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Cheque Books.

(156 Posts)
Calendargirl Sat 23-Oct-21 18:22:58

Don’t write cheques very often, but did today to send off a donation to charity. Realised at end of cheque book, tried to order one online, no way! Went on the live chat, but sadly, the digital assistant seemed never to have come across such a thing as a cheque.

Don’t want to reveal which bank, but just wonder if anyone else has found this. And yes, I know I can use my card, and I pay tradesman directly into their account etc, utilise direct debits and standing orders frequently, but I do feel that very occasionally, I want to write a cheque.

Am I such a rarity?

PaperMonster Sun 24-Oct-21 10:00:54

I use cheques to pay my rent. I do this at our visiting Post Office. I don’t want to do this any other way as I want to support our Post Office so that those locally who struggle to get to a town will be able to use this service. Its visits have already been halved to once a week.

Until Covid I used to use cheques for some things at my daughter’s school, eg school photos, PTA activities but the most recent of these requested online payment.

Elusivebutterfly Sun 24-Oct-21 09:48:19

There are people who want to be paid by cheque. I don't always have enough cash for my window cleaner (as I rarely use cash now) and he likes cheques and won't use online banking, as do some other small tradesmen. I pay an annual sum to a small charity who will only accept cheques.
I would be happy to dispense with cheques but other people still require payment by cheque.

Franbern Sun 24-Oct-21 09:38:06

I am the Secretary (Director), of our flats voluntary self-managed Management Committee.
We still use and receive cheques a lot. Internet banking for payments by us is difficult - with regard to the requitement for two signatures.
We are trying to encourage our six-monthly Maintenance fees to be paid to us by Bank Transfer, as the bank charges little for these, whereas it charge a large amount for any cheque paid in. However, at present only a small number of our flat owners pay this charge that way. Cheques are still their favourite method of payment.
In my personal life - I use cheques rarely, but there are still some people who want these (eg: my WIndow Cleaner).

Smileless2012 Sun 24-Oct-21 09:19:57

We still use cheques and our bank automatically sends a new book when we're getting to the end of the one we're using. I wonder if it depends on how many you usehmm.

Galaxy Sun 24-Oct-21 09:03:12

Yes I am afraid sometimes cheques dont get cashed here, I havent been in a bank for years and it would be a pain to do it. Most banks will let you scan the cheque via internet banking but some dont.

MamaCaz Sun 24-Oct-21 09:00:59

We still need to write cheques occasionally, but I can't remember when we last needed a new chequebook, it's been so long.

Most frequently, it's to small, long-standing businesses run by rather mature people, who haven't embraced technology, continuing to accept only cash or cheques

My 88 year old mother still pays tradesmen by cheque, and sends cheques to young family members as birthday/Christmas gifts.

She has also noticed that in the case of the tradesmen it can be many weeks before a cheque is cashed, and some of those sent to family have never been cashed!
She struggles to understand that in modern life, 'popping into the bank' is no longer an easy matter for most. In fact, it can be ridiculously inconvenient.

(I know some people , depending who they bank with, have the facility to cash a cheque without physically taking it to their bank, but not many, I don't think)

NotAGran55 Sun 24-Oct-21 07:53:11

I send all gifts by PayPal or bank transfer , whichever the recipient prefers .
Window cleaner ,cooker cleaner , charities and all trades by bank transfer.
It is literally years since I wrote a cheque and can’t think of any reason I would need to .

Calendargirl Sun 24-Oct-21 07:52:18

You could Galaxy, but that means asking for the recipient’s bank details. And checking if they’ve changed their account each year? Just seems easier to pop a cheque in with a Christmas or birthday card.

I’m in a minority I realise, but speaking as an ex bank clerk, I still feel cheques have a use in certain circumstances,

Galaxy Sun 24-Oct-21 07:43:31

You could do a gift via bank transfer or PayPal.

BlueBelle Sun 24-Oct-21 07:14:23

Some years since I used a cheque I thought they were going to be phased out

Calendargirl Sun 24-Oct-21 07:13:34

How would you send someone a monetary gift at Christmas for example Hetty if it needed to be posted?

oldgoat Sun 24-Oct-21 06:56:36

I am the treasurer of a WI and use cheques to pay speakers etc. We cannot use our bank's free on-line banking facility because it does not allow for dual authorisation of payments which, as a charity, we must have. The bank's other on-line banking account which does have this facility , would cost us £20 a month. So paying by cheque is still essential for us.

Hetty58 Sun 24-Oct-21 06:34:15

Calendargirl, like Amberone, I haven't used a cheque in years. There are no payments I can't make by card or standing order.

Mamardoit Sun 24-Oct-21 04:21:33

The last cheque I signed was a donation to a charity. I will send a few at Christmas because I won't send cash in the post. If the time comes when I can't use cheques the gifts will stop. My new book came automatically which did surprise me.

welbeck Sat 23-Oct-21 20:32:18

i meant, of course, that the stub ends were not attached to the binding. the stubs were at the outer edge.
i only used it that once and placed the carefully detached stub into the inside of the plastic cover, for a record.

Lollin Sat 23-Oct-21 20:29:49

I recently requested a new cheque book. To my delight it arrived within the week!

Marydoll Sat 23-Oct-21 20:07:34

Our voluntary group has a cheque book from BOS to pay for things. I wrote one recently. It's too complicated to do internet banking for us.

welbeck Sat 23-Oct-21 20:02:58

i had to pay some tax to the revenue a couple of years ago, and asked metrobank if they could write me a banker's draft.
this seemed to cause some consternation, and as i was explaining what i wanted to do, and said well you don;t issue cheque books and i'm willing to pay for the draft, a young asst said cheerily, would you like a cheque book.
i was a bit puzzled but said yes, thinking more delay.
they disappeared behind the scenes and emerged after 15 minutes with a thin blue cheque book.
other colleagues came to have a look and marvelled at it.
she put it in a stiff board plastic coated cover for me.
it had about 5 cheques in it, looked kosher, but i pointed out that it had been bound the wrong way round: the stubs were attached to the binding.
she didn't understand the issue. so i thought i better take it.
a bird in the hand...

Chewbacca Sat 23-Oct-21 19:36:19

I've written 3 cheques this week alone and usually write at least one a month. My bank (The Co Op Bank) does automatically send me a new cheque book when I have 10 or less left, or I can order one via online banking if I want more deposit slips.

lemongrove Sat 23-Oct-21 19:32:42

I don’t think you are rare, but do think it’s mainly older people who write cheques ( including me.)
They were thinking of phasing them out about seven years ago but there was a huge outcry about it, so they didn’t.
My bank will send me a new one if I ask online or by phone.I write them to send as presents, or to charities or to pay trades people we may use.

Enid101 Sat 23-Oct-21 19:19:00

I think you are rare, but rare is precious!

kittylester Sat 23-Oct-21 19:18:06

Our cheques books are in the safe.....I think. We rarely use cash either now.

Jaxjacky Sat 23-Oct-21 19:11:40

I had to write and send a cheque to my bank last year to buy a bond, the very same bank whose app I use for online banking, bizarre. Probably the last cheque I’ve written, even my allotment society takes BACS now.

nadateturbe Sat 23-Oct-21 18:50:19

I still write cheques now and again. I would hate to think banks will stop issuing them.

Calendargirl Sat 23-Oct-21 18:45:44

Georgesgran

That’s what my bank used to do, you received a new book when about 10 from the end, doesn’t seem to happen now. I know the use of cheques is discouraged and obviously the banks are making it awkward to get a new one.