unixman_again Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 Paper cheques didn’t finally disappear last month, as hoped in 2009 https://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/computing/it/personal-cheques-still-alive-and-well-in-the-uk-in-2018 Jolly good too that they didn't disappear. I write two monthly, one to piss off my local council and the other to the agent who handles my rent; they only accept cash or cheques.
hardtailstar Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 I dont think ive ever written a cheque....
smurfomatic Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 I'm glad they're still available too. Yesterday I had to transfer a large amount of money from my building society ISA to my current account (with a different bank). My only options were cheque or cash - the building society will not transfer electronically from their savings accounts to another bank. As this was several thousand pounds I didn't fancy the short walk between branches carrying that much cash, so cheques are the only choice.
supportman Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 Jolly good too that they didn't disappear. I write two monthly, one to piss off my local council and the other to the agent who handles my rent; they only accept cash or cheques. The reason for that is the agent probably isn't paying tax
localzuk Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 They'll die out on their own eventually. Young people don't use them at all - I didn't even have a cheque book with my Barclays account, and don't with my Monzo account. The only people who use them are businesses and older folk. There's no need to artificially kill them off really - its not like simply having the stuff in place to be able to process them is a costing a huge amount. If there is a cost involved, simply pass it on to those that use them.
witch Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 I don't have a cheque book on any of my accounts, and nor does mrwITch. I have had the odd occasion where there wasnt an option to pay online - "return your remittance with cash or cheque" type thing, but most people I encounter take cards now
Popular Post Arthur Posted November 22, 2018 Popular Post Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) I don't have a cheque book on any of my accounts, and nor does mrwITch. Apparently it's possible to write cheques on almost anything so you wouldn't necessarily need a cheque book... Bloke threatens BT with giant plywood cheque Two years of correspondence later, BT admitted it didn't take a financial hit for processing online payments, but explained it "averaged together all the non-direct-debit payment methods, and on that basis it costs them £4.50". David says: "Fair enough, I thought, I don't want to do business with this kind of dishonesty and anyway you haven't apologised about Phorm yet. So I left." He continues: "As I'd been paying for over two years to have non-existent cheques cashed, I thought I may as well have something for this outlay, so my last cheque was sent blown up on A3 cardboard. Remember, it's legal to write a cheque on anything as long as it contains the right information - there are famous stories of a cheque written on a cow, or in one case on a fish. In the circumstances, I thought they got off pretty lightly." BT didn't think so, and since dispatching his novelty cheque last November, David has "been deluged with calls from BT people who couldn't speak English and were clearly following a script". The company also referred the matter to a debt collection agency, which claimed the cheque had bounced. In fact, clarified David's bank, it was never presented for payment. BT then claimed the cheque rubbered "because it was non-standard" - something David nicely describes as "clearly b******s". David splendidly concludes: "I've had my solicitor write them several letters, pointing out that they've been paid with a legal cheque, and it's up to them to cash it. I've even offered to replace the cheque, though stipulating that there'll be a £25 admin charge and the replacement will be on plywood." A lot of mobile banking apps also let you scan cheques in yourself so you don't even need to visit a branch. https://www.barclays.co.uk/ways-to-bank/mobile-banking-services/paying-in-a-cheque https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ways-to-bank/mobile/cheque-deposit Edited November 22, 2018 by Arthur 7
supportman Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 For Banks like Monzo this is a non issue, although knowing them they will probably manage to make it work with smartphones at some point For the legacy banks its massive as it takes a lot of money to process bits of paper. This puts them at a disadvantage to the new challenger banks who are simply skipping it to old ways of doing things.
sonofsanta Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) Ugh cheques -_- my bank won't take international cheques anymore, yet half of publishing still insists on them. I just sold a story to one of the main three magazines (i.e. it is still running the way it has always run, dammit, if it was good enough in the Golden Age it is good enough for today!), and their payment options are cheque (which I'd thus have to open a new account to cash) or bank-wire, for which they deduct a $30 fee (off an $81 payment, in this case). Waiting to hear back on whether they will send the cheque to a friend, who can cash it and PayPal me the money. I cannot wait for cheques to die. Edited November 22, 2018 by sonofsanta Clarification & a missing word
DJ-1701 Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 Ugh cheques -_- my bank won't take international cheques anymore, yet half of publishing still insists on them. I just sold a story to one of the main three magazines (i.e. it is still running the way it has always run, dammit, if it was good enough in the Golden Age it is good enough for today!), and their payment options are cheque (which I'd thus have to open a new account to cash) or bank-wire, for which they deduct a $30 fee (off an $81 payment, in this case). Waiting to hear back on whether they will send the cheque to a friend, who can cash it and PayPal me the money. I cannot wait for cheques to die. 1. Get a US bank account. 2. Pay check into US back account. 3. ???? BREXIT 4. Profit!
jinnantonnixx Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 As an interesting tangent, Salvador Dali often wrote a cheque for meals at restaurants. He autographed and doodled on the back of the cheque. He knew that the owner wouldn't want to cash the cheque as it had novelty (and monetary) value. So, for Dali at least, there was such a thing as a free lunch. 2
Ketlane Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_Inland_Revenue_v_Haddock deals with the cow..... 1
Sonic007 Posted November 26, 2018 Posted November 26, 2018 The qiucker we can get rid of them the better. If only they could be use like gift cards are used in store or online. I've not got time to go find a bank (they are all closing down anyway) to cash a cheque. I want to enter a code, press a button and voila, its done online and in my account.
Jawloms Posted November 27, 2018 Posted November 27, 2018 (edited) I had to pay the DVLA with a cheque to transfer a number plate. It was either that or a postal order, but the postal order cost was an extra £12 on top!!! That's a hell of a mark up.... There's no reason in this modern day though a cheque should still take days to clear. Edited November 27, 2018 by Jawloms 1
Arthur Posted November 27, 2018 Posted November 27, 2018 I want to enter a code, press a button and voila, it's done online and in my account. That sounds a bit like Paym where you can be paid (or pay other people and businesses) via a mobile number. It's a shame not all banks support Paym and so few people know about it. 1
jthompson Posted November 27, 2018 Posted November 27, 2018 I've only written about three cheques in the last 10 years or so, but each time I did, I was really pleased that I still had a cheque book.
Danp Posted December 6, 2018 Posted December 6, 2018 Not written a cheque for years, I did receive one a couple of months ago, almost didn't know what to do with it! Then I noticed my Halifax account (2nd account, Monzo 1st) allows me to take a photo of the cheque and 'pay it in'. That was that, did that and stuck the cheque in the fire.
unixman_again Posted January 15, 2019 Author Posted January 15, 2019 I paid my road tax online the other day and it set me thinking about this thread and how back in the heyday of cheques you could use them to your advantage to save money. Well in Australia anyway. I never tried it here. When I used to pay the equivalent of road tax in Australia, if you wrote the cheque for $5 less than the amount owed, they wouldn't worry about the different. I guess $5 in $157.50 wasn't worth the effort. After a few years of this, one year they returned my cheque with a letter saying I hadn't paid enough. I paid in full, but the next year I wrote the cheque for $3 less and they accepted it, and they continued to accept it every year until I left in 1993. You could do the same with other government departments too. Damn online payments! The computer won't accept anything other than the amount shown
localzuk Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 Ah yes, great attitude, reducing the tax income for the government. Not like they use it for running the country or anything... 3
Dos_Box Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 I've only written about three cheques in the last 10 years or so, but each time I did, I was really pleased that I still had a cheque book. Yes, but how long did it take you to find your cheque book? I know I have two, but am now pretty vague as to their exact location. One may even be in the attic now.
howartp Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 I get a cheque from grandparents for every birthday and Christmas. Glad I'm with HSBC as I can now pay them in via the app then bin them instead of having to go to the bank.
TwistedHelixis Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 There's no need to artificially kill them off really - its not like simply having the stuff in place to be able to process them is a costing a huge amount. If there is a cost involved, simply pass it on to those that use them. I get charged if I pay in to my business account by cheque. Most of by schools pay me electronically but I have one that still insists on paying me by cheque, I then have to actually make a journey to go and pay it in, I HATE CHEQUES 1
mavhc Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 I get charged if I pay in to my business account by cheque. Most of by schools pay me electronically but I have one that still insists on paying me by cheque, I then have to actually make a journey to go and pay it in, I HATE CHEQUES How do the charges compare, cheque, cash, credit card, debit card, tap to pay, android pay, apple pay?
TwistedHelixis Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 How do the charges compare, cheque, cash, credit card, debit card, tap to pay, android pay, apple pay? I have a digital only business banking account so if I pay money digitally there is no cost, if i pay in a cheque they take about £7
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