What is point-of-purchase check conversion?

Point-of-purchase check conversion is the process of converting checks that customers submit to the Copyright Office into electronic funds transfers. “Electronic funds transfer” (EFT) is the term used to refer to the process in which we electronically instruct your financial institution to transfer funds from your account to our account, rather than processing your check. When you submit a check to the Copyright Office, your check is copied and the account information from your check is used to make an EFT from your account. You will not receive your original check back. We will destroy your original check, but we will keep the copy of it. If the EFT cannot be processed for technical reasons, we will reprocess a copy of your original check. By submitting your check to the Copyright Office, you authorize the conversion of your check into an EFT in this manner.

How quickly will funds be transferred from my account?

The electronic funds transfer from your account will usually occur within 24 hours of receipt of your check, which is faster than a check is normally processed. Therefore, you should be sure that there are sufficient funds available in your checking account when you submit your check. If the EFT cannot be completed (for any reason), processing will be stopped. Unpublished works and documents for recordation will be returned to you. For claims in published works, the copies of your published work will be forwarded to to other parts of the Library of Congress, and you will have to start all over again if you still wish to register.

Will the electronic funds transfer appear on my account statement?

The electronic funds transfer from your account will be on the account statement that you receive from your financial institution. However, the transfer may be in a different place on your statement than the place where your checks normally appear. For example, it may appear under “other withdrawals” or “other transactions.”

What if there is a problem with the electronic funds transfer?

You should contact your financial institution immediately if you believe that the electronic funds transfer reported on your account statement was not properly authorized or is otherwise incorrect. Consumers have protections under a Federal law called the Electronic Funds Transfer Act for an unauthorized or incorrect electronic funds transfer.

What if the electronic funds transfer cannot be processed?

In rare instances, an electronic funds transfer cannot be processed for reasons other than insufficient funds. In these cases, we will reprocess the copy of your original check. Different rights apply to the reprocessing of the copy of the check than apply to an electronic funds transfer. More detailed information about this process is available at Department of the Treasury.

(Read Notice to Customers Making Payment by Check.)