What are checks?

The episode you’ve been waiting for is finally here. This is part 2 of the San Fran Fin Lit Pod Con cliffhanger marketplace.org/episode/2025/09/30/why-does-ev… from last season. Bridget and Ryan finally made it to the conference, only to find it’s entirely cashless. It’s the perfect opportunity to answer all your non-paper-money questions: What would happen if we lived in a cashless world and paid for everything with debit and credit cards? How do you send and receive money with mobile payment apps? And how exactly do checks work?