The Idea Factory: Say goodbye to paper checks

Sending even small amounts of cash to someone you know remains a "tedious and slow task," said Walt Mossberg at AllThingsD. It often entails doing "what you would have done in 1957 — writing a check and mailing it." A new smartphone app from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey seeks to change that. Square Cash lets users instantly send money to a friend for free, no login or password required. Simply enter the amount (say, $20), the recipient's email, and your debit card info (which you fill out only once). He or she will receive an email from Square with a link that deposits that $20 into a checking account.

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