[CChesler]

Nora -
At my former employer - the bank reconciliation process drove the issue of batch creation. Every batch had to match a corresponding line on the bank statement. On any given day we could have 10 to 12 batches. We also tried to limit the size of a batch to no more than 45 records. In peak event season, it could run as many as 20 batches for one day if we separated the "in house" cash and check batches.

Standard breakdowns for us were:
Lockbox cash/check batches - size and number of gifts determined by the bank.
Lockbox Visa/MasterCard
Lockbox Discover
Lockbox AmEx
Online Visa/MasterCard from the bank
Online Discover from the bank
Online AmEx from the bank
Online VisaMasterCard from IATS
Online Amex/Discover from IATS
In house checks and cash
In house Visa/Mastercard
In house AmEx
In house Discover

Batches were then filed by batch, by date. That's how the accounting staff and the auditors wanted it. Development staff got copies of checks if they needed them, and got the information they needed from reports.

Candace Chesler