`Payroll cards' offered as swap for paychecks.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Many immigrants, young adults and others who shun traditional checking accounts could soon choose how they want their paychecks: paper or plastic?

Bank of America Corp. is one of five U.S. banks working with Visa USA to offer a "payroll card," which works like a direct deposit of an employee's wages but can be used like a debit card wherever Visa is accepted. It's an alternative to using check-cashing stores, which some criticize for excessive fees.

For Bank of America, the service will be an addition to the company's CashPay card, which works only at automated teller machines. The new Visa CashPay card will be available Sept. 1.

"There are a lot of immigrants who don't have banking accounts and a lot of young adults in the fast food industry who don't have banking accounts," said Jeffrey Rankin, a Bank of America senior vice president and senior manager for corporate and commercial card services. "We'd like those individuals to bank with us but haven't made much progress."

A Federal Reserve study last year showed that about 10 percent of Americans do not have bank accounts. Many turn to check-cashing establishments.

Miyoko Worthy, 18, a Charlotte day-care worker, cashes her paychecks at a check-cashing place and says she's not interested in a payroll card.

But banks might get her business anyway, she says, because she wants to open a checking account.