First National Bank (FNB) Positive Pay: Building and Uploading Your Issued Check File
First National Bank, the banking subsidiary of F.N.B. Corporation, offers positive pay to business and commercial customers under the name Account Reconcilement / Positive Pay. You give the bank a list of the checks you have written, FNB compares each check presented for payment against that list, and anything that does not match is held as an exception to pay or return. This page explains how the service works and how to build a matching file with the free format builder on this site.
One point up front: the exact field layout for your Issued Check File is set during your own setup, not by a fixed public spec. FNB maps a template to whatever format you send first, so two customers can have different layouts. Treat the structure below as the general shape, and confirm details with your treasury contact.
What FNB calls positive pay
FNB markets the service as Account Reconcilement / Positive Pay. The bank matches the check number, amount, and other details you supply against checks that clear, then flags mismatches. FNB lists eight reasons a check can become an exception: Amount Mismatch, Issue Not on File, Duplicate Item, Issue Stale Dated, Item Void, Stop Payment, a blocked transaction over a maximum amount you set, and Payee Mismatch. That last reason means FNB also supports payee positive pay, comparing the payee name you upload to the name on the check.
For incoming ACH fraud, FNB offers a separate ACH Debit Filter that screens electronic debits, which is why the section is labeled "Positive Pay/ACH Debit Filter." For how the two approaches differ, see positive pay vs reverse positive pay.
Where positive pay lives in the FNB portal
Positive pay runs inside FNB's Business Online Banking. After you log in, scroll to the Positive Pay/ACH Debit Filter section of the home screen, which lists each enrolled account and its current-day exceptions. Clicking an account opens the platform, whose left menu includes Quick Exception Processing for paying or returning items, Submit Issued Check File for uploads, Add New Issued Check for manual entry, and Void a Check.
When you have exceptions, FNB emails the designated users from [email protected] by 8:00 a.m. ET with "Positive Pay Items Ready For Review" in the subject line. A reminder follows by 11:00 a.m. ET, and if you have not decisioned the items by 12:00 p.m. ET, the bank applies the default pay-or-return option you chose at setup. Plan around that noon cutoff; see positive pay cutoff times.
The general shape of an FNB issued check file
FNB accepts the Issued Check File as .CSV, .TXT, .XLSX, or fixed width. The bank's user guide lists these fields:
- Check Number, the serial number of the check.
- Amount of Check.
- Date of Check, listed as optional.
- Payee, the name on the check, used for payee match.
Most positive pay files also carry the account number and an issued or void action code. At FNB the account can come from the file or be selected at upload, and voids are handled on the Void a Check screen instead. Because the columns, order, and amount formatting are fixed when FNB maps your template, do not assume specific positions. For the broader field concepts, see the positive pay file format reference and the glossary.
The upload workflow
Your first file sets the pattern. FNB asks you to email it as an attachment to [email protected]; a representative maps, tests, and establishes a template, after which future uploads are recognized automatically.
- Log into Business Online Banking and open the Positive Pay/ACH Debit Filter system.
- Click
Submit Issued Check Filein the left menu. - If needed, pick the account from the Account ID menu and the right File Mapping Format.
- Click Choose File, select your file, then click Process File.
After upload, the screen confirms the file name, upload date, status, item count, and total amount. A status of Processed with Exceptions means some rows did not match your template and need correcting; Rejected means the whole file must be fixed and re-sent. If yours bounces, see why files get rejected.
Build a matching file from your check register, free
You can produce a file that matches FNB's mapped template straight from your accounting check register, with no extra software. Export your register (date, check number, amount, payee), then use the free custom format builder to set the columns, delimiter or fixed-width spacing, and date and amount formatting FNB expects. The generator runs entirely in your browser, so check data never leaves your computer. If your layout uses implied decimals, read implied decimal amounts first, then use the validator before you upload.
Verify your first file with the bank
Always confirm your first real upload with FNB before relying on it. Because the template is built from the format you send and your account settings (stale-dated days, maximum amounts, default pay or return) are chosen at setup, the only way to be sure is to send a test file and have Treasury Management Support confirm it processed cleanly. That line is (866) 750-5298, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. Published details can change, so check the current FNB Account Reconcilement / Positive Pay page and your setup paperwork first.