How to create a Fifth Third Bank positive pay file
Fifth Third Bank protects business checking accounts with positive pay: you upload a check issue file listing every check you write, and the bank flags anything that doesn't match. QuickBooks and most accounting systems can't produce this file. Below is the format Fifth Third Bank expects and how to generate it for free.
Open the generator with the Fifth Third Bank format preselected
The Fifth Third Bank file format
- 80-character fixed-width with three record types:
10detail,20account summary,30file summary - Detail: account 6–15, check number 16–25, date 26–33
YYYYMMDD, amount 34–44 implied-decimal,Vvoid flag at 60 - Trailers carry the check count and implied-decimal total, which the generator computes automatically
Important: reconstructed from ERP vendor documentation; Fifth Third publishes no public spec. Confirm with your treasury contact before relying on it, or rebuild their current sheet in the custom format builder.
This layout is reconstructed from third-party and ERP documentation, not a current bank publication. Verify it with the bank before relying on it. Source: nexlan.com.
Step by step
- Export your check register. From QuickBooks Online: Settings → Chart of accounts → your bank account → View register → filter to checks → Export to Excel. (Full QuickBooks walkthrough, including Desktop.)
- Convert it. Drop the export into the generator, confirm the detected columns, and enter your account number once. The generator applies the Fifth Third Bank layout above. Everything runs in your browser; your check data is never uploaded.
- Check the preview. The built-in validator flags missing dates, unreadable amounts, duplicate check numbers, and fields that exceed Fifth Third Bank's length limits before the bank ever sees the file.
- Upload to Fifth Third Bank. Log in to your business/treasury portal and upload under the positive pay or check protection menu. Verify the item count and total match the preview.
Voided checks
Mark voids in your register (a status column containing “void” works) and the generator emits Fifth Third Bank's void code automatically.
Always test your first file. Bank specs change and some are negotiated per customer. Send your first generated file through the bank's test facility or your treasury contact. If Fifth Third Bank has given you a different spec sheet, recreate it exactly with the custom format builder. It takes about five minutes.
Related reading: the positive pay file format guide explains fixed-width versus delimited layouts and void codes, the glossary defines the terms, and the QuickBooks guide covers exporting your check register.