Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for automatically processing positive pay return decisions. Positive pay return decisions are financial client decisions that authorize return of a pay item, such as a check, in the event that the client determines that the pay item warrants return, such as in the instance in which the check has been fraudulently altered or the like. Automated processing provides for deleting pay status from a service management system, creating a credit transaction to credit an appropriate demand deposit account and creating a return file that identifies the item and the reason for return.