It's 2015 people still pay with CHECKS in stores!?

Ambear · May 3, 2015

I barely know how to write a check lol. When I have to do it to pay hospital lab bills or something I always have someone double check it to make sure I've got the amount written right and the signature in the right place.

I never mind when people write checks at stores. I do wonder why, if they're going to Wegmans, and they know this... fill out the info for Wegmans ahead of time on the check and make it that much faster? Also I get that the cashier wouldn't know how to process the check. I worked as a cashier at Chrismas Tree Shops and their check processing was like a 5 step process. It was confusing. Also taking long to write a long check, or any other payment form, can screw your cashier if they are judged by how quickly they finish transactions with customers. Man I hated being a cashier.

ols386 · May 3, 2015

At a grocery store, I pay with cash. At most other places of business (restaurants, retail stores, etc.), I use credit card.

bcwife76 · May 3, 2015

I live in Canada and I'm pretty sure most stores here don't even accept checks (or CHEQUES, as we spell it LOL) anymore. Paying with debit (your bank card) is HUGE here, has been for many, many years. A lot of Canadians don't even carry much cash anymore. My mom does (but she's 75!). A couple of weeks ago I was at McDonalds and their machines were down and could only accept cash. I didn't want to go across the road to the bank (not my bank, didn't want to pay ATM fees) so I had $6 in change on me and just ate off the value menu ;-) Would've gone somewhere else that I could have used debit at but we were already running late for a playdate. The only time I write cheques is for some school stuff for my kids (scholastic book orders, some lunch orders etc).

cedricandsophie · May 3, 2015

I still write checks to charities, the plumber, etc. and for places that will give a discount or at least not charge a fee to use a credit card. Mostly I pay online and don't know whst I would do without debit card. Occasionally I write a check in a store. I still carry them and order new ones.

Dancind · May 3, 2015

I have been mailing a check once a month to my mortgage company, what a pain! We are paying extra, and it seems I need to send the form along indicating that or they will put it in our escrow account.

My DH is 60 now, and we couldn't convince him to get a debit card until about two years ago. He used to pay with cash. Now he uses debit for EVERYTHING.

verleniahall · May 3, 2015

We do. one of our restaruants in town will ONLY take checks or cash. But we use checks to pay bills and groceries. We will use a check where its allowed/accepted (which i know is few and far between) and use case the rest of the time. We only use a debit card if we are going out of town, (like on vacation - and we know they won't accept out of state checks) or i am buying something online.

missnic · May 3, 2015

I've written 2 checks in the past 10+ years, because I owed my mom some money and she doesn't have a PayPal account. To obtain those checks, I had to go the bank and have them print me a sheet of them. I'm not sure when I last used cash. I use either credit or debit at all stores, and pay all bills online. I also obsessively check my bank and credit cards online at least every couple of days. We had two debit cards (both DH's) compromised, but the banks each caught it right away, overnighted new cards, and reversed all charges immediately. We think that was due to a disgruntled employee rather than a scam though.

I'm not sure when the last time I saw someone else writing a check though.

Kristibo42 · May 3, 2015

CampbellzSoup said:
I'm in line at Costco and I'm on my phone looking at all the shaming i'm getting in the meat thread lol when I notice I'm not moving...

Odd...so I hear the grunts of everyone behind me going Oh come on...so I look up. This lady was paying $45.00 with a check...the person didn't know how to operate it, and a supervisor had to come over.

It just made me think...wow in 2015 people still pay with CHECKS!? She wasn't older either she was maybe around 45/50?

Here me out - I personally didn't care, but it just made me go wow I didn't know this archaic system still existed!

I worked in a bank, and when I would just ask people when ordering checks if they tried online banking a lot of people were always concerned about privacy/electronic hackers...which always had me reply to them:

"You're giving someone a hard copy of your Address, Name, Signature and account/routing number...how is that more safe"

Maybe it's ME who doesn't know the benefits to paying with checks

Do you guys still pay at STORES with checks?

P.S. THIS IS NOT THE LADY - just an image of someone doing so.

I write checks all the time.

goofyernmost · May 3, 2015

You guys made me curious so I got out my dusty check book and counted. Last year (2014) I wrote a grand total of 11 checks. This year, 4 months into the year, I have written 1 and that was to my sister for something I owed her and she doesn't take Debit or Credit Cards.

I always keep about $20.00 on me just in case I need to use cash, but, sometimes that stays in my pocket for months. I pay for everything, including my rent via direct bank withdrawals that way and everything that I might use cash for is a Debit card. The Credit Union gives me a real good rate of return in my checking balance if I use the card 30 times per month. I also have a Quicken program where I keep my balances and always ask for receipts whether it be Debit or Credit and record them as I use it or commit to it online. It is such a simple thing to use and makes monthly reconciliation almost fun to do. Checks are so 20th Century.

Quicken also is a huge help in trying to stay within a budget and knowing how much I spend on individual items (i.e. groceries, gas, dining, golf, Car repairs and upkeep, etc.)

CampbellzSoup · May 3, 2015

Kristibo42 said:
I write checks all the time.

Do you still have a VCR too?

Jennasis · May 3, 2015

CampbellzSoup said:
Do you still have a VCR too?

Don't be silly. If i did, there wouldn't be room on the self for my record player.

starlionblue · May 4, 2015

I work in a store and you'd be shocked not by how often people pay with checks but the silly amounts. However, some are paranoid and still think checks are safer than cash or credit cards so they'll write checks for an average of $5-10. Yes, $5. And then, there are those who are not trying to scam the store but get angry when asked for ID for a check for $1,500. In what city would one write a check for that much and NOT be asked for ID? I don't get it. I've been cursed and shouted at for asking for ID for checks for insane amounts of money. They coughed up the ID in the end but why did they lose their temper in the first place? I still don't understand America's obsession with checks. I haven't written one in six months and have probably written less than a dozen in the last 6-7 years! And I still process 1-2 checks EVERY SINGLE day!!

Carrie_Cat · May 4, 2015

We pay our rent every month with a cheque, don't like direct debit too much. All other bills are paid by debit card. Shops and restarants are taking them less and less and we'd normally pay cash or debit card if we are over their minimum amount which can vary from store to store.

Art 1 · May 4, 2015

starlionblue said:
I work in a store and you'd be shocked not by how often people pay with checks but the silly amounts. However, some are paranoid and still think checks are safer than cash or credit cards so they'll write checks for an average of $5-10. Yes, $5. And then, there are those who are not trying to scam the store but get angry when asked for ID for a check for $1,500. In what city would one write a check for that much and NOT be asked for ID? I don't get it. I've been cursed and shouted at for asking for ID for checks for insane amounts of money. They coughed up the ID in the end but why did they lose their temper in the first place? I still don't understand America's obsession with checks. I haven't written one in six months and have probably written less than a dozen in the last 6-7 years! And I still process 1-2 checks EVERY SINGLE day!!

I think it's silly to pay with a card for those amounts and that's what I see. People buying a candy bar, coffee or something similar and pulling out a card. I don't understand not having $50 or so of cash to buy day to day items.

slo · May 4, 2015

It depends for me - sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.
With all these credit cards getting compromised in recent days, I've been tempted to stop using my credit cards (which is mainly my debit card) and start writing checks every where (the money is all coming out of the same place).

sunshinehighway · May 4, 2015

Art 1 said:
I think it's silly to pay with a card for those amounts and that's what I see. People buying a candy bar, coffee or something similar and pulling out a card. I don't understand not having $50 or so of cash to buy day to day items.

I pay with a card for anything I can, even small items. I want the points. Yeah it's only a few dollars but all those little <$5 purchase add up. It's either that or end up with a purse full of change do I go with the card.

PrincessElena · May 4, 2015

I still write checks. Today I wrote one for my daughter's lunch account at school. I pay a couple of bills with them too. I certainly don't write as many as I used to, but I do on occasion.

indimom · May 4, 2015

I could care less what people use. We have businesses around here that charge for small purchases if you use plastit, but don't for a check. Go figure. If I needed something, I would write a check. The school CHARGES a fee to reload the kids lunch accounts online with a credit or debit card. Ridiculous. I write a check.

About 10 years ago, I used my checks religiously. I was on a tight budget and wanted to monitor every penny. Plastic makes it too easy to overspend.
I was waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store while the customer before me and the cashier chatted and slowly scanned items, enjoying their conversation. No big deal. I wrote my check (all but the amount) and waited patiently.
I get to the point of paying for my groceries, and the cashier goes on a bender about how she hates checks, how much time they take, how they hurt her "rate" of customers per hour, yada yada. I couldn't believe it. She wasted WAY more time chatting with the woman in front of me, then freaks out because I had to take 30 seconds scribble down an amount.
Still ticks me off when I think about it. :mad:

AnnaS · May 4, 2015

Funny you mentioned Coscto. I usually pay for my purchases with my Visa for the rewards (pay immediately). I do pay with my debit in Costco since they do not take Visa (as of now).

However, when I shop for my mother in law in Costco, I pay by check since she is not with me, we are on the account and she has no credit card anyway. I actually feel a bit like I am slowing down and I think they do call out loud on purpose for approval/signature because I am paying by check. At least I think they do, but I don't care really. It's only an extra minute. I have just waited 20 minutes to get to the cashier if not more. They can all wait one extra minute. I could have had a bigger order, etc.

DisneyNutMary · May 4, 2015

I use about six checks a year, my son's school will only take check or money order for some fees, and when I am invited to a party that will mean a large cash gift (wedding, graduation, baptism, etc) I write a check.
My DH is still a check writer, he writes them for all the bills, I've been trying so hard to come over to online banking and bill pay with me, but he's stubborn.

Where I work, we still see about four to six checks a day, normally from businesses and non-profit organizations when they are making purchases on the business account. Smaller businesses like family owned convenience stores and orgs like little league and pta's usually aren't too eager to give cash or a credit card to the person doing their shopping.

It's 2015 people still pay with CHECKS in stores!?

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