For businesses that still receive customer payments by check, getting those payments into the bank can create an operational burden of its own. EastWest Bank is addressing that gap with its Motorized Check Pick-Up Service, which allows eligible business clients to have collected checks picked up from their premises by an accredited messenger and brought to the bank for deposit processing.
The service is designed for businesses that regularly handle checks and want to reduce the time employees spend preparing deposits and making bank trips. EastWest says the service is part of its broader Cash Management Solutions portfolio for business clients.
The launch comes as Philippine businesses increasingly move toward electronic payments. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has been promoting digital payment systems such as PESONet and InstaPay, while checks remain part of the country's payment infrastructure. The result is a business environment where companies may need to manage both digital and paper-based payment channels.
How does EastWest's Motorized Check Pick-Up Service work?
EastWest's Motorized Check Pick-Up Service is a collection and deposit service for eligible EastWest Business Banking clients. An accredited messenger picks up collected checks from the enrolled business address according to an agreed schedule, after which the checks are processed for deposit into the client's EastWest account.
Businesses can arrange pickups on a daily, weekly, or selected weekday schedule. Pickups are generally conducted from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., subject to the agreed schedule and service-area assessment.
The service is particularly relevant to companies that receive checks regularly from customers and need a predictable way to move those payments from collection to deposit without assigning staff to make repeated bank trips.
What is a motorized check pick-up service?
A motorized check pick-up service is a banking arrangement in which an accredited courier or messenger collects checks from an enrolled business location and delivers them to the bank for deposit processing. Instead of sending an employee to the branch, the business follows a scheduled collection process managed through the bank's service arrangement.
For EastWest clients, checks are verified at the service provider's processing hub on the day of pickup. Deposit to the bank takes place on the next banking day, subject to standard clearing timelines.
Why does check collection still matter as payments become digital?
The Philippine payments landscape is becoming increasingly digital, but payment modernization does not mean every business transaction has immediately moved away from paper.
The BSP's 2024 Report on E-Payments Measurement showed strong growth in digital transactions, including business-to-business and supplier payments. B2B digital transactions increased from 160 million in 2023 to 205 million in 2024, a 28.1% increase.
At the same time, the BSP continues to recognize checks as part of the country's retail payment infrastructure. Its PhilPaSSplus system settles clearing results for checks alongside ATM transactions and digital payments such as InstaPay and PESONet.
This creates a practical challenge for companies operating across different payment preferences. A business may accept digital transfers from some customers while continuing to receive checks from others.
For those businesses, improving the process around checks can be just as relevant as adopting another digital payment option.
What does the service mean for business operations?
The most immediate benefit is the removal of one routine administrative task: sending employees to the bank to deposit collected checks.
That can matter more for businesses with frequent collections or lean administrative teams. Instead of assigning staff to transport deposits, companies can establish a recurring pickup schedule and keep employees focused on accounting, customer service, sales, operations, or other core responsibilities.
EastWest also provides a reporting mechanism through its service provider once the checks have been deposited, giving businesses documentation of the completed collection and deposit process.
From a cash-management perspective, the service is therefore less about introducing a new payment method and more about improving the workflow surrounding an existing one.
What businesses should know before enrolling
EastWest's service is available to eligible Business Banking clients and requires a valid EastWest corporate deposit account. Businesses must complete an enrollment form and provide the required documents for assessment. The bank also evaluates whether the business location falls within its serviceable coverage area.
There are also specific rules governing which checks can be collected.
Eligible checks generally need to be current, payable to the account holder, denominated in Philippine currency, properly completed, signed by the drawer, and not previously presented for clearing. Post-dated, stale-dated, blank, and checks payable to cash are among those listed as ineligible.
Businesses should also note that the service uses one enrolled pickup address, while pickup schedules are fixed rather than available on an ad hoc, one-time basis.
EastWest says service fees are structured into the account's required maintaining balance or average daily balance, with no additional transaction or service fee charged for the pickup service.
A small operational change with a broader cash-management role
EastWest CEO Jerry G. Ngo positioned the service within a wider discussion about business productivity, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
That positioning is relevant because cash management is not limited to moving money from one account to another. It also involves how efficiently a company collects receivables, deposits funds, manages liquidity, and allocates employee time.
The BSP's payment modernization initiatives point in the same direction. The National Retail Payment System framework promotes payment systems that are safe, efficient, reliable, interoperable, and inclusive, while platforms such as PESONet provide electronic alternatives for business-to-business payments.
EastWest's check pickup service operates alongside that digital transition rather than replacing it. For businesses whose customers still use checks, the practical objective is to make the paper-based part of the collection cycle less labor-intensive.
That distinction matters. Digital payments may reduce the need for physical deposits, but businesses still need efficient processes for the payment methods their customers actually use.
For businesses interested in the service, EastWest advises clients to contact their Cash Management Sales Officer or visit an EastWest branch to discuss eligibility and enrollment.