It's common here in the United States for customers of some banks to deposit cheques (or checks as we say) by snapping a photo with a smartphone and have the funds entered into an account within a day or two. The government of the United Kingdom is currently devising a plan that would make it possible for Brits to have the same option.
The UK Payments Council had originally planned to phase out cheques by 2018 but reversed course because of consumer backlash. Instead, the government will try to modernize the paper system more by drafting a law that would permit paying into accounts via smartphone photos. A bank could develop an app that takes a picture of the cheque, converts the information into readable text, and then add the fund to the account within two days. Photos would not be stored on a phone because security concerns, and information would be sent through secure channels.
Barclays has plans to launch a pilot program for paying in checks via phone in April 2014.
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