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader™.)
When setting up a new EFT arrangement, we recommend testing everything with a prenote. That will test the movement of information through the banking channels and verify that the format, content, and transfer process all produce correct results.
Please remember to contact our Employer EFT Coordinator at 1-877-729-6367 just before you send your first electronic payments. That will let the EFT Coordinator monitor the new incoming files and help correct errors before they become major headaches.
What are the basic steps?
- Gathering the data necessary to identify each support payment submitted. This information includes employee name, social security number, support case number, amount to be remitted, and the date of withholding.
- Converting the data into one of the two standard ACH formats (CCD+ or CTX). This requires a fairly detailed knowledge of ACH. If you employ a payroll service they may be able to provide this service. Your bank may also be able to provide this service. Software packages are available to generate ACH files. You will need to provide data in a standard format each payroll period to your financial institution.
- Submitting the ACH file through the ACH network (“originating the ACH transaction”). Only a financial institution may submit files into the ACH network. Most, but not all, financial institutions are capable of performing this activity known as originating ACH transactions.
Click here for more information about ACH.
Where to Start?
If you use a payroll service, ask them if they can submit your support withholdings through the ACH. Otherwise, contact your bank and ask to speak to someone about ACH origination. Tell them you are interested in originating ACH credits in a CCD+ or CTX format. Let them know that you wish to employ the ACH convention for submitting child support payments. If they aren't familiar with this convention, they can obtain a copy of a booklet developed by the Bankers EDI Council titled Child Support Application Banking Convention: A guide for Child Support Enforcement Entities & Their Financial Institutions. This publication is available through the National Automated Clearing House Associations (NACHA).
Click here for more information about ACH.
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