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Cheques to be paid in via phone

Summary

30 December 2013

Plans to allow people to pay cheques into their bank accounts using their smartphones have been announced in Britain by the government's finance department, known as the Treasury.

Reporter:

Hugh Pym

Report

It could become as simple as this: picking up your mobile phone, taking a picture of the cheque you've just received and your bank account is credited.

In other words, no more queuing at a bank branch. The government is considering legislation which will make this become a reality.

But what about security? Can an image of a cheque really be a safe substitute for the real thing? The banking industry says it does now have the right technology.

It hopes that cheque imaging will speed up the clearing process. Time could be saved by not having to sort and move paperwork between banks.

The technology is widely used in the United States.