Common Balancing Exceptions

Transmissions Lessons Common Balancing Exceptions

This document provides a comprehensive guide to common exceptions encountered during the daily card balancing process within the FLEX system. Understanding and resolving these exceptions promptly is crucial for maintaining accurate financial records.

General Guidance

  • Daily Research: Dedicate time each day to research any exceptions that appear on your reports.
  • Determine Next Steps: For each exception, identify and perform any necessary follow-up actions.

Common Exception Scenarios and Solutions

1. Credit Union Outstanding

  • Exception: Transactions are listed on the Credit Union Outstanding Report.
  • Description: These are transactions that have posted at the credit union but have not posted at the network.
  • Frequency: These exceptions are uncommon.
  • Solution:
    • Contact your processor.
    • Determine why transactions on member accounts were not reported in their balancing file.

2. Network Outstanding

  • Exception: Transactions are listed on the Network Outstanding Report.
  • Description: These refer to transactions that have posted at the network but have not posted at the credit union.
  • Resolution Process:
    • Research these items by reviewing the member’s account.
    • Verify whether the transaction should have posted or not.
    • Common Outcome: In most cases, these are legitimate transactions that should have posted to the member’s account but did not.
  • Common Cause: Errors during the end-of-day process.

3. Unknown Transaction Code Found

  • Exception Alert: When editing a balancing file, you receive the alert: **WARNING** Unknown Tran Code(s) Found (D/C Code = E)
  • Cause: A processor has sent a transaction code that is not currently listed in the FLEX system’s default configurations.
  • Solution:
    • Immediately contact FLEX Transmissions Support.
    • Request assistance with adding the missing transaction code(s) to prevent future occurrences of this error.

4. Totals Match Previous File

  • Exception Alert: When editing a balancing file, you receive the alert: **WARNING** Totals Match Previous File
  • Cause: This error indicates that the file has already been processed and is being edited for a second time.
  • Solution:
    • Contact FLEX Transmissions Support.
    • The erroneous file will need to be cleared before you can edit another file.

5. Transaction Appears as Both a Debit and a Credit

  • Exception: Two transactions for the same amount appear on an exception report, one as a debit and the other as a credit, both from the same card and account.
  • Frequency: This is a common occurrence.
  • Solution:
    • In most cases, these transactions simply cancel each other out.
    • No additional steps are typically required.

6. Exception Not Yet Posted to Member Account

  • Exception: A transaction appears on an exception report but does not appear on the member’s account.
  • Cause: Individual transactions may occasionally appear in the edit file without being posted to the member’s account.
  • Solution:
    • If your research confirms the transaction did not hit the member’s account:
      • A manual journal entry will be required.
      • Debit the member’s account.
      • Credit the offsetting General Ledger (GL) account.

7. Multiple Pages of Exceptions (Uncommonly Long List)

  • Exception: The Network Outstanding Report displays an unusually long list of transactions, spanning multiple pages, sometimes representing an entire day’s worth of transactions.
  • Possible Scenarios and Solutions:
    • Line Interruption:
      • Cause: Communication lines between the network and the credit union were interrupted.
      • Action: Verify totals on FLEX against totals received from your processor.
      • If totals do not match: Contact your processor to confirm a complete and correct file was received.
      • If totals do match: The issue may stem from another cause (see below).
    • End of Day Error:
      • Cause: The credit union experienced an End of Day error on the previous day (the same day as the report’s settlement date).
      • Action: Contact FLEX Transmissions Support for assistance.
    • Incorrect or Missing Teller:
      • Cause: During the daily balancing process, if your Online Processing Teller does not appear correctly on the screen where parameters (e.g., settlement date, balancing file name) are entered.
      • Action: If you suspect this is the cause, contact FLEX Transmissions Support.

8. Multiple Exceptions Need to be Posted Manually

  • Exception: An uncommonly high number of exceptions require manual posting (typically 2-3 exceptions per day are expected).
  • Solution (Batch Posting):
    1. Research and Verify: First, research and verify that all these transactions genuinely need to be posted.
    2. Batch Post (Import Function): To post all confirmed exceptions at once:
      • Select Card Processing from the Cards menu in FLEX.
      • Ensure Processing Mode is set to Exceptions.
      • Select Import.
      • Change Processing Mode to Pending.
      • Select Post.

9. Exception Appears Two Days in a Row

  • Exception: An exception report for the previous day shows a debit, and the opposite report for today shows the same transaction as a credit.
  • Frequency: This situation is very uncommon.
  • Cause: Typically due to an End of Day error, where the transaction posted at the credit union on one day and with the network on another.
  • Solution:
    • In most cases, you will need to reverse the exception for the current day, as it was processed for the previous day.
    • If unsure, contact FLEX Transmissions Support for assistance.

10. Identical Transaction on Two Reports

  • Exception: The same transaction is listed on both the Credit Union Outstanding Report and the Network Outstanding Report, both as debits.
  • Frequency: Less common than some other exceptions, but it does occur.
  • Cause: Most often caused by a bad or incorrect file from the processor.
  • Solution:
    1. Verify Totals: Go back to your edit summary and re-verify that the totals listed in FLEX match the totals provided by the processor.
    2. If totals do not match: Contact your processor to verify that a complete and correct balancing file was received.
    3. If totals do match: Contact FLEX Transmissions Support for assistance in researching the cause of this exception.

11. Block Codes

  • Exception: One-letter codes (e.g., S, L, R) appear in the Block Code column, causing an exception.
  • Description: These codes indicate that block codes (e.g., S for Stolen, L for Lost, R for Restricted) have been applied to a card by the credit union. However, some transactions can still come through.
  • Causes for Transactions Coming Through:
    • The transaction was pre-authorized before the block code was applied.
    • The transaction came in as a “force post.”
  • Solution: In every case, the transaction should be posted to the member’s account.

Contact for Assistance

For any assistance with balancing exceptions, please contact FLEX Transmissions Support at 1-800-262-3539.