Debit cards, credit cards, electronic payments taking over for once popular paper checks

OMAHA, Neb. – Richard Kesterson slid his debit card out of his wallet before the grocery store cashier rang up his total.

Like millions of Americans, he didn't even consider paying by check. Using a debit card or paying online through his bank's bill-pay system is easier, he said – and his bank keeps track of his spending instead.

“I haven't balanced my account in 10 years,” Kesterson said.

Check writing has declined sharply since 1995. The Federal Reserve estimates that 49.5 billion checks were paid in the United States in 1995; that figure dropped to 36.6 billion checks paid in 2003, according to the most recent Fed studies.

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