The number of checks being written has been steadily falling as consumers increasingly take advantage of electronic payments mechanisms. In 2003, for the first time, the number of electronic payments in the United States, such as credit card, debit card, and automated clearinghouse (ACH) payments, exceeded the number of check payments.
A range of data indicates that electronic payments have continued to increase and that check payments have continued to decline. Not only are more payments being made electronically, but more check payments are also being processed electronically, in part because of the enactment of the Check Clearing for the Twenty-first Century Act, commonly known as Check 21.