Denver (AP) Colorado has begun paying unemployment benefits with a visa debit card instead of a paper check.

The State Department of Labor and Employment began using the Colorado Automated Payment card on Monday to pay unemployment benefits.

It's expected to save $210,000 a year in postage.

The last unemployment check was printed Friday, ending a 73-year-old practice of using checks to make unemployment benefits payments.

The department says it would like to eventually offer direct deposit into recipient's bank accounts.