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As the federal government’s September 30, 2025 deadline to eliminate paper checks approaches, several key organizations are publicly supporting this initiative, viewing it as an opportunity to modernize payment systems, reduce fraud, and potentially expand their own business.
Executive Order 14247, “Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account,” mandates a full transition to electronic payments for all federal disbursements, including benefits, intragovernmental transfers, vendor payments, and tax refunds. The government also aims to stop accepting paper checks for payments as soon as practicable.
Nacha, which operates the ACH payment network, has voiced strong support for the transition. Their argument hinges on the idea that moving away from checks is a policy decision, not a technical challenge, as anyone writing a check to the government likely already has a bank account and could use electronic payments. Nacha emphasized the significant cost savings, noting that if the Treasury Department had used ACH payments for the 36 million paper checks issued last year, the government would have saved over $68 million. They also recommended that Treasury shorten its ACH credit settlement times to align with private sector standards.
Early Warning Services, the parent company of Zelle, also submitted comments in favor of the transition. They highlighted that eliminating paper checks would improve the government’s ability to detect improper payments and prevent fraud. Early Warning positioned Zelle as a viable alternative for government payments, pointing out that Treasury checks are 16 times more likely to be reported lost or stolen, undeliverable, or altered compared to digital payments. They also mentioned their ongoing work with the Treasury since 2021, using their Verify Account solution to prevent an estimated 179,000 improper payments.
A consortium of banking associations, including The Bank Policy Institute, The Clearing House Association, and the Consumer Bankers Association, collectively supported the executive order. They described the effort as a “critical opportunity to modernize America’s payment infrastructure, reduce fraud, and increase financial security for American taxpayers.”

Video courtesy of Thinking Crypto

Video courtesy of Thinking Crypto