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USDA Department of Agriculture

NOTICE!
You are entering an Official United States Government System, which may be used only for authorized purposes. Unauthorized modification of any information stored on this system may result in criminal prosecution. The Government may monitor and audit usage of this system, and all persons are hereby notified that use of this system constitutes consent to such monitoring and auditing.
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Notice to Customers Making Payment by Check
Authorization to Convert Your Check: If you provide us a check to make your payment, your check will be converted into an electronic fund transfer. “Electronic fund transfer” 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. By paying with a completed, signed check to us, you authorize us to copy your check and to use the account information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer from your account for the same amount as the check. Your check will be stamped “VOID-Electronically Processed”. The check will be returned to you if hand-delivered. If the check is mailed, the check will be destroyed within 14 days. If the electronic fund transfer cannot be processed for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy of your check.

Insufficient Funds: The electronic fund transfer from your account will usually occur within 24 hours, which is faster than a check is normally processed. Therefore, make sure there are sufficient funds available in your checking account when you send us your check. If the electronic fund transfer cannot be completed because of insufficient funds, we may try to make the transfer up to two times [and you may be subject to a $25.00 returned check fee].

Transaction Information: The electronic fund transfer from your account will be on the account statement 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. We will keep a copy of the check for record keeping purposes.

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

More Information – A pamphlet with more information about this process, including information about your rights under Federal law, is available from the cashier. [You may also call your Local County or billing office or visit our Internet site at http://www.pcc.gov for detailed information.]
Privacy Act

A Privacy Act Statement required by 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(3) stating our authority for soliciting and collecting the information from your check, and explaining the purposes and routine uses which will be made of your check information, is available from our internet site at www.fsa.usda.gov, or call Leisa Banks at 202-720-9265. Furnishing the check information is voluntary, but a decision not to do so may require you to make payment by some other method.