ECCHO was created in 1990 as a cooperative venture to facilitate the electronification of the check payment system.  The ECCHO Rules were developed to provide for fair, private sector image exchange among financial institutions of all types and sizes.  Now, thousands of institutions utilize ECCHO Rules for exchanging electronic checks. ECCHO’s unique membership includes credit unions, commercial banks, savings banks, and banker’s banks.  

ECCHO was also integral to the development and implementation of Check 21.  ECCHO continues to advocate for the optimal legal environment for checks and liaises across the payments industry with the Federal Reserve, ASC X9 standards and various payments industry groups.  Additionally, ECCHO provides check education and manages the National Check Payments Certification (NCPC) program.

ECCHO is a business line of The Clearing House, having been acquired in 2018, and is well-positioned to promote the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the check payment system now and in the future through its strategic priorities.