Check clearing activity expanded sharply during the month of September with the number of checks accelerating by 22.17% month-on-month to 25,581. On an annual basis, fresh check clearing activity pursued its positive momentum with the total number of checks increasing by 122.14% year-on-year to ~143.19K during the first nine months of 2026 from 64.46K a year earlier. In addition, statistics are showing a much higher prevalence for fresh denominated checks, with their contribution increasing from 43.75% of total clearing activity YTD September 2025 (LBP contribution of 17.32% and USD contribution of 92.23%) to 74.11% YTD September 2026 (44.79% for LBP & 98.11% for USD). In details, the total number of fresh LBP-denominated checks rose from 16,518 YTD September 2025 to 38,964 in the same period this year, with their value rising by 110.17% to LBP 57,554 billion. Similarly, the total number of fresh USD-denominated checks rose from 47,943 by end of September 2025 to 104,229 YTD September 2026 with the value of these checks increasing sharply to $1.31 billion from $647.94 million in the first nine months of 2025. Of the total number of fresh cleared checks, 72.79% was denominated in foreign currency, versus 74.38% a year before.

The value of non-fresh LBP-denominated cleared checks dropped by 8.85% y-o-y during the first nine months of 2026 to LBP 41,506 billion (distributed over 48,021 checks) from LBP 45,537 billion (distributed over 78,850 checks) a year earlier. In the same vein, the value of non-fresh USD-denominated cleared checks contracted by 39.92% y-o-y to $313 million (distributed over 2,008 checks) from $521 million (distributed over 4,040 checks) YTD September 2025. In addition, statistics indicate a sharp decline in the use of non-fresh USD-denominated checks, the share of which fell from 7.8% of total USD checks YTD September 2025 to 1.9% in the same period of 2026, reflecting their diminishing role as a payment channel and as an instrument to settle local Dollar-denominated debts. Of the total number of non-fresh cleared checks, 95.99% was denominated in local currency, versus 95.13% a year before.

In a related note, the total number of returned checks (fresh and non-fresh) expressed as a percentage of the total number of cleared checks dropped to 0.41% during the first nine months of 2026 down from 0.47% a year earlier. In details, the number of LBP-denominated returned checks (fresh & non-fresh) calculated as a percentage of the number of LBP-denominated cleared checks dropped to 0.28% by end of September 2026 down from 0.35% a year earlier with that of USD-denominated ones (fresh & non-fresh) calculated as a percentage of total USD-denominated cleared checks slowing to 0.53% down from 0.68% YTD September 2025.