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Electronic Check Conversion

What does POP mean on a bank statement?

POP

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08/05 TARGET T-1029 POP CONVERSION $45.20

Plain-English Definition

POP stands for Point-of-Purchase Entry. POP indicates that a paper check was scanned by a cashier at checkout to capture routing numbers, then voided and immediately returned to you.

Important: What this code is NOT

POP is not a debit card transaction or store financing. It is the electronic clearing of a physical check that was voided and handed back to you at checkout.

Understanding POP (Point-of-Purchase Entry)

POP (Point-of-Purchase Entry) is an electronic check conversion performed right at the retail cash register in front of you.

The cashier feeds your paper check through an electronic reader to scan the MICR routing and account numbers, prints a transaction receipt for you to sign, stamps the physical check as 'VOID', and hands the voided check back to you immediately.

Because the cashier hands the voided check back to you, the physical paper check is never kept by the store or sent to the bank.

How to Locate the Actual Merchant

Because POP specifies the underlying payment rail or transaction type, you must examine the accompanying text on your statement to identify where you actually shopped or paid:

  1. Step 1 Check the retail merchant name and store number listed on your statement line.
  2. Step 2 Check your wallet or receipts for the voided paper check and the signed cash register receipt.
  3. Step 3 Verify the date and amount against physical retail purchases made in person.

Common Statement Line Formats

Financial institutions typically format POP entries like this:

  • TARGET T-1029 POP CONVERSION
  • BEST BUY STORE 0294 POP CHK
  • COSTCO WHSE POP ENTRY
  • POP POINT OF SALE CHK 049

Verified Primary Sources

Every technical definition on this page is checked against official banking and regulatory rules: