The authors construct and simulate a model of check exchange to examine the incentives a bank (or a bank clearinghouse) has to engage in practices that limit access to its payment facilities, in particular delaying the availability of check payment. The potentially disadvantaged bank has the...

Financial institutions' use of Check 21 continues to grow rapidly. In 2006, the Atlanta Fed processed 10 times as many Check 21 transactions as it did in 2005, and the trend is expected to accelerate.

If the proposed Check Truncation Act is enacted, it will remove existing legal barriers to the use of new technology in check processing. These reforms will make check collections more efficient and more cost effective.