Returns processing

Turn an X9 cash letter into printed IRDs, without waiting on a courier

OnSight is a complete system, software and a MICR printer together, that receives X9 electronic cash letters and prints compliant Image Replacement Documents on demand.

A returned item has to become a physical document before it can be charged back. Historically that meant waiting for a courier or the postal service to deliver it. OnSight removes the wait: when an electronic cash letter lands in the incoming folder, OnSight transforms and prints the items as Image Replacement Documents that comply with the X9.100-140 specification, using industry-accepted business rules.

It is sold as a system rather than as software alone, because an IRD has to be printed with magnetic toner on blank IRD stock and cannot be pre-printed. Pairing the software with a known printer is also what makes the positioning and MICR line tolerances predictable.

An operations specialist at her desk checking a printed Image Replacement Document, beside a desktop MICR printer and a stack of IRDs
How it works

From cash letter to printed IRD, in four steps

  1. 01

    Receive

    X9 electronic cash letters download from your provider's secure folder into the OnSight incoming folder.

  2. 02

    Transform

    OnSight converts the items to Image Replacement Documents compliant with ASC X9.100-140, using industry-accepted business rules.

  3. 03

    Print

    Items print on demand on the bundled MICR laser printer, on blank IRD stock with magnetic toner.

  4. 04

    Monitor

    A color-coded interface shows file status: printing successes, warnings, and failures, with reprint handling and audit reporting.

Hands holding a printed Image Replacement Document that carries the image of the original check and its own MICR line, with stacks of IRDs on the desk

What an IRD carries

  • Images of the original itemFront and back
  • Its own MICR lineSpecific to this item
  • ASC X9.100-140The governing specification
  • Legally equivalentSubstitutes for the original
  • Blank IRD stock24 lb ProMark, two-perf

Printed on demand, because the MICR line is specific to the item.

The MICR line on an IRD is specific to that item, which is why it cannot be pre-printed.
An operator working through sorted trays of returned check items at a desk, with a queue of records listed on the monitor beside them

Returned items at an operator's desk. Each one arrives twice, as paper and as a record in a cash letter file.

Software features

What OnSight does

  • Fully integrated, all-in-one IRD printing solution
  • System-level security and authentication
  • Audit logging and compliance reporting
  • A detailed report for each processed file
  • Color-coded file status monitoring with printing successes, warnings, and failures
  • Printing and reprinting management for IRDs

Why the printer comes with it

Every laser printer engine behaves differently. The OnSight software and its MICR printer are designed to work together so that print elements land correctly on each IRD and the MICR line is accepted by a reader/sorter. It also adds a layer of security: output from OnSight can only be printed on the OnSight MICR printer, which removes the possibility of redirecting it to another device.

Specifications

System and printer specifications

System requirements

Operating systemWindows 7, 8, and 10; Windows Server 2008 R2 and 2012 R2
ProcessorIntel Core i3 or higher
Memory1 GB RAM minimum
Network100 Mb/s Ethernet

Bundled MICR printer

Print speedUp to 31 ppm, Letter
Resolution600 x 600, 1200 x 600, and 1200 x 1200 dpi
Paper capacity550-sheet standard input, up to 6,000 sheets with optional units
MICR fontsE-13B, CMC7, Secure Amount, Secure Payee
Recommended volume700 to 6,000 pages per month
ConnectivityUSB and Ethernet
Page descriptionPCL and PostScript
Terms and setup

Returns, warranty, and going live

30-day return

OnSight may be returned within 30 days for a full refund of the purchase price, excluding original shipping charges. A valid Return Material Authorization must be issued by us before the system is returned.

Warranty

A one-year Express Exchange service plan is included. Once authorized, a replacement printer ships overnight at no charge, and the defective printer returns at no charge in the replacement's packing materials.

Setup

A Quick Start Guide and an included test file come first, then a Federal Reserve test file from your provider's secure folder, then a provider-scheduled go-live date.

Deciding each item by hand is the slow part

OnSight prints the IRDs. OnSight Decision adds the rules engine that decides, per item, whether it should be re-presented, charged back, or held for review, and merges the chargeback letter and the IRD into one document.

Common questions

Returns processing, answered

What is an Image Replacement Document?

An Image Replacement Document, or IRD, is a paper document that substitutes for an original check. It carries the image of the front and back of the item plus its own MICR line, and it is legally equivalent to the original. The format is specified by ASC X9.100-140. Banks use IRDs to handle returned items without moving the physical original.

Why does an IRD have to be printed on a MICR printer?

An IRD carries its own MICR line, which a reader/sorter has to read magnetically just like an original check. That line cannot be pre-printed, because it is specific to the item, so it has to be printed with magnetic toner at the moment the IRD is produced. Blank IRD stock plus a MICR printer is the only combination that works.

What file formats does OnSight accept?

OnSight accepts any compliant X9 Image Cash Letter file, specifically ASC X9.37, ASC X9.100-180, and ASC X9.100-187, and it also handles PDF returns from the Federal Reserve. It generates ASC X9.100-140 compliant Image Replacement Documents.

Why is OnSight sold with its own printer?

Two reasons. Every laser printer engine behaves differently, so pairing the software with a known printer is what makes print element positioning and MICR line tolerances predictable across every IRD. And it adds a security layer: OnSight output can only print on the OnSight MICR printer, which removes the possibility of redirecting it elsewhere.

Get in touch

Returns processing, from cash letter to printed IRD

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