A positive pay file is the structured list of issued payments a company transmits to its bank — typically check number, issue date, amount, and payee — that the bank uses to match presented items. Every bank defines its own layout; the file is the control's foundation.
Typical fields
Account number, check/serial number, issue date, amount, payee name (required for payee positive pay), and a record type for voids and stop payments. Formats are usually fixed-width or CSV per the bank's spec, delivered via the bank portal or SFTP on each payment run.
Common errors that cause false exceptions
- Amount formatting (implied decimals vs punctuation).
- Leading zeros dropped from check numbers by spreadsheets.
- Payee-name truncation or punctuation mismatches.
- Voided checks never transmitted.
- Files sent after the bank's cut-off, so same-day items miss the match.
- Duplicate transmission creating double records.
Practice notes
Automate file generation from the AP system rather than editing by hand; reconcile transmission confirmations daily; treat repeated false exceptions as a file-format bug to fix, not noise to click through — exception fatigue is how real fraud gets approved.