The fact that the word "check" is still used regularly in US banking seems to indicate that it's not a business that is amenable to a tech startup... I mean, come on: "If I need a check somewhere real fast, they can do that too and overnight it for a $20 fee."  It's not ING's fault, of course.  I don't think anyone in Sweden has written a check in the past 30 years. Whenever I talk to my family about this they just snicker.