It costs Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka 40-cents every time she mails a check to a state vendor.

It doesn't matter if the check is for $3 million dollars or 30-cents. And it doesn't matter if that vendor gets one check a year, or one check week.

But that could soon change. Topinka is touting recently passed legislation that would incentivize anyone doing business with the state to sign-up for direct deposit.

Anyone who gets more than 30 checks a year would have to sign-up for direct deposit, or pay a $2.50/per check fee.

Topinka is also going to stop sending checks that are less than $5 dollars. If someone asks for a check, then her office will send it without charging the check fee.

Topinka says the changes will save a million dollars a year in paper and postage alone.