Banks launch check deposits via scanner

Few people know it but you don't have to have a special, pre-printed slip of paper from your bank in order to write someone a check. Checks can legally be written on just about anything. Even those oversized game show checks can be cashed -- assuming they contain all the information needed to debit the appropriate account and the required legal wording.

But no matter what, you still have to physically carry the check -- even if it's written on an old pair of underwear -- to the bank or an ATM to cash it... until now.

Several banks are pioneering the ability for consumers to deposit checks from the comfort of your own home. All you need is an internet connection, an online account with your bank, and a scanner.

USAA, a bank exclusively for military customers and their families, is the largest bank doing this, and for obvious reasons: Military types are the most likely to be away from a physical branch or an ATM. (And in fact USAA has no physical locations at all.) Instead, about a quarter of its deposits now come via its Deposit@Home service. The client scans the front and the back of the check, and sends the scans on their way through the web. USAA credits the customer's account immediately, subject to the usual temporary hold as the check clears.

Now more banks are getting in on the action. BankFox reports that Florida's EverBank is set to become the first non-military, national bank to allow deposits via scanner. A pilot version of the deposit system will be rolled out to select customers beginning in August, and if all goes well it will be opened up to all customers in the fall. There are no fees associated with the service.

A few of the big banks say they're exploring the possibility of allowing customers to scan and upload checks, but none seem ready to commit fully to the idea. Concerns over fraud and data security likely both run awfully high, and at some point you basically have to trust your customer that he's not writing phony checks to himself, checks which could be significantly harder to detect as fake in the absence of human eyes giving them the once-over and a security guard nearby ready to detain a potential fraudster.

Would wide-scale check scanning and uploading lead to more financial crime? Discuss amongst yourselves, but I know I'd love to be able to scan the checks I get instead of schlepping them to the bank.