Paper checks are being transitioned to electronic images of checks at a pace that is unprecedented.
Check images are currently collected in two forms, as substitute checks and as check images.
Substitute checks assist in evolving traditional paper check clearing to image-based clearing.
As a precursor to full check image exchange, the number of substitute checks is a positive indication
of the acceptance of image exchange.
Only 2 years after the effective date of Check 21, check payments totaling almost $8 trillion per year
have already moved from the traditional paper-based clearing process to improved image-based processes.
Based on the 2004 Federal Reserve Payments Study, that amount is much greater than the sum of all debit
card payments ($.6 trillion) and all credit card payments ($1.7 trillion).
The number of images received by paying banks exceeded the number of substitutes for the first time
in the month of September 2006. The rate of growth in images is accelerating.
The number of institutions participating in image-based clearing totals almost 5,500 (approximately
33% of all institutions) and many more can be expected to implement check image enhancements in the near future.
This CheckImage Collaborative industry image clearing data reflects transactions settled through the
Federal Reserve, NCHA and SVPCO and does not include duplicate counting.
Data Sources for all Statistics:
Transaction settled through the Federal Reserve, NCHA and SVPCO with no duplicate counting.
