Simplify Business with Salal’s Digital Banking Services

Streamlining Business Banking with Salal Digital Tools

Salal Credit Union always strives to help you run your business more efficiently, and that is particularly true when it comes to our digital banking and Treasury Services. Access to our digital banking service allows you to review your real-time account activity and balances, pay bills, transfer funds, and reduce paper usage at all hours, every day of the year.

Expert Guidance from Day One

Our Treasury Management Sales team meets with every new Salal business member to discuss digital banking and Treasury Services options. “When speaking with members, I focus on how these services simplify their day-to-day operations and reduce financial risk,” said Treasury Management Sales Officer Elizabeth Winters. “I emphasize cost savings, speed, and security, ensuring they understand how each tool can support their business needs.”

ACH Payments: The Everyday Efficiency Booster

One of the most common ways to pay bills and transfer funds is through an ACH transaction, which is a bank-to-bank electronic payment made using the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. “ACH payments automate payroll and vendor payments, reducing manual processing and improving efficiency,” Elizabeth said. “Additionally, ACH enhances security by minimizing the risks associated with check fraud and lost or stolen checks.”

Ken Minoza, Salal Business Banking Representative, concurs. “Business ACH is an excellent service that I highly recommend for all business members,” Ken said. “It enables seamless payments to vendors and customers for business expenses and direct deposit payroll for employees, offering a faster and more convenient alternative to checks.”

Flexible, Cost-Effective Transfers with ACH

For Ken, the flexibility of ACH transfers is key. “With customizable limits, businesses can tailor transactions to their specific needs,” he said. “Best of all, it is a cost-effective solution compared to wire transfers, making daily transactions more efficient and budget-friendly.”

Avoiding Errors in ACH Transactions

With that ease of use, it’s still important to ensure all transaction details are accurate. “A challenge occurs when members input incorrect payee details, such as account numbers,” Ken reported. “This often results in returned payments.”

But Salal has procedures in place to assist our members when this occurs. “We have a dedicated notification system that alerts members of errors, allowing them to correct and resubmit payments promptly,” Ken said. “This proactive approach helps prevent delays and ensures smooth transactions for our members and their payees.”

Tailoring ACH Limits to Fit Your Growing Business

We customize your ACH origination service to support your business and protect your account security. “One common issue that arises as businesses grow is that they reach their ACH limits,” Ken relayed. “In cases where larger payments exceed these limits, we offer temporary limit increases to accommodate these needs. For members who frequently encounter this issue, we also provide the option for a permanent limit increase, subject to evaluation by our Treasury Management Sales team.”

Online Wire Transfers for Fast, High-Value Payments

An online wire transfer is a type of electronic funds transfer that is faster than ACH transfers. It is typically used for urgent transactions, large amounts, or international transmission of funds. It is generally faster and more cost-effective than a manual wire transfer, which requires personal assistance from our Business Services team. “Wire transfers provide businesses with a fast, secure, and reliable way to send and receive funds domestically and internationally,” Elizabeth said. “Ideal for time-sensitive or high-value transactions, much quicker settlement timeframes, reducing payment delays.”

Making Online Wires Even Easier and More Efficient

Our digital banking system can save your wire recipient details, making repeat online wires more efficient while saving you money. “Online wires have reduced fees, later cutoff times, and make sending a wire to the same payee easy,” said Brandon Wilson, Salal Senior Business Banking Representative, “and also make it easier to review your wire transfer history with a page providing comprehensive details and search tools to help you review wires submitted online.”

Brandon’s colleague Magaska Christensen, Salal’s Senior Business Banking Representative, emphasizes the convenience of the extended cutoff time. “Online wires have a later cutoff, at 1:30 p.m. PT, instead of 12:30 p.m. for manual wires,” she said.

International Wire Transfers: What to Know

Members will have the best success sending international wires by preparing for the digital banking service’s requirements. “We are not part of the SWIFT network, so international wires require more information,” Brandon explained. “All international wires require a numerical ABA routing number for a U.S.-based correspondent bank.”

Handling Missing Correspondent Bank Info

Sometimes, your wire recipient may not include a correspondent bank in their initial wire instructions to you. “If the wire instructions you received for an international wire do not contain a correspondent, have the recipient contact their bank,” Brandon advised. “Usually, after explaining that Salal is not part of the SWIFT network, other banks quickly know that a U.S. correspondent is needed and will provide the necessary information.”

Smart Features for Accurate International Wires

Brandon also notes that our international wire form is reactive. “When you input a SWIFT code, it will automatically adjust to whatever country you are sending the wire to, requesting the necessary information for those wires,” he elaborated. “If you see a required field that requests information you do not have, you will want to contact the recipient of that wire to obtain those details. Wires are one-time, non-reversible payments, so it’s imperative that all this information is correct.”

Wire Transfer Tip: Pay Attention to Character Limits

The wire form also has specific requirements regarding your recipient’s information. “The most common challenge I see with online wires is with the system’s character limits,” Magaska said. “The character limits cause our members to be unable to add the full name or address. We advise them to add the full legal business name, address, or any other information that doesn’t fit into the box for Originator to Beneficiary Information.”

Prevent Fraud with Positive Pay

Another feature of Salal digital banking is our Positive Pay fraud prevention service, which helps our members verify checks and ACH transactions sent from their accounts. “By allowing businesses to review and approve transactions before they post, Positive Pay ensures that only authorized payments are processed, reducing the risk of financial losses due to fraudulent or altered transactions,” Elizabeth said. “This service gives businesses greater control and visibility over their outgoing payments, minimizing the risk of unauthorized withdrawals.”

Stay Ahead of Check and ACH Fraud

Positive Pay is preventative, helping impede fraud before a member experiences a loss. “The benefit of Positive Pay is the ability to see checks or ACH transactions go through the account,” Magaska said, “so you can proactively decision items, letting our members stop fraud before the money is gone.”

Salal’s Treasury and Cash Management Specialist, Alice Brown, agrees. “Our members get to have control over either check or ACH, or both types of debits coming from their account, since there’s so much fraud that one can fall victim to,” Alice said. “When reviewed on time, members have the final say over unauthorized checks and ACH debits.”

Your Role in Positive Pay Success

Making the best use of Positive Pay is a collaborative effort between Salal and your business. “The biggest challenge our members face when using Positive Pay is often making sure someone checks flagged transactions in Positive Pay every business banking day before noon Pacific Time,” Alice said. “My advice is to designate more than one administrator with access to Positive Pay, preferably when the service is added to the account, and have those designated admins attend the Positive Pay training call we offer.”

Advance preparation in the Positive Pay system can also prevent a last-minute scramble. “I advise members to make sure they add their ACH vendors to their Approved List for ACH without any parameters to limit valid transactions,” Magaska said. “I also advise members to upload checks before they send them out so that those checks don’t get returned in the Positive Pay system.”

Avoiding Common Positive Pay Errors

Magaska also has helpful tips for adding checks to the Positive Pay system. “Members have had checks returned because the file reads Last Name, First Name, but the check reads First Name, Last Name,” she cautioned. “So just make sure when you input checks into Positive Pay, the name matches what is on the check. And if you print your checks to hand out, serif fonts are the best for Positive Pay to read.”

User-Friendly Experience with Full Control

With such a feature-rich digital banking environment, some members worry about ease of use and transaction control. “To address these concerns, I highlight our user-friendly experience and customizable controls,” Elizabeth said. “Businesses can set transaction limits and approval workflows to maintain oversight.”

Customize Access with Role-Based Permissions

For all these digital banking activities, every business has direct control over the individuals who may create or approve each type of transaction. Your Primary Administrator may add, remove, or adjust the profiles and permissions of additional digital banking sub-users, and we’re always happy to help by offering user guides and other custom instructions to your business. “By providing clear explanations and hands-on support,” Elizabeth added, “we help members feel confident in managing their finances online while ensuring their business remains secure and efficient.”

Streamline Your Business with Salal's Digital Banking Services: ACH, Wires, Positive Pay