This check processing fee seems decidedly unreasonable.

I agree with the others that you should try to avoid checks whenever possible. If you do get a check however you might want to talk to your bank about their part of the total fee. Now, I don't know about J.P. Morgan Chase or any other American bank for that matter, but here in Europe almost everything is negotiable if you're a customer at the bank in question. With some manoeuvring, I managed to have my bank charge me nothing for my checks (except the fee from the foreign bank). Then again, they might just give me less than they initially would have when I go to negotiate the interest rates and we're even again.. who knows.