f you are a merchant level salesperson (MLS), you know what it means to be independent. It means you have the freedom to make decisions, the ability to implement changes immediately, and the luxury of viewing situations from new perspectives. Being independent is what CrossCheck, Inc., the nation's largest privately owned check guarantee company, is all about.

Being privately owned is an integral part of CrossCheck's philosophy and corporate structure. It's also a major reason for its success. Independence allows CrossCheck to seek new ways to approach situations, which enables the company to create innovative solutions for customers. And since it is independent, it understand MLSs better than most companies.

The 20-year-old company is headquartered in the North Bay area of San Francisco, has a second sales office in Los Angeles, and employs field associates located throughout the country.

Its 450 employees provide check guarantee, ChecksByNet for Internet businesses, CheckNow for businesses that accept checks via phone or fax, and COD for delivery businesses.

This month the company expanded its product line when it released its electronic check solution, CrossCheck Conversion Plus.

CrossCheck's motto is, "Say Yes to Checks" and that pretty much says it all. This is a company of risk takers, and Bob Ficarra, Vice President of ISO and Partner Relations, sums it up well: "We're not afraid to make decisions. We look for reasons to approve checks, not decline them."

It not only seeks reasons to approve checks, it seeks new checks to approve. As a result, the company guarantees billions of dollars worth of transactions each year.

While customers include traditional check guarantee merchants such as auto, general retail, hospitality and building supply, CrossCheck also reaches out to "non-conventional" retail industries. Its unique services make it the choice for medical and dental offices, funeral homes, veterinarians and e-commerce sites.

A Partner to ISOs

A major factor that differentiates CrossCheck from other providers is how it markets its services. The company currently has partnerships with more than 30 bankcard processors, including NPC and Lynk Systems, Inc.

In some instances, CrossCheck products are marketed under private labels and the company reports that this has been very successful for several of its partners. All the expenses are taken off the top and the profit is split.

CrossCheck is also distinctive in that it relies on a large base of ISOs/MLSs to represent its products. The goal is to complement ISO programs, rather than compete with them.

Couple that with the fact that CrossCheck has consistently paid lifetime residuals since starting in the business more than 20 years ago, and this company is an attractive partner for many ISOs/MLSs.

CrossCheck's services are designed to increase revenue for ISOs/MLSs by providing additional services to sell to merchants. "We offer only check services, we don't sell equipment and we are not owned by a large processor, so our services are a great add-on sale for anyone selling card services," Ficarra said.

CrossCheck's services work with a variety of terminals, which allows an additional income source for ISOs/MLSs that sell equipment. In addition to the lifetime residuals, it offers partnership programs with portability, equity sharing and sales support including leads, contests and supplies.

"Much of our success is directly attributable to our ISOs," Ficarra said. "Without a large and committed base of ISOs marketing our services, we would not have had the incredible success and growth that we have experienced over the past several years. We believe in and support our ISOs and develop programs based on their needs and wants, as well as those of their merchants."

An Original Conversion Solution

In September 2004, CrossCheck released its latest service, CrossCheck Conversion Plus. As the name suggests, this service is check conversion with guarantee features. However, since this is a company of independent thinkers and unique ideas, there's a twist.

CrossCheck's conversion solution accepts business checks, something no other conversion product does. The company knew that ISOs/MLSs and merchants wanted guarantee features partnered with business check approval. There wasn't a solution on the market, so CrossCheck created one.

"We have an advantage over the competition in that we are able to accept business checks across the board," Ficarra said.

With the CrossCheck Conversion Plus product, all imaged checks are guaranteed. CrossCheck believes its product stands out from the competition because of its collection experience and knowledge.

"There are a lot of people in our industry who don't have our expertise," Ficarra said. "Collection is the key. We believe that with our collectability, when everything shakes out, we are going to be leading the pack."

Any merchant can benefit from CrossCheck Conversion Plus, but some might find it especially attractive. For example, merchants with multiple locations over a diverse geographic region can use conversion to consolidate their finances, thus reducing fees and hassles.

"As a cash management tool, this is huge," Ficarra said, pointing out that it's an ideal fit for the non-traditional retail environment, such as doctors and dentists.

Physician's offices don't usually deal with cash; therefore they don't make daily bank runs. With this solution they don't have to go to the bank, and they can still accept check payments. Ficarra also reports that car dealers have been requesting the service.

He predicts that CrossCheck Conversion Plus will have a profound impact on ISOs/MLSs. "I'm excited for them," he said. "The interest in conversion is out there, and it can be a great door-opener for all kinds of sales. Conversion offers many features that make check acceptance simpler for a business.

"It can be a very efficient point of sale solution for merchants today, especially with guarantee and business card acceptance, and that makes it easy to sell. I see big opportunities with equipment sales, too, and that's always been a significant source of revenue."

CrossCheck is a unique company in that they recognize that being independent and forming partnerships aren't mutually exclusive. It combines the benefits of being a private company with the power of ISOs/MLSs and industry partners.

This combination is integral to its success, and can be a key to success for agents as well. Ficarra sums up the vision of this risk-taking entrepreneurial company. "The meek may inherit the earth, but the bold will make the bucks."