A lockbox is a bank service where customer cheque payments are sent to a bank controlled post office box, then collected, processed, and deposited by the bank, with images and data passed back to the business.
General information, not financial, legal, or tax advice. Verify current terms and eligibility with the provider before applying.
How a lockbox works
With a lockbox service the business directs customers to send their cheque payments to a dedicated post office box rather than to the business address. The bank, or a processor acting for the bank, collects the mail from that box, opens it, deposits the cheques, and captures the remittance information such as the invoice number and amount paid. Scanned images of the cheques and remittance documents and a data file are then made available to the business through its online banking platform, usually on the same day the mail is processed, current as of 13 January 2026. By removing the step where mail travels to the business and is handled internally, a lockbox shortens the collection cycle and gives faster access to funds.
Wholesale and retail lockbox
Banks generally describe two kinds of lockbox. A wholesale lockbox is built for lower volumes of higher value business to business payments, with detailed document imaging and rules that match each payment to its remittance advice. A retail lockbox is built for high volumes of lower value consumer payments that arrive with a standard remittance slip, such as utility or loan repayments. A business chooses the type that matches how its customers pay, and some banks offer a wholetail option that handles a mix of both.
Why it matters to a business
A lockbox can reduce the days a payment spends in transit and in manual handling, which supports cash flow and frees staff from opening mail and keying in payments. The remittance data the bank returns also helps with reconciliation against open invoices. Fees vary by bank and usually combine a monthly charge with a per item charge for each payment processed, so a business should weigh the cost against the volume of cheque payments it receives and confirm current pricing and the cut off time for same day processing with the provider.
Frequently asked questions
What is a lockbox in banking?
How does a lockbox speed up cash flow?
What is the difference between a wholesale and a retail lockbox?
How much does a lockbox service cost?
Definitions, fees, features, and eligibility change and vary by region. This page was last reviewed on 13 January 2026. Confirm current terms with the provider before applying.