According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computerized method for effecting payment by a check includes electronically receiving payment information for a check drawing on a checking account of an account holder, retrieving from a storage location an image replacement document template associated with the checking account in response to receiving the payment information, and generating an image replacement document representative of the check by inserting the payment information into respective fields of the image replacement document template. The payment information includes a date, a payee, a dollar amount, a legal amount, and a signature.