According to industry studies, check-writing costs a business between $3 and $5 per check. Check-writing includes the cost of paper, envelopes, ink, printers, postage, and employee time. Check-writing can also reduce a business's bottom line significantly through accounts payable (AP) errors; late fees, overdraft fees, and returned check fees due to paper-based inefficiencies and lack of visibility in the AP process; storage costs; increased headcount in having to hire more people to handle manual tasks. Ultimately, check-writing costs money and the company's ability to run efficiently and scale effectively.