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As a cashier when I was a teenager, I was told to ID and call in anyone with a check # under 500 with the assumption that low check numbers were less likely to
by nathanm412 11y ago
As a cashier when I was a teenager, I was told to ID and call in anyone with a check # under 500 with the assumption that low check numbers were less likely to be reliable. When I ordered my first book of checks a few years later, I started with # 1550 and was never bothered.
- spydum 11y agoas recently as last year when opening another checking account, the bank clerk told me to start my check numbers at atleast 500 (you can specify when ordering checks). I asked her why, and that was also the same reason given. I laughed at the silliness of the idea, but took her advice anyways.
- marshray 11y agoIt's not completely silly: a check number under 500 is still highly likely to be a newish account. The test is cheap and has low false positives, so the fact that the it is easily subverted only diminishes its effectiveness but doesn't make it useless.
- mattmcknight 11y agoBut who's actually rejecting low number checks? It seems more common to see businesses reject accepting checks altogether.
- marshray 11y agoYeah, most businesses seem to use a check verification service these days.
- xupybd 11y agoWow what country still uses cheques? Most stores won't take them anymore, here in New Zealand.
- ocdtrekkie 11y agoWhile no stores take checks here in the US either, it's far more common to use for settling personal debts. Also, many utility bills are most commonly paid by check here as well (for those who don't pay online), as people do not mail cash.
- morgante 11y ago> While no stores take checks here in the US either My mother still routinely pays for nearly everything (groceries, pizza, hardware, etc.) using personal checks. She lives in a small town though.
- ocdtrekkie 11y agoI probably should've specified 'most'.
- jessaustin 11y agoIf you haven't been stuck in queue behind a check-writer recently, presumably someone else does your in-store shopping for you. Or maybe you only shop late at night, after the old ladies have gone to bed? That demographic just loves to write checks, and most USA stores accommodate that preference.
- LyndsySimon 11y agoI can't think of any stores in the US that don't take checks. Most major retailers (e.g. WalMart) have electronic check acceptance, where they scan the check, print all the details on it, then hand it back to you. It's faster than a debit card, if a bit awkward at first.
- jib 11y agoFrance, the US, among others. First thing I got when I moved to France (admittedly 12 years ago) was a checkbook. Hadn't heard of them since the 80s in Sweden.
- pif 11y agoIn France they are still very common. In particular, checks cannot be refused by members of small-enterprise associations recognized by the fiscal authority.
- gtk40 11y agoI actually had a clerk at a local county court tell me they have to refuse checks if the number was less than 500 (and they already didn't take cards without a 5% fee). Thankfully, I had just ordered new checks and had number 501.