Page 8 | “Please make cheques payable to”

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 2026-07-17T05:37:20+00:00

I went for a private healthcare appointment recently and just got the invoice in the post. It says that the preferred payment method is a cheque! I’m in my 20s and have never written a cheque before. AIBU to think they need to update their payment terms?

Cevita · 17/07/2026 08:26

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 07:34

Exactly!

I have a 15 minute window that I can pay in today (I have lunch plans already), and if they don’t answer the phone it has to wait till Monday

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You are mumsnetting

Why don’t you call now?

ToohotToohotToohot · 17/07/2026 08:25

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:23

Fuck me.

God forbid anyone expresses an opinion on anything?

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Maybe go back to bed and get out the right side?

You're showing your age and not in a good way.

You asked a question and don't like the answers.

It's called 'expressing an opinion'.
Just happens it's not the same as yours!

Cevita · 17/07/2026 08:25

Can you send a screen shot of the part where it says the ONLY options are cheque or call up?

thedogisfine · 17/07/2026 08:24

my first job out of uni in 2008 was as purchase ledger at a company and my main weekly job was the ‘cheque run’ where I had to sit and basically write out cheques for suppliers. About 150 at a time. Then post them out.
ah the nostalgia

Sherararara · 17/07/2026 08:24

WerewolfOfLoudon · 17/07/2026 08:22

Some people can't use the Internet to get car insurance and must call as underwriters are required or they need to add more than 3 cars or more drivers or a whole combination of reasons they can't take out a policy online. Most people who need to make a mid term adjustment also need to phone and if their policy isn't on DD then a card payment is required. Not everyone can get DD for insurance either.

That's car insurance, health insurance will be so much more complicated it's unlikely any of it is done on the Internet. (Online)

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Which part of “most” do you fail to comprehend?

Original poster

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:24

BringBackCatsEyes · 17/07/2026 08:23

OK - well it did happen not long ago and people were inconvenienced as they were mid shopping or in a cafe or something. Maybe not ALL systems (though power cuts bugger card payments up), but some.
Those that had cash were able to continue.

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Did it? Global payment networks went down not long ago?

OP posts:

Original poster

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:24

WerewolfOfLoudon · 17/07/2026 08:22

Some people can't use the Internet to get car insurance and must call as underwriters are required or they need to add more than 3 cars or more drivers or a whole combination of reasons they can't take out a policy online. Most people who need to make a mid term adjustment also need to phone and if their policy isn't on DD then a card payment is required. Not everyone can get DD for insurance either.

That's car insurance, health insurance will be so much more complicated it's unlikely any of it is done on the Internet. (Online)

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Really? I’ve never had to phone for car insurance. Why would underwriters be required?

I’ve probably had to make five personal phone calls in the last five years. All to do with NHS stuff (shock!), aside from that everything is online.

OP posts:

ToohotToohotToohot · 17/07/2026 08:23

If all systems genuinely did go down, to the point no card works ever, we’re in a lot of trouble and the last thing on your mind will be paying cash for some clothes.

no, not clothes.

In light of cyber attacks, it's advised to have some cash for food, fuel, essentials.

BringBackCatsEyes · 17/07/2026 08:23

Backedoffhackedoff · 17/07/2026 08:18

Not really. If “all systems go down” I wouldn’t be able to withdraw any anyway. And what would I need to spend money on that badly that couldn’t wait until systems were back up?

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OK - well it did happen not long ago and people were inconvenienced as they were mid shopping or in a cafe or something. Maybe not ALL systems (though power cuts bugger card payments up), but some.
Those that had cash were able to continue.

Original poster

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:23

ToohotToohotToohot · 17/07/2026 08:21

This is very common.

Many private consultants use this method but some do outsource to a centralised patient payment service where you can access your invoice and pay online.

I don't know why you're reacting- just phone.

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Fuck me.

God forbid anyone expresses an opinion on anything?

OP posts:

WerewolfOfLoudon · 17/07/2026 08:22

Sherararara · 17/07/2026 07:48

Most people would pay via the internet.

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Some people can't use the Internet to get car insurance and must call as underwriters are required or they need to add more than 3 cars or more drivers or a whole combination of reasons they can't take out a policy online. Most people who need to make a mid term adjustment also need to phone and if their policy isn't on DD then a card payment is required. Not everyone can get DD for insurance either.

That's car insurance, health insurance will be so much more complicated it's unlikely any of it is done on the Internet. (Online)

ToohotToohotToohot · 17/07/2026 08:21

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 06:42

The only other method is to call them up and pay via card. Both methods are pretty outdated

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This is very common.

Many private consultants use this method but some do outsource to a centralised patient payment service where you can access your invoice and pay online.

I don't know why you're reacting- just phone.

BringBackCatsEyes · 17/07/2026 08:19

I'll tell you who uses cheques.
My ex!
Every month I get my paltry child maintenance cheque in the post. Thankfully I can pay it in online now. Before then I could take it to the post office, but with our village one now closed getting to a PO is a pain.

Also the Post Office sent me a compensation cheque (when they lost my passport and important docs.....). It was too big for online paying in. You'd think the PO would know that.

Also, Premium Bonds wins, though I get that auto transferred now.

beAsensible1 · 17/07/2026 08:19

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:17

As long as they answer the phone straight away.

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They’ll have a phone triage. It could even just be an automated system rather than to a person

Backedoffhackedoff · 17/07/2026 08:18

BringBackCatsEyes · 17/07/2026 08:15

When all systems go down (it happens) you'll find that it's very, very convenient to have cash.

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Not really. If “all systems go down” I wouldn’t be able to withdraw any anyway. And what would I need to spend money on that badly that couldn’t wait until systems were back up?

Original poster

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:18

BringBackCatsEyes · 17/07/2026 08:15

When all systems go down (it happens) you'll find that it's very, very convenient to have cash.

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It happens very rarely.

realistically I have what I need already on my phone (bus pass to get home), so I’d be fine. If all systems genuinely did go down, to the point no card works ever, we’re in a lot of trouble and the last thing on your mind will be paying cash for some clothes.

OP posts:

Sherararara · 17/07/2026 08:18

BringBackCatsEyes · 17/07/2026 08:15

When all systems go down (it happens) you'll find that it's very, very convenient to have cash.

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Sure. But for the other 99.999% of the time cashless rules.

MyThreeWords · 17/07/2026 08:18

CanSeeClearlyNowTheRainHasGone · 17/07/2026 08:00

You could make the process a whole lot less painful and time-consuming by just making the payment (over the phone, which you say you love using) and not wasting half an hour blogging about how not all of the world works as you would like it to.

"il faut cultiver notre jardin"

as Voltaire said back in 1759 ... the whole novel is a good life lesson

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This is a completely ridiculous post -- first because of course is is old-fashioned and slightly odd for a private hospital to require payment either by cheque or a phone call, and secondly because "blogging about it" (aka relaxing by chatting on MN) is not "making the process more painful", It is just chatting on MN.

Backedoffhackedoff · 17/07/2026 08:17

Owly11 · 17/07/2026 07:54

There are many reasons why a company might need you to call in. Fraud prevention, minimisation of mistakes by the customer especially in an organisation where some people self fund and some people are paid by insurance pay outs, cyber crime and most importantly admin. It creates a lot of extra admin linking payments to invoices via bank transfer and the organisation's software may be set up to link invoices directly to card payments where it won't be to bank transfers.

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Why do you think this? The only reason a company need you to call in is because they don’t have the tech installed so customers can do it online.

Original poster

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:17

beAsensible1 · 17/07/2026 08:16

It’s unlikely to take more than 3/5 minutes

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As long as they answer the phone straight away.

OP posts:

Original poster

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:17

shoesandshipsandsealingwax · 17/07/2026 08:13

I’m with you OP - I have never once paid over the phone via card for anything, and the last (and only) time I wrote a cheque was as a student in 2009 and even then it felt old fashioned.

Last time I had to do it was when my card had declined in specsavers (neither of us realised, it was one of those where you needed to put it in for the pin but it was busy), and she called me to ask me to pay. When I tell you neither of us could work it out and it took about ten minutes 🤣

OP posts:

Sherararara · 17/07/2026 08:16

Owly11 · 17/07/2026 07:54

There are many reasons why a company might need you to call in. Fraud prevention, minimisation of mistakes by the customer especially in an organisation where some people self fund and some people are paid by insurance pay outs, cyber crime and most importantly admin. It creates a lot of extra admin linking payments to invoices via bank transfer and the organisation's software may be set up to link invoices directly to card payments where it won't be to bank transfers.

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Weak arguement and many of your points are factually incorrect - in fact the opposite is true - online payments are faster, less
susceptible to fraud, and less susceptible to mistakes.

beAsensible1 · 17/07/2026 08:16

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 07:34

Exactly!

I have a 15 minute window that I can pay in today (I have lunch plans already), and if they don’t answer the phone it has to wait till Monday

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It’s unlikely to take more than 3/5 minutes

BringBackCatsEyes · 17/07/2026 08:15

asatelliteisnttoofarright · 17/07/2026 08:12

Why though? Cash is dirty (literally! It’s filthy) and inconvenient

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When all systems go down (it happens) you'll find that it's very, very convenient to have cash.

Backedoffhackedoff · 17/07/2026 08:14

itsmeitsyou · 17/07/2026 07:43

I don't get it.
You would be using the phone to send the money either way.
Put your big girl knickers on and speak to a stranger on the phone.

What’s there to get? A cheque is a weird way of paying in 2026 and OP is simply discussing that.

and obviously you don’t need to use the phone as a phone to pay by Apple Pay or bank transfer, which takes a minute or two vs making a phone call, explaining what you want, reading out numbers etc.

i had to phone a card payment to a court last year- I probably only do that once or twice a year