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Surprised you're writing checks every week: I haven't written a check in years. ACH transfers, sure, but not physical checks. I do still receive them occasiona

Surprised you're writing checks every week: I haven't written a check in years. ACH transfers, sure, but not physical checks. I do still receive them occasionally, almost always as printed checks from companies.

xp84 3y ago
It depends. I have to use checks to pay my landscaper and housekeeper, because there isn't another unilateral payment document. By this I mean, in the US everyone could use CashApp, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle (glorified ACH, right?), etc. for p2p payment. If you have the same bank, many banks have a trivial "send money to another customer's account" feature. However, to do so requires essentially a 'handshake' where the two parties agree on a method. Checks require no up-front handshake, since everyone knows what to do with a check (deposit it at your ATM, take a picture of it with mobile app, or take it to a check-cashing place or the issuing bank). If I could print on paper a key or QR code that allows you to claim the money into the account of your choice, like a check does, I'd use that. Sadly, banks seem to have put their effort into Zelle instead.
- mnahkies 3y ago
  Aren't you just describing cash? Cheque has the same issue as the online alternatives in that it could "bounce" - cash (or I guess crypto) can't
  - aidenn0 3y ago
    Large checks are cheaper to handle than an equivalent amount of cash. Most people won't just toss $10k in the back of their car and drive to the bank, but would think nothing of taking a $10k check to the bank. Also, there is less of a need for a receipt when paying by check. If I pay someone by check, my bank has a record of it. If I pay them by cash, I better get (and keep) that receipt in the case of a later non-payment dispute.
    - ghaff 3y ago
      I gather check verifications have gotten better. I had to buy a new car last year and my deposit was via CC but, for the final payment, they were fine with a personal check whereas I've always had to pay with a cashier's check from the bank in the past.
      - loeg 3y ago
        I think car dealers just run your credit and if it's good enough they accept a personal check these days.
  - xp84 3y ago
    I can’t print cash in my house ;) and I don’t want to keep a board of it under my mattress!
- ghaff 3y ago
  Yeah. And with online banking apps, it's basically not worth anyone's time to do the handshake because depositing just isn't a big deal [ADDED: If there's an in-person transaction]. I use credit/debit/ACH 95%+ of the time but if that's not an option check is easy.
- Qworg 3y ago
  Zelle may still allow for you to send money to a non-Zelle account - as a dark pattern, they'll hold that cash for the recipient and give them an opportunity to sign up and receive it. This was a big pressure point for smaller banks and CUs to sign up.
  - xp84 3y ago
    Sure, so will all the real fintech payment companies that came before Zelle too, but you can’t count on someone to be interested in signing up. They might just say “no, screw that, I don’t like Zelle/PayPal/CashApp, I demand you pay me I with cash or check or I won’t work for you anymore.” For all I know, they might even be banned from that app, and unable to sign up to retrieve my payment.
- TulliusCicero 3y ago
  I mean, all you need for Zelle to send someone money is an id, if they have a Zelle-supported bank account. Which is effectively the same situation as bank transfer payments in other countries.
TheNewsIsHere 3y ago
I run into this myself a whole lot with various home service businesses in particular. It’s not unusual for me to get an invoice for a company via QuickBooks Online, with cash or check as the only payment options. Other businesses around here have started giving discounts for paying with cash or check versus apps or credit/debit cards, to avoid the recent increases in fees. I’ll also write checks when having a “hard” traceable payment instrument physically makes sense for auditing purposes or fraud prevention, although that’s less frequently needed.
grecy 3y ago
I’m 41 , I’ve never written a cheque in my life, and have received less than 10 in my life. Australia/Canada have been doing free bank transfers since before I was old enough to know
Klonoar 3y ago
I find I still have to write a few a year, annoyingly. Of all things my life insurance company is still not set up for credit card payments. In 2023. Boggles the mind.
- cubefox 3y ago
  The significant credit card fees might have something to do with it. Perhaps better luck with FedNow.

xp84 3y ago

It depends. I have to use checks to pay my landscaper and housekeeper, because there isn't another unilateral payment document. By this I mean, in the US everyone could use CashApp, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle (glorified ACH, right?), etc. for p2p payment. If you have the same bank, many banks have a trivial "send money to another customer's account" feature. However, to do so requires essentially a 'handshake' where the two parties agree on a method. Checks require no up-front handshake, since everyone knows what to do with a check (deposit it at your ATM, take a picture of it with mobile app, or take it to a check-cashing place or the issuing bank). If I could print on paper a key or QR code that allows you to claim the money into the account of your choice, like a check does, I'd use that. Sadly, banks seem to have put their effort into Zelle instead.

mnahkies 3y ago
Aren't you just describing cash? Cheque has the same issue as the online alternatives in that it could "bounce" - cash (or I guess crypto) can't
- aidenn0 3y ago
  Large checks are cheaper to handle than an equivalent amount of cash. Most people won't just toss $10k in the back of their car and drive to the bank, but would think nothing of taking a $10k check to the bank. Also, there is less of a need for a receipt when paying by check. If I pay someone by check, my bank has a record of it. If I pay them by cash, I better get (and keep) that receipt in the case of a later non-payment dispute.
  - ghaff 3y ago
    I gather check verifications have gotten better. I had to buy a new car last year and my deposit was via CC but, for the final payment, they were fine with a personal check whereas I've always had to pay with a cashier's check from the bank in the past.
    - loeg 3y ago
      I think car dealers just run your credit and if it's good enough they accept a personal check these days.
- xp84 3y ago
  I can’t print cash in my house ;) and I don’t want to keep a board of it under my mattress!
ghaff 3y ago
Yeah. And with online banking apps, it's basically not worth anyone's time to do the handshake because depositing just isn't a big deal [ADDED: If there's an in-person transaction]. I use credit/debit/ACH 95%+ of the time but if that's not an option check is easy.
Qworg 3y ago
Zelle may still allow for you to send money to a non-Zelle account - as a dark pattern, they'll hold that cash for the recipient and give them an opportunity to sign up and receive it. This was a big pressure point for smaller banks and CUs to sign up.
- xp84 3y ago
  Sure, so will all the real fintech payment companies that came before Zelle too, but you can’t count on someone to be interested in signing up. They might just say “no, screw that, I don’t like Zelle/PayPal/CashApp, I demand you pay me I with cash or check or I won’t work for you anymore.” For all I know, they might even be banned from that app, and unable to sign up to retrieve my payment.
TulliusCicero 3y ago
I mean, all you need for Zelle to send someone money is an id, if they have a Zelle-supported bank account. Which is effectively the same situation as bank transfer payments in other countries.

TheNewsIsHere 3y ago

I run into this myself a whole lot with various home service businesses in particular. It’s not unusual for me to get an invoice for a company via QuickBooks Online, with cash or check as the only payment options. Other businesses around here have started giving discounts for paying with cash or check versus apps or credit/debit cards, to avoid the recent increases in fees. I’ll also write checks when having a “hard” traceable payment instrument physically makes sense for auditing purposes or fraud prevention, although that’s less frequently needed.

grecy 3y ago

I’m 41 , I’ve never written a cheque in my life, and have received less than 10 in my life. Australia/Canada have been doing free bank transfers since before I was old enough to know

Klonoar 3y ago

I find I still have to write a few a year, annoyingly. Of all things my life insurance company is still not set up for credit card payments. In 2023. Boggles the mind.

cubefox 3y ago
The significant credit card fees might have something to do with it. Perhaps better luck with FedNow.