I wrote a cheque today. I used a chequebook that I got when I opened the account, which was when I turned 18. Its not even a third empty.
Whenever I need cash, I use an ATM. Otherwise its credit or debit cards. Or money transfer or even eBanking. Direct debit.
I think most of the cheques I have written have been to make a demand draft, and the last one was about 5 years ago.
Am I unique here? Do people still issue cheques often?
I probably write 5 to 10 per year – the alternatives you describe have largely replaced them for me. Taking out more cash than the ATM allows (for example to go on vacation), giving a family member a significant amount of money, and unusual events like attending a charity auction, are my reasons within the past year.
I write a check three times a month - once for the landlord, who doesn’t accept plastic, and twice for the health insurance as one check for me and one for my spouse because we have separate policies. In April I write an additional check to my accountant for preparing my taxes. Two to four times a year the dentist gets one (we can’t always afford to go every six months). Once in awhile I write one for another purpose.
I am definitely using more plastic than I used to, but I still write checks.
Last time I used a cheque was roughly 10 years ago (I received a big payment from another country). Last time I wrote a cheque… Roughly 23 years ago to a landlord in Madrid.
Cheques are basically extinct as a payment method in Continental Western Europe. I don’t remember when was the last time a bank issued me with a cheque book. As a matter of fact, my bank stopped issuing deposit and transfer slips in 2006. Now everything is electronic.
About 18 in a year. Monthly rent cheques and to pay my semimonthly hydro bill.
I support a local charity with maybe 2 checks a year. Some of my medical bills have to be paid by check - they don’t offer an online option. I’ll be sending my daughter a check for her birthday. And usually when I have my car serviced, I’ll write a check - it’s a little local shop and I figure not having to pay the percentage to VISA can make a difference to them.
Before debit cards were accepted almost everywhere, I wrote checks all the time - even for gas and grocery purchases. Now it’s mostly plastic, rarely cash, and checks as stated already. I’ve got 6 new checkbooks plus half of one in my wallet - I honestly don’t expect to need to order any more before I die.
I almost never write checks anymore, but every month I have my bank print one and mail it to my landlord.
One each month for rent, and maybe one or two more per year for my daughter’s school stuff or something.
They are good for a paper trail, like rent payments. And allow access to your account without having to give vital information away if you are doing recurring expenses with people you don’t trust too much (like a landlord for example)
I haven’t written a cheque in over 20 years. Direct bank transfers and credit card / PayPal take care of all my needs.
I* send* checks from my bank, but I only write one in those very rare in-person check-or-money-order-only situations.
Everything else is cash or CC. Never ever debit.
I don’t have a checkbook and haven’t since coming back from the US in 2003. I used a cashier’s check to buy a car that same year and one (which I didn’t even touch, the guy from the bank showed it to the registrar and put it back in the folder) to buy my flat in 2007.
Hop over to Dunkirk. In a year in the Three-Borders area (2007), I never saw a check used; last year around Dunkirk and Calais every large supermarket accepted them and I saw them being used several times (several of the small ones did not accept them at all).
I haven’t written a cheque since I had a business account for my rental properties maybe 13 years ago. I can’t recall how long ago I wrote a personal cheque, several decades. As far as I know no-one other than the elderly uses personal cheques in Australia.
I last wrote a check in 1990.
I write a handful for regular bills each month, and I take checks as payment.
So how do you address mistakes? Somebody says they’ve paid you, the bank says you don’t have the money (or the other way round), nobody has any physical documentation?
I write one check a month for rent because they charge a $15 “convenience fee” for online payment. What horseshit…
I can’t remember the last time I saw a personal cheque - easily more than 15 years ago. Some small businesses do still use cheques for payments though. (This is the UK)
All transaction information is stored by the bank and is accessible online (or you can call the bank and they can print the list of transactions and send it to you, if you can’t/won’t do it yourself).
If somebody says they’ve paid me but the money isn’t in my account (or viceversa) then I get in touch with my bank and they will track the transaction.
It happened once to me with one alimony payment one month. It transpired that I had given the wrong routing data for the transfer; the money was tracked and ended up coming back to my account. My ex was gracious enough to wait for the 10 days’ delay in getting her money.
I assume you are in the US. You guys are getting visibly shafted by your banks. Of course, UK banks will adjust interest rates in a tiny way to pay for free ATM transactions, direct debits and transfers etc, but still.
Unless that’s your landlord charging the “convenience fee” of course. That’s even worse than the bank charging it.