05/28/2026
Paper checks aren't free. They just hide the cost well.
Here's what they're actually costing your community:
• Processing one paper check costs ~$4. One digital payment costs $0.28
• Check washing fraud costs Americans over $815 million every year, and residential mailboxes at month-end are prime targets
• Bounced checks trigger NSF fees, 7–9 day bank holds, and the risk of overdrafting your association's account
• Nearly 50% of millennial homeowners didn't send a single check in recent years
The irony? 66% of communities are now running checks and a digital portal at the same time, which means double the admin work without any of the efficiency gains. The full transition to digital isn't as complicated as it sounds. With the right platform, payments post automatically, late fees enforce themselves, reconciliation takes minutes, and every transaction has a clear, timestamped audit trail.
💬 Is your community still accepting checks?
What's been the biggest barrier to making the switch?