I 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,

I 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.