How many people still use checks?

[medic]

I started to think today, as I was paying my cable bill and my phone bill online, about people using checks. I would guess that on average, I write 3 checks per month. I also use at least 2 depost slips per month. I have gotten to the point where I have used all of the deposit slips from my checks and now have to go into the bank and take the generic ones to carry around in my check book.

My fiancee is still old school. She doesn't even have an ATM card. When she needs cash, she writes a check and goes through the drive-thru at the bank.

How many people here are still using checks on a regular basis?

 

[97f150]

I still use checks to pay bills only. I enjoy sitting at my desk with my checkbook and bills with the knowledge that I have control over what goes in and out of my account and that my credit card numbers arent all over the internet. But than again I am funny about that stuff.

 

[goodoleboy]

I think it keeps jobs for folks if I send a letter and heres why.
It takes someone to
1.make the envelope
2.Make the vehicle for the post office
3.Mailman to pickup and deliver
4.open the check at the bank and deposit it.
5.From there it gets shredded(hopefully)
6.then a trash truck must be made
7.trashman picks up
8.dump must be excavated for trash by dozer operator.
9. Finally the EPA creates a job.
Their is a huge butterfly effect with sending a letter.

While it takes 1 or 2 programs (not person) to deposit the money on a computer made in china that only needs replacing every 2 or 3 years.

Now since my town has a big a envelope factory my mom use to work at ill stick with mail.

I know it seems weird and all but its my way helping the local economy.

[ May 22, 2005, 03:39 AM: Message edited by: goodoleboy ]

 

[The_Jeff]

I use a checking account, but mostly to pay my credit card online. One has more protections with credit cards and I get a handy kickback with mine so it's better than cash. Plus I don't worry about losing change which I'm sure happens. I think people who use checks at the grocery store and hold up the line are fossils; yes I'm very mean. I bet in their little heads they feel they're keeping track of how much money they've spent. But I guess it beats having a credit card if one is a spend-a-holic.

Home shopping network and a hundred other places take check-by-phone by reading the numbers off the bottom of the check. What do you think they're there for? And if someone steals money out of your account you have to fight your bank to get it back. If someone gets your credit card info you're not liable without your signature-- and your cc company is fighting you and the crooks for the money if you contest it. (And they'll eat the loss usually for small stuff.) Debit cards are almost as bad as checks as far as consumer protections go... if they have a MC/Visa logo the stamped 16 digit number is a credit card number but the money is already gone from your account just the same.

 

[FowVay]

It's funny that this topic was brought up. I was just sitting here this morning paying my gas bill and water bill when I logged onto BITOG.

I generally do all of my shopping with my Discover card and then pay this bill with a check at the end of the month.

I also write out a check for my utility bills so I probably average 6 - 8 checks a month.

 

[Shannow]

$2 per cheque, not a chance that I'll use them for my personal needs, as I can use a debit card and internet banking for nothing (and schedule when they get paid).

As the treasurer of a rifle club...cheques rule. They provide a high level of auditability which the electronic accounts (seem to) lack.

 

[tdi-rick]

paid by all my customers with a cheque, and half my accounts are paid by cheque, the rest I use internet banking.
Here the banks charge per cheque deposited, as well as written, and it is almost double if you go up to the counter and use a teller over using the Express Deposit chute.

 

[T-Keith]

I only use checks for bills. If all my bills had an actual pay online option I would just do that. Instead most just offer an automatic deduction which I will never do.

I recently had to switch banks because my company doesn't offer direct deposit. How stupid is that, I have to drive my check to the bank every time.

 

[Pick]

I try and use internet banking whenever I can. It is fast and secure. Makes a 2 hour job only 20 minutes. I have had problems in the past with hooligans stealing checks out of the mailbox, so any checks that do get mailed out are taken directly to the postoffice.

 

[Mark in NY]

Several years ago when Citibank first advertised online banking without any charge I sat down and figured that I spent $50 per year on stamps alone. Checks, envelopes and my time was in addition to that. I began using the service right then and there.
Now that expense figure would be much higher.
I recently required a copy of a check for tax purposes. With a few mouse clicks I was able to get a copy online that could be printed....and the check was issued by me in July of 1998!
When I bought a car in 2000, I came home and setup a recurrent payment to FoMoCo credit. The computer took care of all of the payments for the next 36 months.
Almost everything on a monthly basis is electronic funds transfer both in and out of my account.
Bill paying has become a quick review of the months transactions.

Less cost, less work, same or better security compared to the old way.

,,,,,,, and the best part which I have done a few times, is talking to a cranky person in a billing department who claims my payment never arrived. I calmly explain that while I am speaking to them, I am looking directly at the Citibank computer that confirms the payment was sent and cleared, have a nice day, bye!

For me it works.

 

[TallPaul]

What I find frustrating is when people pay with at check at the store and you end up waiting in line while they slowly write it out and then the store manager has to come approve it. Why would anybody pay by check at the store? I can only figure two scenarios:

1) They are afraid of credit cards for some reason.

2) Their credit cards are all maxed out.

I do use checks to pay credit card bills and for charitable donations. All my other bills are electronically deducted from my checking account.

 

[fastbear]

One way not to wait so long at a store, like walley world would be if people prewrite their checks while waiting in line. Enter the amount when the cash register totals, dosn't take long and speeds up the wait. Have had to wait for managers assisting credit card approval occasionally. Eventually cheques are going to die off and be completely replaced by some form of plastic.

 

[rjundi]

I charge everything through my credit card which I actually just maxed out its benefit of 3% on purchases for up to $500/year in Subaru coupons good for service or purchase. I have now moved over to an Amazon.com card which achieves 1% back for purchases. I will go back to Subaru card so maintenance is free on the car.

I have not written any checks unless absolutely necessary like a companies service.

 

[blupupher]

I write 2-5 checks a month. Most everything is done through Bill Pay through my bank. Just easier and I don't have to remember to pay the bills.

 

[JHZR2]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 97f150:
I still use checks to pay bills only. I enjoy sitting at my desk with my checkbook and bills with the knowledge that I have control over what goes in and out of my account and that my credit card numbers arent all over the internet. But than again I am funny about that stuff.

---

If you pay through your bank's website or the party of whom payment is due, it is secure. First off, you dont give credit card numbers if youre paying through a bank account, and the two pieces of info (chck and routing number) are the same as if you mailed a check. More likely someone could look through your envelope and steal the numbers than that theyd be intercepted on a compuyter with proper precautions.

JMH

 

[Patman]

I do everything I can through online banking, but sometimes I still need to break out a check. My wife's dentist for example, when he sends his bill (the portion not covered by ins.) Also, if my stepson's school wants money for a school trip or something, we give a check instead of giving him cash to bring to school.

 

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by tdi-rick:
paid by all my customers with a cheque, and half my accounts are paid by cheque, the rest I use internet banking.
Here the banks charge per cheque deposited, as well as written, and it is almost double if you go up to the counter and use a teller over using the Express Deposit chute.

---

It's funny how Australians also spell it cheque, just like we do in Canada, although I refuse to spell it that way and spell it check. Someone on another website I visit here in Canada just poked fun at me this week for spelling it check actually.

 

[opus1]

I charge just about everything at the stores, but still pay most of my bills with checks. As someone stated earlier, I prefer to have control over when the money leaves my account, and I've been on the wrong end of some screwed up electronic transactions that would not have happened if I was responsible for writing the check. For example, when the mortgage company paid my insurance bill twice, and between the two companies it took almost 4 months to get the money back and where it belonged. Meanwhile, *I* had to send extra escrow money to the mortgage company because my account was now low enough to not have enough cash to make my second tax payment. Their mistake, my pain. Something's not right with that picture.

I do have direct deposit for my miniscule paycheck though. I'll let you put all the money you want into my account without my hands on the transaction, but I want to control its leaving.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quiken for me ..everything distributed on time. If it's a variable bill ..I go over the mean ...just a little to account for inflation. If it gets too much ..I skip a payment. If I have to run a balance on a credit card ..and the cc company uses a floating due date, it may get two payments a month ..just to allow me to not worry about it. If I go positive on the balance, I just use that credit card for gas and other stuff and rack up whatever bonuses they offer.


The biggest problem I have is if the payment center moves. It sometimes takes a while for the returned non-electronic items to get to my attention. This happened two years after my mortgage company was bought out. They apparently still had the same address in Florida ..then one month I got an email notice that my payment wasn't made. Paid by phone ..redid the address in Quicken.

I really got sticker shock when I had to order checks. My son pointed out that everyone offers free checking ..so they just make it up in some other manner. If we use four a month it would be rare.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I pay whatever I can by credit card online or by phone.

This got me 1300 bucks for my new car. I have had friends who have paid bills online via electronic check, when there was a problem the incompetence they encountered was astounding.