SerpApi.Org
By bnm Tehran bureau
Iranian bank customers issued more than 1.83mn electronic cheques during the three months to June 21, marking a 277% increase from the same period of the previous year, according to data reported by the Iranian Banking and Economic News Agency.
The number of electronic cheques issued stood at 303,268 in the first month of the Iranian year, before rising sharply to 888,216 in the second month. A further 643,064 electronic cheques were registered in the third month.
Total issuance reached 1,834,548 during the three-month period, compared with 485,812 in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Electronic cheques accounted for 5% of all cheques issued by banking customers during the final month of the quarter, indicating that paper instruments continue to dominate transactions despite the rapid growth of digital alternatives.
Banks also issued around 580,000 electronic cheque books during the quarter, representing an increase of 213% from the same period a year earlier.
Among individual customers, electronic cheque books accounted for 26.85% of all electronic and paper cheque books issued in the final month of the quarter. The figure means that almost 27% of cheque books provided to retail banking customers were electronic.
The expansion forms part of Iran’s broader effort to digitalise banking services and improve the traceability and security of cheque transactions. Electronic cheques can be issued, transferred and settled through banking platforms without requiring a physical document, reducing administrative costs and the risks associated with lost, forged or altered paper cheques.
Despite the sharp year-on-year increases, the relatively limited share of electronic cheques in overall issuance suggests that broader adoption will depend on customer familiarity, banking infrastructure and the availability of digital services across the country.
