Am I the only one who pays with a check?

[Annie S.]

Originally Posted by Jennifer P.

My utility companies charge a fee to pay online, $1 or $2 each transaction. More than the price of a stamp. Yet they hound me in each bill to pay online. My message to them is this: don't hound me to pay online & then punish me by charging more, I'm not biting.

Jennifer, do it through your own bank. There is no fee that way (assuming you have free online bill pay, which I think pretty much all banks have). I pay everything through my bank.

[Annie S.]

Adding something here: For those who don't know, you can also pay individuals through your bank's online bill pay. So if, for example, you buy a DVD from one of the buy/sell sites, you can send that person a check for free from bill pay. And the recipient has the added confidence that the check is good, because it won't be sent from the bank unless the money is there.

[SpiritYogi]

I live in a small town and although many businesses / people accept electronic payments, many do not so checks are still used a lot. My boyfriend owns a home maintenance / construction business and about 80% of his customers pay with personal checks.

[lreidgreen]

I use my debit card for most of my purchases, credit or paypal for online purchases and some bills by automatic bank draft (mortgage, cable, electric, heating oil, cell phone) but pay some of my bills by check. This is mostly local service people like plumbers, electricians, etc. but also my martial arts instructor. I definitely still use checks though.

I must say my kids who are millennials had no clue how to write a check. I had to show my son when he needed to pay rent.

I think the comment about intelligence and not using electronic forms of payment is uncalled for. First of all not true and second, not nice.

ETA: When I sell or on very rare occasions buy on a local FB marketplace site I only accept and pay in cash.

[cataddict]

Originally Posted by Jennifer P.

My utility companies charge a fee to pay online, $1 or $2 each transaction. More than the price of a stamp. Yet they hound me in each bill to pay online. My message to them is this: don't hound me to pay online & then punish me by charging more, I'm not biting.

Really? Which utility does that? I pay all my utility bills online and don’t get charged a fee. I use electronic debit to my bank. I wouldn’t do it otherwise. Like I won’t file my state return electronically because it would cost me money to do so. So the state gets a printed and mailed return from us which costs them more than it would if they let me file electronically for free. As my father used to say, they can go pound sand.

[nyskier]

Wow, this is an eye-opening thread. I still write some checks, but not too many. A few months ago some friends owed me money for theater tickets and insisted on paying me through Venmo, an app I had never heard of. They refused to write a check . I had to install the app just for them, which I thought was a bit strange.

[Betty Boop]

Originally Posted by Annie S.

. . .And the recipient has the added confidence that the check is good, because it won't be sent from the bank unless the money is there.

Yes, and if the check isn't cashed within "x" period of time, the bank automatically restores the money to your account.

[maitai]

Originally Posted by angie_nrs

I don't like the big banks, so I like to use cash since they can't make any money off that, like they do with every CC transaction. Plus, I like my privacy. The big banks don't need to know everything I purchase. That 1-2% cash back incentive is not enough to make me forfeit my privacy or my dislike of large CC companies.

Are you my long lost sister?

[firmaniac]

Originally Posted by lreidgreen

I use my debit card for most of my purchases, credit or paypal for online purchases and some bills by automatic bank draft (mortgage, cable, electric, heating oil, cell phone) but pay some of my bills by check. This is mostly local service people like plumbers, electricians, etc. but also my martial arts instructor. I definitely still use checks though.

I must say my kids who are millennials had no clue how to write a check. I had to show my son when he needed to pay rent.

I think the comment about intelligence and not using electronic forms of payment is uncalled for. First of all not true and second, not nice.

ETA: When I sell or on very rare occasions buy on a local FB marketplace site I only accept and pay in cash.

I'm feeling like I have a better perspective on this topic thanks to all the helpful comments here... I have a low threshold for fuss when it comes to the online world. I do enjoy purchasing online-so easy to tap and buy and it arrives by magic haha But, I'm gratified check writing is still accepted for now, even if not in the sell groups on facebook. Maybe it is a signal I need to stop buying used videos???? LOL

[Donna D]

Originally Posted by Annie S.

Adding something here: For those who don't know, you can also pay individuals through your bank's online bill pay. So if, for example, you buy a DVD from one of the buy/sell sites, you can send that person a check for free from bill pay. And the recipient has the added confidence that the check is good, because it won't be sent from the bank unless the money is there.

True, that's how I've been paying my rent for several years now.