Private schools usually receive tuition payment either through post-dated checks or through credit card payments. Keeping track of those payments can be a difficult task, especially if the school’s bookkeeper has other administrative duties, which is often the case. Copies of checks might be maintained in the school’s files, but it’s not uncommon that one or two copies were either misplaced or filed incorrectly. This becomes even more of an issue when the bank calls and says that some of the checks are either illegible or filled out incorrectly. With no back-up proof, the school finds itself in an awkward position, especially when they need to notify the parents. Enter the check-scanning device.

A check-scanning device acts as a personal bookkeeping assistant. With a simple swipe of the check, the device quickly and accurately reads the information and uploads it to a file, which can then be extracted to just about any computer application (i.e. email, word file, database, etc.). The device is able to scan and read the check via MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) technology. It can read both MICR and non-MICR print that’s printed on all checks. Other, regular scanning devices won’t be able to read this special MICR print.

With its small, sleek design, the check-scanning device is a perfect fit for a crowded school office. It can be easily positioned on a bookkeeper’s desk, right alongside the computer. In fact, it doesn’t even require its own power source. It just needs to be hooked up to the computer with a simple USB cable. It’s even less obtrusive than a small desktop printer. The device is even portable enough so that other staff in other offices in the school can utilize it.

Now, when the bank calls up and asks questions about some details of a few questionable checks, the bookkeeper can simply search her “check deposit” database and find the appropriate check, all in less than one minute. Prior to the scanning device, such a request would have taken up to a half-hour to fulfill; that’s if the copy of the check was filed in the first place.

With the check-scanning device, everyone wins: the school, the bank, and the parents.


Check scanning devices and ID reader devices provide fast and accurate scanning of any necessary data.