Scan Checks and Skip the Branch

While it's nice to get money, it's kind of a pain to get a check. When somebody writes a check to you -- whether for payroll, dinner, or whatever -- you have to turn the check into money. That generally means you have to get the check to the bank. You can take your chances with the mail, or you can make a special trip to the branch.

It's getting a bit easier to turn your checks into accessible funds. Some banks allow you to scan check images instead of handing over the original document. It looks like the practice should get easier: CheckFree recently announced a product aimed at consumers. They claim that we can use plain-old scanners to turn paper checks into electronic money faster.

Over at Consumerist.com, they have a poll about scanning checks along with links to more information. The consensus seems to be that this would be helpful, and I know I'd use a service like this if it was easy and cheap.

Further reading:

• Still getting checks? Try signing up for direct deposit
• Electronic checks make it harder to play the "float"