Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you have a cheque book?

167 replies

DVLEh · 14/12/2025 09:06

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

OP posts:
MonGrainDeSel · 14/12/2025 19:32

I have got a cheque book. Last used it when my daughter was in primary school, probably about Y4. She's 19.

riceuten · 14/12/2025 19:39

I still have Nationwide and Santander ones. I was surprised when I opened a Virgin account last year they sent me a paying in book and a cheque book.

i haven’t written a cheque in years but Aviva did send me a cheque recently when I sold their shares. I scanned it in using Santander and it got paid in, in a couple of days.

I never understand why people are so squeamish about giving people their bank details - they are there on any cheque you write.

Retired65 · 14/12/2025 20:17

Cheque books are no longer issued by the banks automatically you have to request one. I use cheques to pay for outings and meals with my husband's Probus group.

elliejjtiny · 14/12/2025 20:24

I've got one but haven't used it since the school went digital. I still keep it though, it's the only thing that has my account number and sort code on it.

fetchacloth · 14/12/2025 22:00

I have a cheque book but have only had to use it twice in 6 years. I really don't like using or receiving cheques if can be avoided.

Original poster
DVLEh · 14/12/2025 22:35

Gingabex · 14/12/2025 18:52

I had a similar situation with the DVLA. No cheque book and the local Post Office couldn't issue a postal order on a Saturday, and I needed it sorted. A friend kindly wrote me the cheque and I paid her back.
It's so antiquated.

That's why I asked my friends. I hoped one of them could write the cheque and I'd transfer them the money.

OP posts:
3678194b · 14/12/2025 23:24

I still have one in the drawer. However, the last time it got used was 2021.

Never really used it back then, except the music teacher preferred a cheque, so all of the stubs I can see were of cheques written out to her.

gogomomo2 · 14/12/2025 23:29

Technically but not sure where it is. Why not use a debit card or pay online?

PashaMinaMio · 14/12/2025 23:34

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 14/12/2025 09:15

I have one, kept at the bottom of a drawer. I might have to write one cheque every five years or so - I think the last one was something to do with DVLA?

I have just paid my HMRC tax bill with my card, on line.

I would hope all Govt departments including the DVLA will take payments on line.

What are the DVLA asking you to pay for that needs a cheque? I tax my car on line with my bank card. I renewed my driving licence with my bank card.

Beware of a scam. Do your research.

gogomomo2 · 14/12/2025 23:34

I got a duplicate v5, they were really helpful and whilst I had to send a form you could call up and pay over the phone once they received it, was a couple of years ago

caringcarer · 14/12/2025 23:51

I've got an English one and a French one too. I rarely write a cheque but I still like to have the cheque book.

Chickensagain · 14/12/2025 23:53

No, my bank account doesn’t do them, even before I switched I think I’ve only wrote one or two as an adult and that was over ten years ago.

Ponderingwindow · 15/12/2025 00:17

I order a box of checks every decade or more. I can never find the current book of them when I need them, but I do have them. Every now and then I need one. Typically it will be something for the school where they will only take a check. I think we used one last year.

I can get them from my bank fairly easily. I just ask the teller to issue a set and a box is mailed to my house. I think I can also request them online at this point, but couldn’t do that the last time we needed a new set. It’s been a long time.

Violinist64 · 15/12/2025 01:55

KilliMonjaro · 14/12/2025 09:13

No. Because it’s not the 1950’s.

Actually, the highest number of cheques written was in 1990, although I appreciate that 1990 was 35 years ago... On a more serious note, though, I have a chequebook knocking around somewhere but haven't written a cheque for years. Online banking all the way for me and I am over sixty.

Original poster
DVLEh · 15/12/2025 07:44

Beware of a scam. Do your research.

You too @PashaMinaMio

Yours is quite easy. You just need to read my posts, and others, on this thread.

It's been addressed a few times by several posters that it isn't a scam.

Like I said to another poster, just because it's outside your experience, it doesn't make it a scam. 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
DisplayPurposesOnly · 15/12/2025 07:48

I wrote several cheques yesterday - Christmas money for various young people. I like that they have to go to the effort of paying them in. It's probably the only time they see a cheque.

I also wrote a cheque to DVLA last year for a replacement V5C logbook.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 15/12/2025 07:57

PashaMinaMio · 14/12/2025 23:34

I have just paid my HMRC tax bill with my card, on line.

I would hope all Govt departments including the DVLA will take payments on line.

What are the DVLA asking you to pay for that needs a cheque? I tax my car on line with my bank card. I renewed my driving licence with my bank card.

Beware of a scam. Do your research.

Show quote history

No scam. I pay my HMRC bill online but this was a rebate, sent as a cheque.

And the DVLA thing, it was a while back but it was something to do with my driving licence - I was moving from a paper one to a photo licence but also changing my name and address. There was a lot of confusing information and I was told, erroneously, that I had to pay. The only payment information I was given was to write a cheque.

In the end, I didn't need to pay at all and they returned the cheque.

KabukiNoh · 15/12/2025 08:04

I have to do some paperwork for the DVLA sometimes and they pay me by cheque. Thank god you can pay them in by app these days rather than go to the bank.

MrsClatterbuck · 15/12/2025 08:15

I have 4 for 2 accounts. Actually wrote a cheque a week ago 1st in 5 years. Not sure why I'm keeping them all. The reason I have so many is I was sent new ones when my branch closed and was sent new ones with new branch details. I worked in a bank but now retired and remember having to sort the cheques in the morning into alphabetical order and sorting them away after being posted to the ledger Also remember sending them out with the statements. I still have the paid cheque we used to buy our 1st house. Each cheque used to have be examined each day for date and amount and signature.

Also for any fraud especially on business cheques.

TappyGilmore · 15/12/2025 08:23

I live in New Zealand where cheques were officially scrapped in 2021, but I’m sure most people wouldn’t have used them for many years before that.

MandemChickenShop · 15/12/2025 08:35

Personally, I think a cheque can be more secure and convenient than online banking, in certain circumstances, particularly higher value stuff (retail banking).

ErrolTheDragon · 15/12/2025 08:41

I’ve still got a cheque book but I can’t remember when I last used it…
oh, think it was for some work on our driveway which was very unsatisfactory so for the only time in my life I cancelled the cheque!Grin

Anyway OP, YANBU. It’s really weird the DVLA can manage online payments for (afaik) most things - I had no problem renewing my license online recently - but not for others and are insisting on what are now archaic methods.

tourdefrance · 15/12/2025 08:41

I have a cheque book but have voted yanbu. It is rare to use it, sometimes to donate money to a charity through the post rather than giving my credit card details.
Used it a lot when kids were in primary like pp, discovering ParentPay at secondary was a great relief.

idontwanttomissathing · 15/12/2025 08:49

No, not had one for at least 10 years and I only used it then to pay my then 11 yr old sons football subs.
My now early 20s children have never had one but my parents (78 and 83) do and I saw my dad use it last week to pay the man who fitted their new front door.
I do remember being taught how to write one out in school though about 1983.

KimberleyClark · 15/12/2025 09:09

I have one but it’s years since I used it.