MOSINEE, Wis. – Wausau Financial Systems, together with the Western Payments Alliance (WesPay) , EDS and NetDeposit, have completed their Check 21 Image Exchange pilot for WesPay member financial institutions using image exchange and Image Replacement Documents to complete forward presentment among participants. The pilot began Sept. 19, 2003. It simulated a Post Check 21 payment system and expands the ability of participants to electronically process a broader range of transactions and clear items directly to paying banks. The pilot used WFS' Optima3T payment processing solution to process images and IRDs for the majority of the financials involved in the pilot. Earlier this year, WFS issued a 29-page white paper on "The Impact of the Evolving U.S. Payments System" which discussed the effects of Check 21 on item processing and the payment processing industry, as well as how check truncation and other provisions of the still-to-be enacted legislation, will help reduce check fraud.