Do you have a cheque book?

[DVLEh]

I haven't had one since 2020.

I asked 4 friends. None of them have a cheque book either.

We're all 40s-60s and haven't needed one for years. 2 friends' bank accounts could request a cheque book, but the other 3 of us couldn't.

I need to send a cheque or postal order to the DVLA. So it's a national government service asking.

And on another note, the man in the PO yesterday didn't know what a postal order was, so couldn't issue me one.

YABU - change your bank account to one which automatically issues a cheque book

YANBU - the DVLA needs to join the 21st century

Yes. I keep it with the passports.

I have one but haven’t written one in ages. Husband also has one and again couldn’t tell you the last time he wrote a cheque. Both 40 and 41.

age 53, I have 2 chequebooks, one for each bank account. I think they each go back to 2017 as had to write cheques for things in primary school before they adopted a payment system. I use the odd cheque now for charity draws etc.

My neighbour gives me cheques for shopping that I buy him and a few clients still pay me by cheque.

I have a second current account that I regularly change provider of, depending on the free cash they're offering to switchers. It's currently TSB, so they'll send me one if I ask.

I'm going to pursue the PO option though, as it's unlikely a chequebook will arrive before Christmas.

@DVLEh I had no idea about this, so will make sure to keep any current cheque books in case we need to pay one to the DVLA. Wtaf tho?

I do have one somewhere as it’s not the kind of thing you chuck I guess; not used it for many years tho. Used to pay the kids Scouts subs with it I think. I imagine even that will be BACs now (kids in their 20s now). I suppose I could put my hand on it if need be. But I am 61 and have had my First Direct current ac for about 30 years. My DC deffo don't have one.

We sometimes get a cheque eg as a refund from the railways I think? DD had to process one recently for some reason and the online method wouldn't accept it (the back of it was blank IIRC) so DH had to go to an actual bank with it.

I have a second current account that I regularly change provider of, depending on the free cash they're offering to switchers. It's currently TSB, so they'll send me one if I ask.

I'm tempted to do this @DVLEh but don't you have to close your other one and transfer all DDs and salary pay-in?

I do but I haven’t used it for many years. Had the same bank account for a long time.

I have one. Use it very seldom

a government body asked me for a cheque, I had to order a cheque book to write one.

Yes, I have a cheque book because I pay the hair salon, flour mill, chimney sweep and tree surgeon with cheques at their request. Their choice because bank processing costs are less. My standard bank account automatically sends me a new book when the current one is getting low.

Having said that, the hair salon and chimney sweep are moving to cash only in the new year because banks have started putting up the cost of processing cheques.

I have one somewhere, but haven’t used it in years.

Here in Ireland we have Xmas savings called penny bank local committee arrange it. our savings are still paid every year by cheque
my mother in law is in her 80s and still uses cheques all the time
cheques usage on started to reduce in the early 2000s. I worked in retail then we still accepted cheques to a certain extent some social welfare payments were paid via cheque as well as health insurance refunds.

I’ve got one somewhere, haven’t used it for years.

We pay for our coal by cheque in the UK and that’s it. Our coalman is a conspiracy theorist who believes that the contrails from aeroplanes contain poison and drugs being sprayed by the Government. Perhaps his mindset influences his choice of payment methods.

Where we live in France however a cheque is still the gold standard for paying for trades and services, largely because the rules around bouncing a cheque are so strict and the consequences for your access to regular banking services, never mind credit, if you do bounce a cheque are so severe.

Fewer and fewer shops here accept cheques nowadays but our local LeClerc does and there is no sinking feeling greater than when the little old lady at the front of the queue rummages through her handbag and produces her cheque book. Cue a ten minute wait while she writes it out longhand (all automated cheque printing having long been superseded by chip and pin machines), has to verify the amount several times and then has to write all the information out again in full in the record slip, and finally, only when the cheque is handed over, a supervisor is summoned to verify the identity of Madame la Cheque. Many older people here still trust cheques more than anything else.

We have a small motor trade related business and the only way to pay for annual renewal of trade plates is by cheque.

Think you will find people were using cheques well into the 90s if not later.

I have a cheque book and use it for people/businesses that have made my life awkward! Or for paying large bills where I want the bank to be aware that the transaction has been deliberate.

Bank processing costs are less than doing a direct bacs transfer on your phone or online?
All my local trades want paying my direct bank transfer. Have done for years.

I have a chequebook and write about 8 cheques per year. It is handy for posting payments or sending cards with 'birthday money'.

No. My bank stopped doing cheques quite a few years ago - I had one in Uni and for a few years after that but I think it stopped around 2005 or so.

RESULT!

Drove past a corner shop with a PO counter. PO open on a Sunday.

They issued my PO (plus a 12.5% charge) and then the form got sent off recorded.

You don't have to pay the salary in. I have 2 DDs set up on the second account, and transfer £70 in a month to cover them. (License fee + water bill)

I have one, I needed it when I was acting for my mum, much easier to pay bills and keep track. I also have one in my own name. I can only put cheques into DDs saving's account. Not cash because of money laundering.

@DVLEh I struck this last month - had to pay for replacement licence and couldn’t believe the only options were cheque or postal order. Might as well have suggested wiring the money or sending a telegram.
we turned the house upside down and found a cheque book with ONE cheque in it, last used in 2018.

Pretty much the same as this. Growing up my parents used them regularly but not very often now. But are still shocked I don’t have a cheque book

dp has one automatically issued by bank. Used one cheque in 10 years type thing