Intraday Reporting Guide

Intraday reporting provides continuous visibility into account balances and transaction activity throughout the day. It is designed to support operational monitoring, automation, and real-time decision-making.

This guide explains how Intraday reporting works, what data it contains, how files are delivered, and how to use it effectively.

Overview

Intraday reporting delivers CSV files at recurring intervals across a 24/7 schedule. Each delivery reflects the most current available state of transactions and account balances at the time the files are generated.

Key characteristics:

• Cadence-based delivery (not activity-based)
• Files are always produced, even when no activity occurs
• Data updates continuously throughout the day
• All Intraday reports are delivered together as a bundle
• Designed for operational visibility, not reconciliation

Intraday CSV reports contain the same underlying data available via the Newline API, delivered in a file-based format for batch processing workflows.

How Intraday Reporting Works

1. Client-Configured Delivery Cadence

Clients must select a reporting interval during onboarding. Common options include:

• 15 minutes (recommended for high-volume or multi-rail programs)
• 30 minutes
• 1 hour
• Up to 24 hours

At each interval:

• A new set of Intraday CSV files is generated
• Files reflect the latest available data at that point in time

Cadence Guidance:

• High-volume or multi-rail programs → shorter intervals (e.g., 15 minutes)
• ACH-only or lower activity programs → longer intervals may be sufficient

2. Continuous File Generation

Intraday reporting runs:

• 24 hours a day
• 7 days a week
• 365 days a year

At every interval:

• Files are generated regardless of activity
• Files may contain:
  • Data rows (when activity occurred)
  • Header only when no activity occurred

Important:
Header-only files are expected and will always contain the header row even if no data is present.

3. Bundled Report Delivery

Intraday reporting is delivered as a fixed bundle of CSV files.

Core Intraday Reports

• Settled Transactions (Intraday)
• Updated Transactions (Intraday)
• Accounts (Intraday)

These reports are always delivered together and cannot be individually enabled or disabled.

Feature-Dependent Reports

Additional reports are automatically included if certain features are enabled:

Required features:

• Virtual Reference Numbers (VRNs)
• Client Authorization

Additional reports:

• Pending Authorizations
• Denied Authorizations

Once enabled, these reports are included in every Intraday delivery.

Intraday Report Types

1. Settled Transactions Report

Provides visibility into transactions that have completed settlement.

Includes:

• Settlement notifications for originated payments
• Received payments (including VRN activity)

This report represents the completion of financial movement.

2. Updated Transactions Report

Provides visibility into important changes to transaction records.

Includes:

• Final non-settlement outcomes (e.g., failed, canceled)
• Record updates and corrections
• ACH Notifications of Change (NOCs)

This report captures changes to transaction state, not financial movement.

3. Accounts Report

Purpose

The Accounts report provides current account balances for all accounts associated with a Client’s Customer Program.

It answers:

“What are my balances right now?”

How Balances Are Derived

Intraday account balances are:

• Calculated directly from the transactions included in the Intraday Settled Transactions report
• Continuously updated as new transactions settle
• Reflective of the latest known balance at the time of file generation

This means:

• Settled Transactions → drive balance changes
• Accounts → reflect the resulting balances

Key Characteristics

• Represents ongoing account balances throughout the day
• Updates at every reporting interval
• Includes all active accounts
• May include unchanged values if no new transactions occurred

Naming Clarification

The Accounts report may previously have been referred to as a “Balance report.”

• These refer to the same report
• The correct and current name is Accounts report

Important Notes

• Balances are operational, not statement-based
• Values can change throughout the day as transactions settle
• The report should not be used as a final system of record for reconciliation

How the Reports Work Together

Intraday reporting is designed as a coordinated set of files:

Together:

• Settled Transactions explain what changed
• Accounts reflect the impact of those changes
• Updated Transactions provide lifecycle visibility

Field Behavior and Expectations

Account-Level vs Transaction-Level Data

The Accounts report focuses on balances, not transaction detail.

As a result:

• Some rail-specific fields may be blank
• Detailed transaction attributes are found in transaction reports
• Lifecycle events (e.g., NOCs, failures) appear in Updated Transactions

Data Scope

• Accounts reflect the current state of balances
• Transactions provide the underlying activity that caused those changes

File Delivery

Intraday CSV files are delivered via SFTP using the Sterling Managed File Transfer (MFT) platform.

Delivery Model

• Files are generated by Newline and routed through Sterling
• Push delivery (Newline → client) is preferred
• Pull delivery is supported but requires coordination

Key Details

• Files are delivered at each reporting interval
• Files are available in the MFT system for a limited time (~14 days)
• The MFT system is not intended for long-term storage
• Clients should ingest and store files in their own systems

Handling Empty Files

You may receive files that contain:

• Only the header row
• No data rows

This occurs when no relevant activity happened during the reporting interval.

This behavior is:

• Expected
• Correct
• Required for consistent automated processing

Operational Best Practices

Use Intraday Reporting for:

• Monitoring balances throughout the day
• Tracking settlement activity as it occurs
• Driving alerts and operational workflows
• Feeding dashboards and real-time systems

System Design Considerations

When consuming Intraday files:

• Expect files at every interval
• Handle header-only files gracefully
• Do not assume each file contains new data
• Track sequencing or timestamps to detect changes

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did I receive an empty file?

Files are generated based on a schedule, not activity. A header-only file means no qualifying data was available during that interval.

Why do balances change throughout the day?

Balances update as transactions settle. Each file reflects the current state at the time it is generated.

Can I receive only one Intraday report?

No. Intraday reports are delivered as a bundle and cannot be configured individually.

Do Intraday reports stop on weekends or holidays?

No. Intraday reporting runs continuously regardless of day.

Can I change my reporting cadence later?

Changes may be possible but require coordination. Contact your support team.

Key Takeaways

• Intraday reporting provides continuous, real-time operational visibility
• Files are delivered on a fixed cadence, regardless of activity
• Reports are delivered as a bundle (not individually configurable)
• Account balances are derived from Intraday Settled Transactions
• The Accounts report reflects ongoing, in-day balances
• Intraday reporting is optimized for operations, not reconciliation