When my mobile payment thread started mentioning the convenience or lack thereof compared to cash or debit cards, it got me wondering what the most common way of making payments. Not the ones that involve the most money, but the ones you use the most in day-to-day transactions. If you would, it would be nice if you mention why you use this method or if you don’t use certain methods at all.
Back in these woods checks are still the way to go. My Hughesnet and Directv are auto withdrawn. I take or mail checks to our Electric coop. It’s a bitch cause the office isn’t always staffed and some months they owe me. Which they really, really hate.
I pay C.C. statements online.
Our mortgage is paid off, I guess I would be still sending them a check.
Mostly debit card but I prefer cash when I can get around to getting some, for pos transactions, for household bills I pay all of those through my financial institution’s online bill paying setup, that way I can pay them all at once and don’t have to do any running around either in town or online
Around here*, it’s online bill payment and money transfer, plus Interac debit card (mostly EMV tap) in person at stores. Cash is far behind in third place (mostly vending machines and the occasional person-to-person transaction, though even vending machines have apps or accept the tap these days). Credit card is 4th place, mostly online subscriptions.
Cheques? I have to think what year, and possibly decade, I last issued one. I still get them occasionally. The grocery store near my old apartment stopped accepting them eleven years ago.
*“Here” being a small city in Southern Ontario.
Your poll doesn’t allow multiple choices. All my over-the-counter transactions are cash. All my online purchases are credit card or PayPal. All my bill paying is check (force of habit plus easiest paper trail). Which transaction type or dollar amount dominates, I don’t know.
I use credit everywhere except fast food, because the ubiquity of it at fast food places is recent enough that I haven’t gotten out of the habit of cash, and it is fast enough of a transaction that I don’t have time to look around to make sure they take Discover. Plus when I’m at the drive thru it feels slightly dangerous and awkward to hand over my important card through the window.
I haven’t tried a mobile pay solution yet and have been wary of it for quite some time because when I am in line to get in to Disney I am often held up by people who can’t get their mobile ticketing to work. But I am warming up to if after my mobile ticketing worked on my latest plane flight with no issues.
All the big stuff - mortgage, property tax, insurance, etc. is pre-authorized payment direct from my bank account. My mid-level reoccurring stuff is all pre-authorized credit card so I can get the points. Day to day groceries, lunches, in store or online purchase is either credit card or Apple Pay.
The only semi-regular cash spend is at our cash only neighbourhood hipster ice cream place. Since they are only open May-Sept I may not really need cash until then.
Debit card (typically run as credit but whatever). I go weeks without cash in my pocket these days.
Credit card. I get back 2% of everything. Debit card doesn’t give back jack shit.
I usually have about $20 in cash on me but I try not to spend it.
We use CC for anything we can that costs more than $10. This kicks back to us as 1.5%. Hundreds of dollars annually.
A few utilities are direct withdrawal. That’s because it is the cheapest way to pay those particular bills (No cc allowed on those, such as electric bill).
I average 1.5 checks per month. One always for the CC bill. Then, sometimes an odd check for whatever.
I have never used a debit card in my life. This system works for us at this point in our lives.
I went with credit card but ACH debit straight from my checking account is close - mortgage, periodic investment, two credit cards, car insurance, cable, and cell phone bill are all paid that way. That’s roughly six transactions per month, which isn’t too far behind the dozen or so credit card transactions I do each month.
Credit card wins, with cash coming in second. I often pay for food/drink with a credit card, then pay the tip with cash.
Last night I paid our brewery tab with a gift certificate (Thanks, Suzanne!) then paid the final $15 with a credit card. Because I tipped with the credit card I can expect my card issuer to email me soon asking if I really meant to tip 100%.
Overwhelmingly credit card or bank transfers. I may pay small amounts in stores with cash, and pay my cleaning lady and most other service people in cash. Now that Uber is an option here in Panama I pay even less things in cash. I use my debit card almost exclusively as an ATM card to withdraw cash when I need it.
I may write one or two checks a year these days. I used to use them to send birthday presents to my nieces and nephews but they’re adults now. I pay my US taxes by check mainly from force of habit.
I haven’t gotten around to investigating mobile payments but I don’t think they’re that widespread here in Panama.
To answer my own poll:
Cash leads, because as a single guy in a walking friendly neighborhood, most of my purchases are small food buys in equally small stores. Any other method is clumsy or incurs a charge since these places rarely have good card readers.
Debit card is second, but in monetary terms it’s the bulk of my purchases.
Checks only for bills by mail and church.
I don’t do mobile pay since I don’t have a smartphone, and I don’t use credit cards because I’ve soon way too many people did themselves into huge financial holes with them.
CC for anything that can be paid with CC, including small purchases and online payments to utilities and insurance - because points. I travel for work so there is a large amount pushed through the CC each month, POINTS!
Oh, and I diligently pay off the entire balance every month, that’s the key to making it work.
I use debit exclusively, and I never carry cash unless I know I’m going to be going somewhere that might not take cards.
I write a check once a month to pay my rent, and once or twice in a blue moon if I need to send money to a family member and don’t want/need to pay for Western Union.
Amazon Credit card first, I choose this over debit card because I get Amazon credit. Cash second for my weekly slice of pizza at the cafeteria down stairs, and the occasional other small purchase.
Debit Card is number one for me, both with purchases and bills.
Number two is cash because I like to have cash on me and try really hard to use cash as much as possible to try and stick with a budget.
Credit Card is third on the list because I have a ton of CC debt from my past and I’m working really hard to get rid of it, so I’m trying to make my usage zero. That said, I have a few monthly bills taken out of the CC because they’re smaller than the amount I’m paying off (by a long shot) and it keeps the card active.
I never use checks. Even the things that I need checks for, like my car payment, I pay through Wells Fargo who sends a check on my behalf.
I have mobile pay, but I’ve used it literally once and it’s an ICE thing for me.
Credit Card for absolutely everything except for monthly payments directly from bank accounts. All CC bills are paid in full every month. Cash only where CC cannot be used.
Credit card for just about anything over $20, cash for just about everything under.
Cash or check for larger expenditures if that gives us a discount.
We get a certain amount of cash each week when grocery shopping. We usually make a point of spending that weekly, since it is already factored into our budget. If we just hung onto the case, and charged everything, the budget might look slightly different than we expect. But the amount of cash we spend in a typical week is really pretty small. Definitely <$100.