to wonder how Schools are going to cope when cheques become obsolete soon?

[BalloonSlayer]

This last week I have almost used up my chequebook, on:

• swimming
  
• Christmas cards (designed by my child)
  
• school trip
  
• school photos
  
• pre-school fees
  

I have managed to save precious cheques and find cash for:

• raffle tickets
  
• school workshop that will enrich my DC's learning environment but will ONLY happen if every parent pays yadda yadda yadda
  

School doesn't suggest any method of payment other than cash or cheque. What is going to happen when cheques become obsolete because "no one uses them any more?"

Might schools stop asking for money? >

[MMQC]

Bank transfers

[TheLogLady]

parentpay.

[southeastastra]

ours has just got wisepay or something seems good! hate sending ds in with cheques always think he will forget

[domesticsluttery]

I hope it doesn't mean that you have to pay cash for everything. After a couple of disagreements (I had paid but school said I hadn't) I much prefer to pay by cheque as if necessary I can prove that they cashed a cheque for that amount on that date.

[bruffin]

dc's school have a debit/credit card form to fill in. I think smaller organisations such as clubs may have more of a problem. I am treasurer for our scout pack and take a lot of cheques and cash and can't take credit/debit cards.

[NoahAndTheWhale]

My bank account doesn't have a cheque book and I manage. Have to pay using cash.

[OneTwoBaubleMySanta]

We use bank transfer for DDs nursery.

[admylin]

No one uses cheques here in Germany, everything is by bank transfer or smaller amounts in cash (like 5 or 10 euro for day trips etc).

[Galena]

I don't use cheques often. In fact, I think pretty much the only person I've paid to with my present chequebook is the windowcleaner. If I'm out when he comes to clean the windows he pops an addressed envelope through the door and I put a cheque in it, a stamp on it and send it back. In fact, even if I'm in I give him a cheque as I never know exactly when he's going to come and won't have the cash about.

[Deliaskis]

Not sure about schools, but Girlguiding UK is soon to launch a Guiding bank account facility, so that we can pay and recieve money by online transfer etc.

I suspect schools will end up with a similar set up.

D

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

I was wondering the same thing myself, Balloon. I prefer to send cheques into school with the children as I've had a couple of incidents in the past with DD1 taking cash into school and it being lost, either by DD or by office staff.

Hopefully both my older childrens' schools will start up some sort of system where we can pay by debit card or online. In fact an online one would be great, much less hassle than writing out a cheque, finding an envelope to send the cheque in, etc etc.

[Marrow]

Our school using ParentPay which is great. No more scrabbling around for loose change!

[MmeLindt]

I don't think I have signed a cheque in the last 10 years.

We lived in Germany and now Switzerland where they were phased out years ago. As Admylin said, bank transfer is very common.

Nowadays with so many using online banking, it is much easier to transfer money online.

[RandyRussian]

bruffin a possible way to accept credit cards is for your organisation to open a Paypal account. This would let you email bills to people and they would be able to pay with their credit card.

[Mum72]

I much prefer cheque for payment of this type of thing. Too many discrpancies about my so called non payment - thankfully having paid by cheque meant that I could proove I had infact paid.
I have to say it is only school stuff etc that I use my cheques for these days though.

[ShrinkingViolet]

trouble with paypal is the charges per transaction - you'd have to factor that into bills, or bear the cost as an organisation. For a small club, that could be an issue.

[weirdbird]

I wonder about this too, and for charities I wonder how they will be accountable as I am a signatory and we have to have 2 signatures to prevent abuse!

[weirdbird]

I am also a small time self employed trader, half of my money is paid to me by cheque.

I could not afford to take the loss by having a chip and pin machine (ridiculas cost)

Most small traders I know are the same, I use cheques to pay
Osteopath
Window Cleaner
Accupuncturist
Brownies
School
Hair dresser
Phoneix Card Trader
Gym fees

I do not like carrying cash and only keep under £10 on me

[InkyStamp]

Australians rarely use cheques either. It is all cash or transfer. People dont accept (even schools and businesses personal cheques anymore.

[badfairy]

Yes it does my head in...only thing I use cheques for now is the school and I can never find the bloody cheque book !

[elphabadefiesgravity]

I use cheques a lot both for personal stuff (school, ballet etc) and for my business (run a children's activity. I am going to have to get a chip and pin machine but its £30 per month which is a lot of money in comparison to what I take. However it is cheaper than paypal overall.

I really resent having to do this. Prices are going to end up going up to account for the charges for small businesses/organisations. As it is I am going to have to charge extra for credit cards.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Bank transfers. It's the only way forward, imo, and it doesn't cost anything. Haven't written a cheque for years and years.

[elphabadefiesgravity]

But bank transfers take a lot more admin on th4e reciving end. Fine if you are a big office with someone to check online banking each day - not if you are a small trader/organisation who is not able to log on daily and check.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Do they? No need to visit the bank to pay them in (which would take me a long time, if I ran a business that is), for starters.

It only takes five minutes to check your bank account online.

[elphabadefiesgravity]

I work right opposite a bank and also often pay the cheques in whilst waiting for dd in her ballet class.

Online banking I have to faff around with dongles and stuff. I enter cheques up as I receive them then pay them in. Its really simple easier than trying to cross reference children with amounts paid in.

We do accept standing irder and online payments but I much prefer cheques and most parents pay by cheque.