# So Now we don't even write out checks anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711 "2018-02-28T00:29:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/61 "2018-02-28T21:07:52Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > [hijack] > You got money?? Nobody’s offered me money yet! And I was out in the garden under a mozzie net till about 1 in the morning on the day in question, because the indoors was so unbearable. > > Ripped. Off. Yep, a sweet $80 and yes, it was indeed a horrible night. The whole town got the refund in the mail on the same day! And apparently the local banks were totally peed-off that hordes of people were lining up to cash their goodies…caught them completely offguard as they just didn’t have the tellers to cope. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/62 "2018-02-28T22:04:56Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > I’ve written checks recently to people who have done one-off work for us: a floor refinishing guy, a painter, an architect - they don’t take credit cards, and I certainly wasn’t about to hand them a wad of cash. Those are actually the perfect guys to request cash payment for a discount. They are probably playing games with under-reporting for taxes or business partners or spouses but none of your concern. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/63 "2018-03-01T03:09:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Mobile Deposit. Very handy. Every time I get a reimbursement check from my district I deposit it from my desk at school without ever having to go to the bank. 2 pictures, a little data typed in, and it’s done. Confirm the deposit then shred the paper check. Takes all of 3 minutes. My way takes 5 seconds - 'Honey, deposit this? Thanks." Kiss 🙂 > [@Kelevra](#): > > I still write one a week for daycare. The fuckers changed their payment methods so now the options are: > > 1. Set up auto withdrawal from your account (this is what they really want) > 2. Pay on-line with a credit card plus a $3 “convenience” fee > 3. Pay by check > > Their old system was electronic but I had to initiate the transfer. I don’t give anyone auto withdrawal access to my accounts. That’s just stupid. > So now every week I write them a check and let them pay someone to deal with it. Twice companies just re-instated the withdrawals about a year after I stopped them, and my bank honored them, then told me I’d have to sue to get my money back. Fortunately, I keep a healthy balance (see: haven’t balanced my account in decades), so I worked things out without too much stress, but no, I’ll never do that again. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/64 "2018-03-01T03:49:47Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Those are actually the perfect guys to request cash payment for a discount. They are probably playing games with under-reporting for taxes or business partners or spouses but none of your concern. There are also reputable business I have used that only accept cash or a check. Mobile vets and mobile dog groomers are two that I have used. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/65 "2018-03-01T04:25:37Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I was at Office Depot. Guy tells me the amount. I start filling out the check. He says, “we’ll fill it out”. OK, I assume they got a stamp that fills out their name. Fine. > > So, I start filling out the amount. He’s saying again, “we’ll fill it out”. I’m confused and a little irked. I give my wife the WTF is wrong with this guy look. Then he says, “it’s all electronic”. > > Sure enough, his register scanned the check and printed VOID on it. He handed it back to me. I shredded it later. I still filled out my stub and entered it into Quicken later. > > Sams Club took my filled out check, their machine processed it electronically and the clerk handed it back to me. I suspect it didn’t need filling out. The clerk was too polite to make me feel stupid. > … > > Welcome to the 21st century. I guess it’s wonderful for the younger generations. It’s confusing and aggravating for the rest of us. > > Btw, I do use a debit card for the majority of my purchases. I only write maybe 8 to 10 checks a month. Primarily for bills, my utilities, credit card bill, medical bills etc. I think it was many years ago that shops here (Britain) started doing that. I seem to recall having the same sort of reaction "no, I must write the cheque, and THEN I give it to you, nice checkout lady. “No, our machine can do your cheque”. “Oh!” But that was really quite a lot of years ago, and I quickly got used to paying by debit card instead - push card into little machine, key in password, press “Enter” to agree to the sum of money it wants, if necessary, ask checkout person to give me cash also, and this is added to the amount, so that the groceries are paid for and I have withdrawn some actual cash without bothering to go to an ATM. All very lazy, but practical. Actually it’s ages since I had a chequebook. I believe I still have an ancient fold-up blank cheque in a little pocket wallet, because it was always my habit to carry such for unforeseen needs. > [@](#): > > I guess it’s wonderful for the **younger generations** I think I’ve fallen in love with you! 😃 However, if it makes you feel better, I have so far resisted this “contactless payment” thing, which is surely witchcraft. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/66 "2018-03-01T04:27:47Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > … robbing us of the simple pleasures of spelling out numbers and putting the wrong year in the date way into January or longer. Oh yes indeed! :o ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/67 "2018-03-01T04:47:35Z")
I also confess that the first time I used debit card for payment in a shop, it happened that the shop was nicely quiet and I was the only customer at the checkout, so I shamefacedly said to the checkout lady that I had noticed this weird and wonderful notion of paying by simply handing over a card and then signing my name\* on the bill/receipt/some little piece of paper but had never tried it, so please could I try it now when there were no other customers that could be delayed and also, therefore, no-one to laugh at me. 🙂 She said "Oh, yes. Don’t worry, dear, it’s straightforward. “I sign and money happens?” “Yes”, she said, “as long as there’s enough money in the account”. I recall feeling a bit embarrassed that I checked my watch to be sure of the date before saying “oh yes, first week of the month, enough money. It might be a different matter in a fortnight’s time”. - (signing one’s name was the method for a few years until the whole “use 4 digit PIN” for this as well as for cash from an ATM became usual.) ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/68 "2018-03-01T04:54:06Z")
Now that I think it through, everyone I know with a checking account has a debit card, and has for decades. Why is this alternate mechanism necessary? Surely there are few enough people paying by checks in stores that the old fashioned print the check by the register should be convenient enough. What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/69 "2018-03-01T05:10:38Z")
I write 4 or 5 checks per _year_. Latest check was for property taxes. I had to ask the Town Clerk how to write the dollar amount. All my bills are on auto-pay and have been for about a dozen years. Utilities are on level pay so I’m not often surprised by the charges. Everything else I use plastic for. Except for the dratted recently installed parking meters that need to feast on coins. Pre-computer and Quicken, I just kept changing banks whenever my current checking account got tangled beyond repair. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/70 "2018-03-01T06:12:38Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Now that I think it through, everyone I know with a checking account has a debit card, and has for decades. Why is this alternate mechanism necessary? Surely there are few enough people paying by checks in stores that the old fashioned print the check by the register should be convenient enough. What am I missing? Perhaps the shops, noticing that fewer people use it now, want to minimise and simplify the infrastructure (for want of a better word) at the checkouts. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/71 "2018-03-01T06:17:58Z")
I write 3-4 cheques a year to my driveway snow-blowing service, and for minor home repairs to small contractors. All my utility bills, insurance premiums, taxes, and such are paid through my bank’s online account services, payments to family & friends for shared Christmas presents and such are online e-Transfers through my bank, and any retail purchase over a couple of bucks is debit. Online purchases are by credit card. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/72 "2018-03-01T06:19:03Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Now that I think it through, everyone I know with a checking account has a debit card, and has for decades. Why is this alternate mechanism necessary? Surely there are few enough people paying by checks in stores that the old fashioned print the check by the register should be convenient enough. What am I missing? With a debit card, you don’t have to carry a checkbook with you. Put the card in the slot at the register, tap in your PIN, take out your card, get your receipt. It saves time, both for you and the people waiting in line behind you. Although, when I buy groceries, I don’t even do that anymore. My store has a smartphone app. I open the app, hold the camera up to the display to scan the code, and I’m on my way. I get an electronic receipt sent to my phone. Also, a debit card is handy when I buy gas. I use the card to pay at the pump, and never have to walk away from my car. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/73 "2018-03-01T13:13:41Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Why is it stupid? What if your bank protects you against fraudulent charges, or if you only keep so much in the account so they can’t get much? Sometimes it’s not so easy to prove they are inappropriate charges &/or they may be ridiculously expensive legitimate charges. While trying to straighten it out, you don’t have access to your money, which means you can’t pay other bills. Ever see the stories of someone who goes on vacation & ends up w/ hundreds or thousands of dollars in roaming fees because of some background app on their phone? Frequently, the phone co will negotiate a discount but that doesn’t happen overnight. Also cramming charges. My utility company reset the meter wrong when they replaced it; their initiative, not mine. Took 4 months until they straightened it out. They adjusted the current due every month but never came out to reset the meter; therefore, the next month looked at huge usage, too. If they had sucked out what they wanted, the next month would have looked normal & I may have forgotten about it. I prefer positive control over my bank account, meaning nothing goes out unless I approve it. What **ITD** it talking about is negative control; money goes out unless she declines it. If she doesn’t act in time (sick, away, busy) kiss it goodbye. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/74 "2018-03-01T14:45:26Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Maybe because I’m only in my 30s and in another country, but I’ve never written a check to anyone in a store. Same here, except I’m in the US. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/75 "2018-03-01T15:14:10Z")
> [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > Same here, except I’m in the US. I’m in the US, too. And I’m 54 years old and have written a check in a supermarket maybe once or twice in my life. Never in any other type of store. It is possible that I may have written a check to a restaurant when I booked a party room, but never for a couple of people having lunch or dinner. ``` I certainly wrote many more checks thirty years ago- but they weren't to stores. They were for utilities, credit cards , my mortgage , my car loan,property taxes, income taxes, newspaper subscriptions. All bills I pay electronically nowadays, some through auto-payments ( my mortgage and a couple of credit cards) and some where I go to the website and decide when/how much to pay. The only checks I write now are for wedding/birthday/Christmas gifts, rent for the garage I rent from my neighbor, the occasional dental bill and payments for retirement parties organized by my coworkers. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/76 "2018-03-01T15:43:31Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Yep, a sweet $80 and yes, it was indeed a horrible night. The whole town got the refund in the mail on the same day! > > And apparently the local banks were totally peed-off that hordes of people were lining up to cash their goodies…caught them completely offguard as they just didn’t have the tellers to cope. 😃 I’m moving there. PG&E, California’s explosive power company, would more likely raise its rates to make up for lost revenue from not being able to sell any electricity during the outage. That hasn’t happened yet for electricity - but it did happen for water during the drought. Save water, get the rate hiked. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/77 "2018-03-01T15:46:46Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > With a debit card, you don’t have to carry a checkbook with you. Put the card in the slot at the register, tap in your PIN, take out your card, get your receipt. It saves time, both for you and the people waiting in line behind you. Although, when I buy groceries, I don’t even do that anymore. My store has a smartphone app. I open the app, hold the camera up to the display to scan the code, and I’m on my way. I get an electronic receipt sent to my phone. > > Also, a debit card is handy when I buy gas. I use the card to pay at the pump, and never have to walk away from my car. I do all those things with my credit card, and get cashback also. Which adds up at the grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/78 "2018-03-01T15:51:42Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Because if I go online to each utility’s website (or other creditor, such as a credit card company), I get a date-stamped confirmation from the utility/creditor that the bill has been paid on time. > > While I’m there, I can also download the bill/statement (in PDF format) for my records. The last time I checked my utility company wanted autopay or nothing, so that’s about the only paper check I write. When I was paying extra principle on my mortgage the bank epay couldn’t handle it, so I paid by check. They’ve finally fixed that so that is electronic also now. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/79 "2018-03-01T15:54:16Z")
The last time I paid by check in the grocery store, which I think was the last century, they took the blank check, put it in the register, and printed all the information except the signature. I think they lost that capability based on the few remaining check writers I see, all of whom are ahead of me in the line. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711/80 "2018-03-01T16:09:37Z")
Moving to the US in 2003 was like stepping into a time machine. Everyone was using cheques, something that my mother last used when my sister was still in diapers. Then I came back to Canada a few years later and the few cheques I receive I deposit by taking a picture of them with my bank’s phone app. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-now-we-dont-even-write-out-checks-anymore/809711.md?page=5)