# What's your check to debit card ratio? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945 "2008-03-27T18:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/21 "2008-03-27T19:24:25Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] My DUMB backwards City doesn’t accept any sort of electronic payment for the utilities, so I pay that with a check. Almost everything else is debit. [/QUOTE] Mine either, and neither does my daycare, but I have free electronic bill pay through my bank, so I just enter them as a payee, and my _bank_ sends a paper check. It’s a nice way to get around the checks only rule (and my danged daycare would keep the checks for over a month before cashing them, which was entirely maddening). ---
**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 27, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/22 "2008-03-27T19:30:16Z")
I write maybe 4 checks a month. Most of my other transactions are from my VISA debit card. One or two of them are by EBT (electronic check using my routing number and account number). Even payments that I need to mail have a space to enter a credit or debit card number, so they don’t even need a check. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/23 "2008-03-27T19:41:21Z")
Neither I nor my wife have never used a debit card. ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/24 "2008-03-27T19:47:30Z")
How do you people survive?? I write about half a dozen checks a day! I’ll write a check for the ice cream truck, the toll booth operator, the city bus, and most definitely at the grocery store! Checks are so convenient, sometimes I forget to fill out everything before the cashier tells me the total. Thank goodness they’re all so nice about letting me borrow a pen, too, even if they have to step away for a few minutes to find one! 😃 For real, though – I haven’t written a check since… well, I opened this account in 2002, and I’m on check 122. They started at 101. For a while, my auto loan accepted either mailed in check or check by phone. For the latter (which is what I usually chose), they required a check number-- you’ll find the history of my checks looks something like 101, 102, 300, 400, 103, 593, 104, 868, 423, 322… etc. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/25 "2008-03-27T20:02:19Z")
We may use our debit card as a debit card twice a year. Everything that _can_ get put on credit cards does, so we get the perks (we pay off every month, of course… and electronically, of course;)). We do write a surprising number of checks though: 4/month to the kids’ sitter 2/month to the housecleaning service 1 every month or two to the schools for kids’ lunches 1-3 a month for various Scout-related things… All our utilities get paid electronically, we use the bank’s bill-paying service when we can (it’s free), so it’s been quite a while since we’ve mailed a check anywhere. Still, we managed to use up a box of 200ish checks in something over a year. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/26 "2008-03-27T20:27:31Z")
I write checks for the pizza guy (once a month or so) and for the occasional charitable donation. I’m not halfway through the box I got three years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/27 "2008-03-27T20:35:23Z")
I haven’t used a check in three years. I make electronic transfers to the GF for rent, and everything else is card or direct debit. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/28 "2008-03-27T20:40:56Z")
I wrote my last check somewhere around 3 years ago, and haven’t reordered any. It’s been fine. I use online bill pay, direct drafts, and my debit card for everything. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/29 "2008-03-27T20:41:06Z")
I write one check a month, rarely withdraw cash, and pay for almost everything with my debit card. It is much more convenient that way. I pay the phone bill by phone, and my student loans online. ---
**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 27, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/30 "2008-03-27T21:15:00Z")
[QUOTE=DoctorJ] I write checks for the pizza guy (once a month or so) and for the occasional charitable donation. I’m not halfway through the box I got three years ago. [/QUOTE] I’ve even used debit for pizza. I know at least Pizza Hut accepts debit for delivery. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/31 "2008-03-27T21:33:49Z")
You guys have pizza places that accept checks? Weird! 😃 Around here, it’s cash or charge only for delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/32 "2008-03-27T21:39:32Z")
I had to get money orders when filing my tax return because I simply don’t have or use checks any more. All of my bills are paid through EFT, and what isn’t is paid through debit or credit. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/33 "2008-03-27T21:39:39Z")
I’ve never written a check. [QUOTE=Kalypso] I wear out about 2 debit cards for every book of checks I go through. Seriously, I go through about 1 debit card per year, and a single book of 50 checks lasts me about 2 years. I really dislike writing checks. [/QUOTE] And yet you write them twice a month? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/34 "2008-03-27T21:42:31Z")
Cheques? One a month these days, for rent. If my landlord accepted [Interac email transfer](http://www.interac.ca/consumers/productsandservices_ol_emt.php), or I could set them up as a bill to be paid on my online banking, I’s be happy. Once in a while I’ve even used cash. I used to pay my counselor by cheque, but as I’ve built up cash reserves, I now pay in cash and don’t have to wait for the next payday. Many businesses won’t even take cheques any more, but I believe they’re used more often for higher-value infrequent things like houses. The other thing I was using them for was payday loans. Thank Og I got out of that loop. Everybody and their brother in retail accepts debit cards here in Canada, even some taxis. Except the caf at work. I have my revenge, though; I’m _cooking and bringing my own lunch_. Note to US folks: Canadian debit cards are an outgrowth of bank client cards rather than Mastercard or Visa, so they’re separate. None of this “credit or debit” choice for the same card at the point-of-sale, as I’ve heard people describe. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/35 "2008-03-27T21:54:05Z")
I pay my rent by check every month because I don’t want to pay the fee my management service charges for online payments. All my other bills I pay online or charge to one of my credit cards, which I also pay online. I also charge almost everything I buy; I think I’ve only used my debit card once (not counting ATM withdrawals) since I opened the account. I expect to be moving later this year, and until this moment it hadn’t occurred to me that I have tons of checks that will then have a bad address. ---
**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 27, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/36 "2008-03-27T23:37:50Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] Neither I nor my wife have never used a debit card. [/QUOTE] Wow, I thought I was all alone. The only time we use a debit card is for Costco, and sometimes Arco which doesn’t take credit cards. The only electronic payments is now our mortgage, since our bank happened to buy it, plus the newspaper and satellite, which is on our credit card. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/37 "2008-03-28T01:17:38Z")
Japanese don’t have checks, and traditionally everyone did everything in cash. It was weird, at first, to see little old ladies with the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in cash. Lately more people have gone more to credit cards although some people will use debit cards. We use automatic bank transfers for rent, utilities and other things, and then can do online transfers for other things. I have a bank account in the States with a check book. I sometimes need to send money to the States, and will use that. So, maybe two or three checks a year. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/38 "2008-03-28T01:37:59Z")
My cheque to debit card ratio is probably about 1 to 1, it might favour cheques a little now that movie theatres take credit cards in their ticket machines. I write one cheque a month for rent (I rent from a little old lady) and use debit a similar amount (usually at the drug store, since for some reason I can’t wrap my brain around buying drug store things on credit, even though I know they take it). Almost everything else is done on my credit card, which I pay off every month, and which I use to collect airmiles. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/39 "2008-03-28T10:31:14Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] It probably took longer to find the checkbook than it would have to just drive to the county office. [/QUOTE] To be honest, I couldn’t find the chequebook for any of my accounts without setting aside an afternoon to hunt through the house. Never mind writing them - I probably SEE less than 6 cheques a year, total. The only people who ever seem to use them are companies refunding a credit balance, who presumably are hoping that they will never be presented for payment. Works a treat, too, it took me nearly three months to pay in the last one I received. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945/40 "2008-03-28T10:44:10Z")
What’s with all these references to a “box of checks”? Do American cheques come in a box? And also, people talk about the addresses on them being out of date - are cheques printed with your address over there? Here, the only address they have on them is that of the bank branch, and they come in a book of typically 25 cheques, with a few preprinted paying-in slips in the back too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-check-to-debit-card-ratio/442945.md?page=3)