Check use in the US continues to decline, as consumers switch to more convenient payment options, particularly debit cards and electronic transfers. In stores, consumers are choosing debit cards as the electronic equivalent of the paper check. On regular payments, such as those for loan repayments, utilities and cable television, an increasing number of consumers are opting for automatic payment rather than paying by check. Such automatic payments are generally by direct debit. The enormous infrastructure that has been in place to process checks will gradually become uneconomic to sustain. While check truncation has helped curtail processing costs, it may not be sufficient to save the check from forced extinction as processing volumes continue to drop. Ultimately, banks seem likely to discourage check use through fee structures, in order to accelerate the shift to more modern, electronic alternatives.