4 ms·

> "There is no cash limit for car purchases" wth? Cash isn't great, but some people don't use online banking - and in a private sale, only a fool would hand o

> "There is no cash limit for car purchases" wth? Cash isn't great, but some people don't use online banking - and in a private sale, only a fool would hand over their car keys to a stranger in exchange for a cheque. (Of course, this was a much bigger issue 15 years ago - these days we have faster payments, and the vast majority of people can make payments from their phone.)

xxs 3y ago
>Cash isn't great, but some people don't use online banking This is the US version of the events. I don't know all EU member states in detail, but I can't think of one where it's possible to receive salary/pension in cash. Cheques have not been a thing for 20y+, I wonder if they are still issued.
- Y_Y 3y ago
  In Ireland, for example, it is possible (and popular) to receive state pensions in cash.
  - xxs 3y ago
    Point taken. Wouldn't that make elderly people an easier target for assaults?
    - ttrrooppeerr 3y ago
      If you have a criminal mindset, yes. Otherwise, let them be and be happy.
    - declan_roberts 3y ago
      Probably harder to steal their cash than for a hacker to phish their bank accounts.
      - xxs 3y ago
        totally different set of criminals, also bank accounts are generally much, much harder to take over. The money is easy to track, and it can be reimbursed.
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  > This is the US version of the events. By far the most common method of receiving income from an employer in the US is direct deposit. For people who refuse, the fallback position is typically a card (essentially a refillable gift card). Checks still do exist, but primarily for one-off payments where the payer and payee don't have much of a relationship.
  - xen2xen1 3y ago
    I know of a surprising number of small businesses in the Midwest that pay by check. Still, today, post Covid 2023. Weirds me out.
  - porkbeer 3y ago
    You can demand payment by check. I dont want some random card or account and i am not required to have one.
  - xxs 3y ago
    I meant "some people don't use online banking"
- reaperducer 3y ago
  This is the US version of the events. It's always interesting to watch any EU-specific topic come up on HN and see people on one end of the EU assume that their lives, local laws, and customs are exactly the same as the lives, local laws, and customs on the other end of the EU. And then when a deviation comes up, they assume it's an American thing. It seems like people in the EU should explore their neighboring countries more. Or at least stop assuming that the EU is one homogenous society modeled after their own personal experiences.
  - xxs 3y ago
    Like mentioned I have not seen any cheques in use for 20 or so years. I have not seen 'personal' cheque books since the Euro has been introduced. >Or at least stop assuming that the EU is one homogenous society modeled after their own personal experiences. How was the assuming - "I don't know all EU member states in detail". I have lived (as in years) in several EU member states. Visited (travel) across most of them too.
    - reaperducer 3y ago
      Thank you for proving my point. My wife, currently in southern France, was given a check last week, and tells me she's glad that she brought cash with her. As I stated, your experiences are not the only experiences. And again, you just assumed that any deviation from your expectations makes it an American aberration. This is simply not true, and speaks to your limited experience and biases.
- pjc50 3y ago
  There are still unbanked citizens in all EU countries, although admittedly not very many of them. The UK has an "exceptions service" via the post office for taking your pension as cash. https://www.postoffice.co.uk/payment-exception-service https://www.postoffice.co.uk/payment-exception-service
- ilyt 3y ago
  >Cheques have not been a thing for 20y+, I wonder if they are still issued. At least here in Poland there were only theoretical option ( I have not seen one in person once for 20+ years), and removed few years back
devilbunny 3y ago
It's not trivially easy to do large payments to another random individual in the US via bank transfers. The check issue is solved by concluding the transaction at the buyer's bank. A cashier's check can be issued by that bank to the seller. Since that check is backed up by the bank's own accounts, not subject to the buyer's whims (e.g., they can't stop payment, and the bank will have confirmed that buyer has that amount in their account and debit it immediately), it's as good as cash (well, unless the bank itself is unsound) but safer to carry around.

xxs 3y ago

>Cash isn't great, but some people don't use online banking This is the US version of the events. I don't know all EU member states in detail, but I can't think of one where it's possible to receive salary/pension in cash. Cheques have not been a thing for 20y+, I wonder if they are still issued.

Y_Y 3y ago
In Ireland, for example, it is possible (and popular) to receive state pensions in cash.
- xxs 3y ago
  Point taken. Wouldn't that make elderly people an easier target for assaults?
  - ttrrooppeerr 3y ago
    If you have a criminal mindset, yes. Otherwise, let them be and be happy.
  - declan_roberts 3y ago
    Probably harder to steal their cash than for a hacker to phish their bank accounts.
    - xxs 3y ago
      totally different set of criminals, also bank accounts are generally much, much harder to take over. The money is easy to track, and it can be reimbursed.
rootusrootus 3y ago
> This is the US version of the events. By far the most common method of receiving income from an employer in the US is direct deposit. For people who refuse, the fallback position is typically a card (essentially a refillable gift card). Checks still do exist, but primarily for one-off payments where the payer and payee don't have much of a relationship.
- xen2xen1 3y ago
  I know of a surprising number of small businesses in the Midwest that pay by check. Still, today, post Covid 2023. Weirds me out.
- porkbeer 3y ago
  You can demand payment by check. I dont want some random card or account and i am not required to have one.
- xxs 3y ago
  I meant "some people don't use online banking"
reaperducer 3y ago
This is the US version of the events. It's always interesting to watch any EU-specific topic come up on HN and see people on one end of the EU assume that their lives, local laws, and customs are exactly the same as the lives, local laws, and customs on the other end of the EU. And then when a deviation comes up, they assume it's an American thing. It seems like people in the EU should explore their neighboring countries more. Or at least stop assuming that the EU is one homogenous society modeled after their own personal experiences.
- xxs 3y ago
  Like mentioned I have not seen any cheques in use for 20 or so years. I have not seen 'personal' cheque books since the Euro has been introduced. >Or at least stop assuming that the EU is one homogenous society modeled after their own personal experiences. How was the assuming - "I don't know all EU member states in detail". I have lived (as in years) in several EU member states. Visited (travel) across most of them too.
  - reaperducer 3y ago
    Thank you for proving my point. My wife, currently in southern France, was given a check last week, and tells me she's glad that she brought cash with her. As I stated, your experiences are not the only experiences. And again, you just assumed that any deviation from your expectations makes it an American aberration. This is simply not true, and speaks to your limited experience and biases.
pjc50 3y ago
There are still unbanked citizens in all EU countries, although admittedly not very many of them. The UK has an "exceptions service" via the post office for taking your pension as cash. https://www.postoffice.co.uk/payment-exception-service https://www.postoffice.co.uk/payment-exception-service
ilyt 3y ago
>Cheques have not been a thing for 20y+, I wonder if they are still issued. At least here in Poland there were only theoretical option ( I have not seen one in person once for 20+ years), and removed few years back

devilbunny 3y ago

It's not trivially easy to do large payments to another random individual in the US via bank transfers. The check issue is solved by concluding the transaction at the buyer's bank. A cashier's check can be issued by that bank to the seller. Since that check is backed up by the bank's own accounts, not subject to the buyer's whims (e.g., they can't stop payment, and the bank will have confirmed that buyer has that amount in their account and debit it immediately), it's as good as cash (well, unless the bank itself is unsound) but safer to carry around.