Checks may be getting an extended life now that financial institutions are developing and rolling out mobile remote deposit capture technology as part of their mobile banking applications, observers said.

Growing interest in the technology, which lets customers deposit checks using images captured by cameras on their smartphones, has sparked a debate over whether it might help stall the rapid decline in check use.

"Check volume is declining, but why would it decline if [banks] make it really easy to deposit" checks, said Nicole Sturgill, the research director for delivery channels at TowerGroup.