Target no longer taking cheques

[rangerxenos]

Oh no. Now you got be worried that my greenbax stamps might not good anymore too.

We STILL have a few items that were purchased with S&H Green Stamps in the 60s!

 

[rangerxenos]

I have written 10 checks this year.
3 because I elected to, a credit card would have been accepted without extra charge.
1 because there would have been a 4% service charge for using a credit or debit card. This was to DMV to renew my Driver's License.
6 to businesses that do not take credit or debit payments and have no auto pay option.

On the flip side, businesses that only SEND checks. When I retired, even though I had my paychecks direct deposited, my final check was a check. It was interesting that rolling 401k money into an IRA could only be done by getting a check. Probably due to tax laws since the checks had to be made out to the investment firm we were using and written FBO (for benefit of) my name. Not sure wire transfers can be set up that way. And I get my Social Security Direct Deposited, but had my Medicare Part B premium auto paid out of my checking account, so the first month on Social Security they took it out of my SS AND they took the auto pay. They sent a refund by check.

When I withdrew money out of my 401k to move elsewhere, I had to have it done by check, and they charged me a ridiculous fee to do so. Really made me angry.

 

[tvguy]

When I withdrew money out of my 401k to move elsewhere, I had to have it done by check, and they charged me a ridiculous fee to do so. Really made me angry.

There was a fee if the balance was below a certain amount. Fortunately, our balances were above that.

 

[barkley]

We STILL have a few items that were purchased with S&H Green Stamps in the 60s!

i remember recognizing several set pieces on 'that 70's show' that were exclusive to s&h green stamps. growing up it was easy to tell which households saved and redeemed the stamps cuz we all had the same cookie jar, bed spreads and wall art

 

[disykat]

I still use some checks for my mom. I had shut down her credit cards when she first started losing her memory for fear of her being scammed. (I also protected her ss#, bank account #'s etc. but the credit card was the biggie that could have very easily gotten her in trouble initially.) Checks were much easier for me to keep an eye on in the earlier days of dementia and I guess I just stuck with it. They are also an easy way to track reimbursement to me or my siblings from the estate if we've covered things. I write four or five checks a month on her account.

I still have a checkbook for my own account as well, but rarely use it.

 

[mom2rtk]

The problem with checks has always been when they bounce for insufficient funds or the account closed and then the merchant is left trying to get their money back. With a credit/debit card you get instant feedback whether or not the charge was accepted. Not surprised that few stores still accept checks.

If someone does a small job at my house like landscaping or some sort of home repairs, I always pay by check instead of cash. Then I have proof of payment if they later claim I never paid them.

Most stores (certainly the big ones) that still take checks run them through a machine now that immediately debits the account. They give a message if there's insufficient funds.

 

[prairie_girl]

They are unless you make an effort to make them not be the same.

I always insist on an ATM only card.

In the US debit transactions are not PIN based. As a result a lost/compromised debit card can be painful to deal with. While debit cards in the US provide similar fraud protections as a credit card there are important differences.

A lost credit card is easy to deal with. When you discover fraudulent charges you call the issuer and done.

In the US a lost debit card can be much more painful since it is your money at risk and not the issuer. A lost debit card can result in an overdrawn checking account. Which means potentially having to deal with bounced payments to normally approved withdrawals that might occur because all the money has been drained from the account. While the consumer would more than likely not be responsible for any fees their time is required to unravel the mess, probably having to contact many more people than just the bank.

Until the US requires a PIN for all debit card transactions I will continue to carry an ATM only card.

My debit card doesn’t have a pin. I can’t even remember the last time I had a card that needed a pin. Everything is tap these days.

 

[CdnCarrie]

My debit card doesn’t have a pin. I can’t even remember the last time I had a card that needed a pin. Everything is tap these days.

My card has a PIN (RBC). I use at times when the tap doesn’t work. Your PIN is your ATM password.

 

[kdonnel]

My debit card doesn’t have a pin. I can’t even remember the last time I had a card that needed a pin. Everything is tap these days.

Sounds like I would want an ATM only card if I lived in Canada.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

I use checks to transfer money between my own accounts at different banks and avoid a bank fee or transfer limits up to $50k. Write it to yourself from the account you are transferring money from. Sign it. Endorse it on the back. Then use online deposit to take a photo and deposit it to the account where you want the money to go. No bank fees.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I use checks to transfer money between my own accounts at different banks and avoid a bank fee or transfer limits up to $50k. Write it to yourself from the account you are transferring money from. Sign it. Endorse it on the back. Then use online deposit to take a photo and deposit it to the account where you want the money to go. No bank fees.

You can’t do that for free on your bank app?

 

[prairie_girl]

My card has a PIN (RBC). I use at times when the tap doesn’t work. Your PIN is your ATM password.

You’re right. I forgot because I don’t know the last time we actually took out cash from an atm lol

 

[CdnCarrie]

You’re right. I forgot because I don’t know the last time we actually took out cash from an atm lol

Half the time my tap doesn’t work so I often enter my PIN.

 

[georgina]

I have used Zelle to send money to someone's bank, but I have never used Venmo. The guy who came to wash our windows likes Venmo, but he took a check. Still has our old address, and probably will for the rest of our lives.

On the flip side, businesses that only SEND checks. When I retired, even though I had my paychecks direct deposited, my final check was a check. It was interesting that rolling 401k money into an IRA could only be done by getting a check. Probably due to tax laws since the checks had to be made out to the investment firm we were using and written FBO (for benefit of) my name. Not sure wire transfers can be set up that way. And I get my Social Security Direct Deposited, but had my Medicare Part B premium auto paid out of my checking account, so the first month on Social Security they took it out of my SS AND they took the auto pay. They sent a refund by check.

We got a treasury dept check for a medicare premium refund also. I walked it into the bank to deposit, had read some things about mobile deposit not working on government checks. I do love mobile deposit for checks!

 

[tvguy]

You’re right. I forgot because I don’t know the last time we actually took out cash from an atm lol

I still use a lot of cash. I try to have $300 on hand. Primarily for eating out. Much quicker than a card as I almost always have exact change. Don't have to wait for the server to come get the card, run the card, bring it back for a signature. Just plop down the cash and leave.

 

[prairie_girl]

I still use a lot of cash. I try to have $300 on hand. Primarily for eating out. Much quicker than a card as I almost always have exact change. Don't have to wait for the server to come get the card, run the card, bring it back for a signature. Just plop down the cash and leave.

Oh yeah, I forgot they take your card when you pay in restaurants. Interesting how there’s so many differences.

 

[sam_gordon]

Oh yeah, I forgot they take your card when you pay in restaurants. Interesting how there’s so many differences.

More and more restaurants are bringing machines to the table. Insert card, enter tip amount, decide if you want a receipt.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

We pay for a lot of things in cash too.

We have had at least three bad experiences with using cards in table service restaurants when our card was put on a tray and the server took it to the back room where our card data was stolen. Subsequent charges were made without authorization. We had to go through a goat rope to freeze cards, get new ones, get the charges reversed etc.

Now we have a rule: cash only at restaurants, including tips.

We also never allow anyone else to remove a card from our sight or even touch it.

For example, if a gas station card reader is broken and it says see attendant inside, the majority of the time we drive away to another gas station. I would rather pay ten cents a gallon more for 20 gallons of gas — $2.00 — than run into a possible scam where someone is trying to fleece card data. Pizza places are another potential hot mess in that regard. We have been scammed there too. No more orders where they take the card over the phone and then you hand it to them when picking up the pizza.

Once a grocery store check-out grabbed my card out of my hand and flipped it over to read the back — expiration date and cvs number. I immediately called the manager and asked for a record of the event, the date and the name of the checkout person. He was fuming, of course and I told him it may have been perfectly innocent, but I needed to protect myself because of the breach. Same with a checker at Walmart who grabbed my card to read the back of it.

In those situations it is cash only.

Another practice we have is we sign into our accounts and check the activity every single day for every account. We used to have to balance our accounts only once a month. Now I do it every morning.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

You can’t do that for free on your bank app?

No. There is a transfer fee when sending funds electronically to your own account at another bank.

 

[tzolkin]

My dentist charges 3% fee on the credit card. They said they take cash or check. I owed $16 and I gave $20 and then they said they had no change!!!! You better believe I bring my check book to every dentist appointment.

You should be able to use a debit card without paying the credit card surcharge.