ACH Standard Entry Class code

POP SEC code: Point-of-Purchase Entry

Check converted to a debit at the point of purchase.

What POP is for

A check given at the point of purchase is converted into a one-time ACH debit on the spot; the voided check is handed back with a receipt.

The account the paper check is drawn on.

Authorization

The payer authorizes the conversion in writing at the point of purchase, after notice from the merchant. Only checks the Rules define as eligible items may be converted; check the eligibility list before converting.

A summary in general terms: the Nacha Operating Rules set the exact requirements, and Regulation E adds its own for consumer accounts.

Debits, credits and addenda

Debits only. A credit sent as POP is returned R36.

Addenda on a forward entry: none on the forward entry. Returns (addenda type 99) and Notifications of Change (type 98) follow their own layouts whatever the SEC code.

Returns

Besides the general codes: R37 (check also presented, 60 days, written statement) and R39 (ineligible or already-paid check).

Common mix-ups

ARC, BOC and POP all turn a paper check into a one-time ACH debit. The difference is where the check was received: by mail or in a drop box (ARC), in person but converted later in the back office (BOC), or at the point of purchase, where the check is voided and handed back (POP).

Where POP sits in a NACHA file

The SEC code is a batch-level field: positions 51–53 of the Company/Batch Header record (type 5), so every entry in the batch shares it, and a file that mixes SEC codes puts them in separate batches. The batch header also carries the Company Name, Company Identification and Company Entry Description that Receivers see on their statements.

To read a POP batch record by record, open the file in NACHA Navigator, a free sister site that parses NACHA files in your browser without uploading them.

Look up POP from code or an AI agent

REST · GET · no key

curl -s 'https://payopskit.com/api/v1/codes/POP?set=ach-sec'

MCP · tools/call · lookup_payment_code

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "lookup_payment_code",
    "arguments": {
      "code": "POP",
      "set": "ach-sec"
    }
  }
}

Response (JSON)

{
  "code": "POP",
  "set": "ach-sec",
  "found": true,
  "matches": [
    {
      "set": "ach-sec",
      "code": "POP",
      "name": "Point-of-Purchase Entry",
      "description": "Check converted to a debit at the point of purchase.",
      "details": {
        "direction": "debit",
        "addendaTypes": null,
        "minAddenda": 0,
        "maxAddenda": 0
      }
    }
  ]
}

The MCP server is at /mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key); the API and MCP docs show how to connect Claude, Cursor or VS Code.

Source: Nacha Operating Rules, Appendix Three (Standard Entry Class codes). The code’s name is the Rules’ own; the rest is this site’s plain-language summary, informational and not a substitute for the Rules or your ODFI agreement.