The mobile cheque deposit – Is this progress or a retrograde step?

Spain's Banco Sabadell has added remote deposit cheque capture functionality to its mobile platforms in what appears to be a new trend in mobile (electronic) banking applications. In Denmark, Danske Bank recently launched a similar app for giro (postal cheque) scanning via mobile phones.

Banco Sabadell’s Instant Check feature, already available for iPhone and Android apps, enables users to take a photo of their cheque with a smartphone camera to make deposits without having to visit a branch.

The technology has already been introduced by some American institutions, including Chase.

Banco Sabadell's new Android app also displays account information in graphic form, lets users access favorite operations and find branches and ATMs through geographical location, displaying the information on Google Maps or Street View.

It beats me why a bank would want to perpetuate an archaic payment system. Isn't it is about time that the cheque is finally put out of its misery?

You can watch Banco Sabadell's new app in operation in the following video – with Spanish commentary (but not a problem to follow).