receiving, by a presenting bank computer program executed by an electronic device, a check comprising a machine-readable optical label printed thereon;

determining, by the presenting bank computer program, whether a routing number of a payor bank is present in print on the check, and if not then reading the machine-readable optical label, wherein the machine-readable optical label comprises a payor bank routing number that is encrypted with a private key for a payor bank;

decrypting, by the presenting bank computer program, the machine-readable optical label using a public key corresponding to the private key;

identifying, by the presenting bank computer program, the payor bank routing number from the machine-readable optical label; and

routing, by the presenting bank computer program, the check to the payor bank associated with the payor bank routing number.