How do I send an ACH prenote? 

A prenote is a $0 test transaction you can use to confirm your recipient’s banking information prior to sending a real monetary transaction.  

Here’s how to send a prenote transaction when creating a payment:   

Entering basic payment information 

1. In Online Banking for Business, select the Payments & Receivables tab. 
2. Under "ACH", select Create Payments. 
3. Choose a transaction type and select Continue. 
4. Select your ACH Company ID. 
5. Enter a value date of up to 30 days in advance. 
   

Adding optional prenote (batch) details 

6. You can add more details about the prenotes included in this batch: 

• To help identify them, you can edit the default batch description.  
• Anything you type in the “Company Discretionary Data” or “Descriptive Date” fields will be shared with the beneficiary.  
• The comments field is internal, but it's a good idea to add something for record keeping. 

Note: Options may vary depending on your transaction type. 

Entering beneficiary and transaction information    

7. Enter your beneficiary’s information or use search to find them in your address book.  
   Note: Selecting a beneficiary from your address book will automatically update several fields with their saved information.    
8. Leave the payment amount blank.  
9. Select Create Prenote.    
   
   

Adding and reviewing beneficiaries  

10. You can add another beneficiary to this batch by selecting Add Another Beneficiary.   
11. Once you’re done adding beneficiaries, review the full list in the summary table. 
12. Check the box if you want to save the information you’ve just entered as a template for future use. 
    
    
     
13. If everything looks good, select Submit.   
     

You‘ve successfully created a prenote. Even though it’s not a real transaction, the prenote will still need to follow your company’s approval process before it gets sent. You can check the status on the “Manage Payments” page. If the prenote status shows “Released”, it’s been fully approved, and we've sent it out as instructed.  

If the prenote fails, you’ll see it on your next Notification of Change (NOC) or ACH Return report. How ACH returns are handled