The word check (or cheque) likely comes from the Persian cak or the Arabic sakk, systems that allowed funds to be transferred without physical money.

Checks originated in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the 1500s, when merchants deposited money with cashiers, who would pay debts on their behalf using handwritten notes.

There were ancient precursors, such as India’s adesha and the Roman praescriptiones.

The first checks to be printed were in 1762 and included serial numbers to thwart forgery.

In 1979, checks peaked in usage in the United States—85% of payments were made this way.

Some countries, as early as the 2010s, completely phased out paper checks.

The wording on a check typically matters more than the numbers when there is an unclear discrepancy.

Before modern technology, it could take a check weeks to clear—especially if the routing location was many miles away.

In 2012, there were 20 billion U.S. checks written, compared to 40 billion in 2000.

Many Millennials and members of Generation Z have admitted they have never used checks at all.

The oldest surviving American checkbook dates to the 1790s from the Bank of New York.

It took 25 years for debit cards to surpass checks in popularity, which happened in 2003.

The standard expiration for checks in the United States and Canada is six months.

Depending on legalities, oversized novelty checks can technically be redeemed at a bank if printed with the correct information, but banks typically charge a fee to cash them.