Midwest Region

CHECK SERVICES - Mid-West Region
Chicago Clearing House Association (CCHA) Check Exchange is now Check Services, Central Region of The Clearing House.

In November, 2003, The Clearing House and Chicago Clearing House Association merged into “The Clearing House.” The merger included check exchanges and ACH (automated clearing house) associations. Then, in December, 2003, the Check Services function of the Western Payments Alliance joined The Clearing House as well to create a truly national check services business.

The intent over time is to blend the check operations in the Eastern, Central and Western regions into a national management structure, where most Check Exchange rules are determined locally by the financial institutions that participate, while large expense items such as leadership, transportation, contingency, and online settlement and adjustments are shared. This approach leverages national check operations expertise, provides economies of scale, eliminates redundant expense, and provides the potential for future price stability in the face of declining check volumes.