Paper Checks to World: “I’m Not Dead Yet.”

Published

February 4, 2011

Contributing writer for Credit.com, Chris graduated with honors from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and has reported for a number of publications including The New York Times, TIME magazine and Popular Mechanics.

For all the stories lately about new ways to pay your bills online, by smart phone or waving a loyalty card in front of a scanner, here’s heartening news to those of us Luddites: Checks are BACK, baby!

Actually, they never went away. But according to the recent financial statement by Deluxe Corp., one of the major check printing companies, reports on the death of paper checks may be greatly exaggerated.

The company’s net income in the fourth quarter of 2010 was 14% higher than the same period in 2009. Its total revenue for the year grew 3%, to $351.5 million.

[Consumer Guide: Specialty Consumer Reporting Agencies: Chexsystems, Certegy Check Systems and Telecheck]

“We have made tremendous progress in transforming Deluxe and still have many opportunities ahead of us in 2011,” CEO Lee Schram said in a press release. “We believe we are entering the new year well positioned to grow….”

Let’s hope you’re right, Lee. All of us technophobes are counting on you.

Image: © Piotr Kozikowski | Dreamstime.com