It might be instructive to review briefly the history of retail payments to understand how the tradeoff among convenience, confidence, and complexity has worked. Looking back, the check was used in North America as long ago as colonial times. Businesses, in particular, were early users.
The widespread use of the check by consumers did not occur in the United States until after World War II. Rising levels of income and restored confidence in the banking system led to the growth of deposit banking. Checks were used increasingly to make purchases over the counter as well as to pay bills.