AIBU To Ask If You Ever Write Cheques

[TheShellBeach]

...............I actually started a thread on Twitter about this about six months ago, and discovered that loads of American people do still write cheques. I also discovered that a lot of US banks charge customers for using their debit cards.

Does anyone in the UK still use them? DH and I don't even have a chequebook, although we have a few elderly friends who do, and who are adamant that they'll carry on using them.

The last time I received a cheque was 4 years ago when I cancelled with Virgin Media. They sent the final (partial) month's worth of billing back to me... as a cheque!

When cancelling with BT, PlusNet and other internet providers, they just refunded the partial month's billing back to my bank. I don't know why Virgin Media couldn't do the same?

The last time I've written a cheque was in 2006, as that was my old landlord's preferred payment method.

My tradespeople e.g. tree surgeons, TV engineer, plumbers and bedroom decorator take money either by card machine, online or over the phone. Never by cheque.

I don't understand why some people struggle with online banking or refuse outright to use it. The internet has been mainstream for 25 years now and online banking for the last 20. Someone aged 75 now would have been 55 in 2002, and someone aged 40 now would have been 20 in 2002. In fact, any age 18 upwards is fine for banking. My granny is 96 and pays her cleaner online and sends Christmas/birthday money online.

Although a slightly different topic, I don't understand why some people go into the bank branch to pay their bills. A friend of mine (aged 48, so not that old) does this.

Although a slightly different topic, I don't understand why some people go into the bank branch to pay their bills. A friend of mine (aged 48, so not that old) does this.

If it keeps branches open, I'm very glad they do.

I don’t think I’ve written one in 10 years. I never use cash either. Milkman is done online, cleaner is a bank transfer, window cleaner is a bank transfer as is the boiler service and all other trades I’ve used recently.

I've got a wildlife scene on my cheques so I occasionally send one to nephew as a gift. I know he can pay it in on his phone app.

Until last year I wrote cheques - to my hairdresser, my younger cousin for gifts, and friends for their DC presents.

Now - i pay my hairdresser by bank transfer. Bless her - she loves that the money is there straightaway and she doesnt have to travel to the nearest town to cash the cheque. Her joy (in her 70's) not mine!

My younger cousin is in his late 30s and married - genuinely no longer needs birthday or Christmas pressies.

Friends DC now over 18. So stopped pressies.

So probably going forward I will now also be in the position of no longer needing to use a cheque book. it feels odd. I have to say.

Yes about 10-15 a week for my job and receive in about 20 a week usually from older clients

Can't remember the last time I wrote one. I am not opposed to the idea and still have a cheque book, but it hasn't arisen as I do most things by online banking or cards - still use some cash too though.

Not for years and even then only once in a blue moon, I do everything online, via bank transfer or card payment

For all those people making snide remarks about resisting technological advances, where I live, it is more to do with lack of mobile signal.

If the card machine can't be attached to a physical phone line, then there is very little mobile signal (or none) and so it frequently doesn't work. Any mobile businesses (chimney sweeps, window cleaners, gardeners, hair dressers, car repairs) or pop-up business ( Christmas trees etc) have the options of cash or cheque.

Those with regular trusted customers take cheques because it is less of a security risk than carrying a lot of cash.

You'd think so, but they insisted on sending me a cheque last year for some reason.

And yes to the DVLA asking for a cheque payment sometimes.
I remember when DH was renewing his driving licence that they asked for a cheque, and it was such a faff.
He had to go to the bank and ask for a draft.
This was despite being able to send a photo via the internet.
Bonkers.

Our village has a branch of the Bank of Scotland, which is open three days a week for about four hours.
When I walk past there are never any customers in there.
I cannot see that the branch will be missed. It doesn't really get used.
Banking can all be done online now anyway. Even cheques can be scanned with a phone app.

For the USA data - almost never now! The last time I wrote a cheque was for a bar mitzvah gift because I don't like sending cash in the post. I was appalled when one of my eldest's school clubs wanted a cheque for something. The PTA even uses Venmo now!

The US is behind the UK on getting rid of cheques but I dare say most younger people don't use them. The biggest issue is that there aren't easy person to person transfers like the UK or other European countries do. You have to use a 3rd party service like Venmo or Zelle. Trades people all come with card readers on their phones now. The last thing I had to regularly pay by cheque was day care, and that's years ago now. All the bills are done online.

I'm sure there's older people who just can't or won't do online payments, and use cheques a lot more.

I still get paid in cheques, it’s a right pain because the nearest bank is a train ride away but my employer won’t change.

My chequebook got ruined by a water leak recently. This week I needed to write 3 cheques. Instead I had to send my card details on paper through the mail which I hate doing as you have to include the 3 security digits on the back so seems an easy way to be defrauded if the mail ends up somewhere else.

I mainly use them for sending donations to charity, buying their raffle tickets etc. I'd prefer to pay the Cattery by cheque than cash too but seems I have no choice now my chequebook is a soggy mess.

I can’t remember the last time I wrote a cheque and we don’t have a cheque book. I use card or Apple Pay in shops, card online and pay people like the window cleaner by bank transfer.

My kids occasionally get a cheque from some older relatives/friends and they use their online banking app for it. I don’t know anyone our age that uses cheques so I imagine they’ll disappear at some point.

I write one per year to a government department which for this particular service will
Only accept a cheque or a postal order!

Each year when the form arrives the first thing I do is look to see if the payment options have changed. It seems archaic for a government department.

I write loads for my guide unit, expenses for leaders, any purchases, refunds for parents etc. I have to use cheques as getting dual authority on the bank account set up is painful! Anyone who has been part of a charities account will understand the hoops to jump through. I'm in the process of setting it up and it's taken 6 weeks do far.....

My parents pay by transfer which I prefer as getting to the bank is a pain but its a nightmare to check who has paid as I have to wait for statements etc due to no online access!

@TrickorTreacle

When cancelling with BT, PlusNet and other internet providers, they just refunded the partial month's billing back to my bank. I don't know why Virgin Media couldn't do the same?

Surely it's because they know that not all those cheques will be cashed. Some people will lose them and not bother to ask for a replacement, or never get round to going to the bank.

Although a slightly different topic, I don't understand why some people go into the bank branch to pay their bills. A friend of mine (aged 48, so not that old) does this.

I didn't even know this was a thing... Even way back last millennium!

Reading these posts i thought I'd gone back to the 90s! I have steadily written fewer and fewer cheques over the years. My sons martial arts was the last place i did back in 2020. Even they accept bank transfers now!

Haven’t had a chequebook in years and no idea of when I last wrote one. That said, I live in France where 80% of the cheque transactions in the EU take place, most of them committed by people in front of me in the supermarket. First they have to write out the cheque and then the cashier has to write down the info from their piece of identification. It takes forever and it drives me crazy. I’m thrilled that more and more places now refuse to take them, not least because the rate of fraud is very high.

I use cheques.

Still jolly useful for certain transactions

There are still millions used every year (well down from the peak, but not a niche activity)

I last wrote one in March to pay the man who cleans my oven, and I last banked one in October- gift from a relative that came by post, so cheque was v sensible. I don't mind paying by cheque but I am not around much in bank opening hrs & no branch near work, so paying them in can be a pain if my phone scanners not working well.

I used to process a lot of cheques in my last job though. I ostensibly worked alongside the army and we started accepting BACS in 2019 as a couple of places we dealt with had phased cheques out, though lots of places still paid us by cheque. In fact, it was easier to do so as I could reject ones for incorrect amounts and control quality of paperwork submissions whereas BACS goes to the regimental accountant and becomes messy if it's wrong- and paperwork will be held up if it's wrong, annoying the RAO.

BACs also requires proofs of payments and I often had to issue invoices or "letters requesting payment for the following" despite the actual army form being a self fill invoice. I wasn't allowed to actually say "invoice" until late 2021, either! Life was much easier when people HAD to pay us by cheque tbh!

Can’t imagine anything more tiresome than queuing in a bank to pay a bill, that to me is quite unbelievable, I sit on bed wit a cuppa & pay one bliss