Check 21: What is it?

It is the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act - or "Check 21". It was created to bring the nation's check payment system into the digital age and allow consumers to benefit from better and faster financial services. Check 21 was created to improve the existing system that forces over 40 billion checks a year to be exchanged physically and transported around the country. A substitute check is a digital picture of your original check (showing the front and back with a magnetic ink character recognition line and all of its routing data) which can be processed electronically. A substitute check is the legal equivalent of your original for all purposes including requirements of state and federal law. You may receive a substitute check when you request a copy of your check.