When was the last time you wrote a cheque? Did you know it would be your last?

[piintheski]

I honestly can't remember when it was, and no I didn't know it would be my last. I do remember paying for childcare by cheque over 20 years ago, so I suppose one of those was my last. It became so difficult with the nursery being unable to predict when they would pay the cheques in that I switched to cash.

A spelling lesson with year 7s, the words "check" and "cheque" came up, and the puzzlement and confusion around the room when I tried to explain 😂

It made me realise for the first time that I haven't written a cheque in decades, and don't even know when I last owned a cheque book, or what happened to it.

I bet there are Mumsnetters who have never written a cheque!

Very rarely now, my current cheque book must be over 15 years old and lives tucked away in my filling system. I wrote one a couple of months ago for a wedding cash gift in a card. Didn't want to do cash incase they lost it and asking for bank transfer details didn't seem right.

The first and only time I've ever used one was a couple of months ago, I wanted to change the photo on my driving licence but not use my passport pic so I had to send a paper form and cheque.

I received the new licence then the next week a letter from DVLA arrived with the cheque returned as I hadn't filled it out properly.
I dont know why they issue the licence before processing payment.
I had 2 weeks to send a new cheque, had to look up how to write a cheque 😬

2019 I think . Used to pay my hairdresser and other people doing any work for us at home by cheque. Use online bank transfer now . I have an elderly aunt who sends me money for my birthday and Christmas by cheque - I've had cash this time so I hope that continues as, although it's lovely of her to still send this, I no longer have a branch if my bank locally to pay it in .

Not everyone can get online for a plethora of reasons. It's unkind to judge those that use cheques.

Must have been about 2012 ish. I don't know anyone personally who uses them now.

I no longer have a branch if my bank locally to pay it in.

I just take a photo of them using a banking app. I don’t need to leave the house.

That is too weird, what did she think the post boxes were for?

I bet there are Mumsnetters who have never written a cheque!

Yep, I don't think I've ever written one.

I got a cheque book when I first opened an account at 16. I can't think of a time I'd have used it though.

Every couple of months for my Brownies - most things we can pay by bank transfer but there's a few events/recipients that still prefer cheques. I can't remember when I last used a personal one, probably a few years ago.

I wrote a cheque for a late tax return fine to HMRC about two years ago. I still keep a cheque book just for them.

Still use cheques to pay our mechanic. His preferred method.
So July when he took the car for the Mot.

I’ve never written a cheque! I had a chequebook when I first got an account. I have never needed to use it. I was born in the 80s, so not particularly young!!

For various reasons we did them through a Solicitor and they sent them off to the relevant department and they had to have cheques with them.

These are interesting! I am particularly surprised how many people still need them. thinking about it, I suppose I still pay in the occasional cheque myself, through the app, although it is decades since I wrote one.

Along similar lines, here is a couple of other things that have come up in lessons, that surprise me, and we are talking about teenagers here!

1. in a whole class, not one had ever attended a dentist

2. In a whole class, not one had ever seen a physical object called a radio. Although many listen to the radio through apps, or the car dashboard

I was wracking my brain knowing I had written a cheque fairly recently and, yes, it was in response to my mechanic who posts handwritten invoices a few days after he's done the work.

Last one I remember writing was in Cricklewood poundstretchers, in 2002/2003.

Apparently you can upload a photo of it to your app now.

I haven't had a cheque book in nearly 20 years though.

Pretty soon there will be whole classes that have never seen a GP.

Money transfer from a mobile app is quicker than writing a cheque & the money is moved usually instantly. No need for security codes etc. especially if it’s an account you regularly pay money into

I think I've used 4 or 5 cheques and all for weddings as don't want to take the risk of cash gift being lost. We received lots of cheques for our own wedding gifts also but not really much since then tbf. Otherwise bank transfer for pretty much everything else!

Gosh! Years ago. Cannot actually remember. I was cross when Barclays stopped sending me cheque books but now it is so easy to transfer money I no longer care.

About 5 years ago for school photos. The school had changed photographer yet again and the options were to order online which meant setting up yet another account, password etc which would only ever be used once, or tick a form, write a cheque and return it in the envelope, and as my chequebook was to hand and my purse with card in was in the other room at the time I did the latter. I used to use them all the time to pay for things related to the DCs (Scouts, dance classes, school dinners etc) but it all went electronic years ago now.

I still receive several a year for various reasons and mostly pay them in on the Barclays app but I get one which is over the limit and have to take it into a branch, for that one I pay it into my Nationwide account as they do still have a branch here, none of the banks do.

Years and years ago. I have no idea where my cheque book is.

Used to love a cheque guarantee card

I was paid in cash for something recently, and used it to pay for a big shop. £120 in slippery plastic notes jumped out of my hands and scattered all over the "bagging area" and had to be scrabbled for by me and the cashier. I can't remember the last time I used cash either!