Check Facts and Figures

Are you a check fanatic? Don't worry, you aren't alone. Millions of consumers write checks every year. In fact in the United States most consumers use checks to handle payment transactions.

Want to convince your friends and family of the benefits of check writing? Consider the following check writing trivia:

• Deluxe? checks provide international checking supplies. The company produces more checks than any other international check printer.
• Deluxe? checks led the movement to create picture checks and direct market checks.
• Americans write more than 42.5 billion checks every year.
• Some believe an Ancient Roman first came on the idea of check writing, though it didn't become popular until the late 1600s.
• Europeans wrote the first official checks during the 1650s.
• In the United States checks are among the most popular form of payment, above credit cards.
• People write roughly 450 million "bad checks" or checks that bounce every year.
• Counterfeiting money and checks used to be a treasonous crime. Officials could sentence someone to death for it.
• 1/3 of all money currency circulating during the Civil War was fake
• Check writing didn't become popular in the United States until after the 1800s.
• Deluxe? uses a proprietary or unique technology to print checks.
• 60 percent of all transactions not paid for with cash are paid by check.
• Consumers are 65 percent more likely to use checks than other forms of electronic payments.
• The number of checks used by Americans is increasing. In recent years check use rose 54 percent alone.
• More than 39 trillion dollars in payments are made every year with checks, compared to just 7 trillion for other forms of payment.

As you can see, writing checks is a favorite past time. No matter what check you prefer, whether cheap personal checks, top stub checks, side tear or cheap checks in general, rest assured check writing is not likely to die out any time soon.

Within the United States, check writing is more common than elsewhere. Check use is increasing in the United States. Nearly 84 percent of payment transactions in the United States come in the form of check payments.

Checks and Technology

As times have changed so too have check writing companies. Companies are adapting their processes and checks to keep up with the times. Companies like Quicken? checks and Quickbooks? checks constantly update their check technology. Even though society is becoming more and more paperless, check producing companies still find a high demand for paper checks exist.

Technology now allows consumers to verify checks over the phone at the point of sale. Most checks are now verified at this point. Check electronification is also becoming more popular. This process allows payees to scan a check at the point of sale, thus reducing fraud and allowing banks to process payment faster.

Reasons to Use Checks

Checks have many advantages over other forms of payment. Quicken? checks and Quickbooks? checks allow easy payroll processing and payment for business debts. The Federal Reserve Bank found in Chicago recently conducted a study that showed that 90 percent of Americans use checking accounts. This is partly because checks are still the most widely accepted form of payment. They are also low in cost and allow consumers control over the timing of every payment made.

Consumers often find check writing convenient. Consumers can use checks to pay over the phone, online and in person. Checks can be cashed at many locations for easy access to funds without the hassle of remembering PIN numbers or other privacy information. Checks also provide a brilliant way to express your personality and have a little fun when paying off debts.

Quicken? and Quickbooks? are especially useful for home business or small business owners who want a printed check that looks professional. These checks correlate with the matching accounting software to help you manage your finances.

Checks also provide consumers with added security. Most checks today are built with certain security features making them difficult to copy. Keeping track of your checks and check registry will alert you to any problems with your checks long before they arise. The good news is you can usually stop payment on any checks that might mysteriously wander away. Now gather your closest friends together for a game of check trivia!

About The Author:
Antigone Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as cheap checks, Quickbooks checks, and Quicken checks.