I had checks. Don’t know where or when the last time I saw them.
I receive 10-12 a year. Maybe 15. Our monthly expenses are paid by paper check. Settlements and refunds are often paper checks - but going to pre-paid credit cards that expire…
If I pay online there’s a 2.5% extra charge for processing or something.
I still use checks! If someone is going to charge me to complete a transaction online, they get a check…
Until “convenience fees†go away, I will use checks.
Fair enough, but this is just nuts. Cheques are way more expensive for the banking system than online settlements.
The best academic work I’ve seen on the topic released by our central bank showed that cheques cost an average of $4.30 to process. Sometimes more than the underlying transaction.
Online settlements are about 7 or 8 cents for credits, 10 or 11 cents for debits, but about 40% of that is allocated overhead. Direct costs are 3 to 6 cents.
Why do your banks all but insist that you waste time and money, particularly when a chunk of it is their money?
I still use checks! If someone is going to charge me to complete a transaction online, they get a check. We have several that go directly from the bank, but I pay school fees (athletic, booster, donations, lunch account, etc), taxes, HOA fees, etc, by check.
Until “convenience fees†go away, I will use checks.
… but aren’t you imposing an inconvenience fee on yourself? Stamps, envelopes, postage, getting to/from the post office, wondering if it’s a check’s cashed, etc… etc…
Look at the convenience fee as a savings for you from all the other hassles of paying by paper checks.
If I pay online there’s a 2.5% extra charge for processing or something.
I still use checks! If someone is going to charge me to complete a transaction online, they get a check…
Until “convenience fees†go away, I will use checks.
Fair enough, but this is just nuts. Cheques are way more expensive for the banking system than online settlements.
The best academic work I’ve seen on the topic released by our central bank showed that cheques cost an average of $4.30 to process. Sometimes more than the underlying transaction.
Online settlements are about 7 or 8 cents for credits, 10 or 11 cents for debits, but about 40% of that is allocated overhead. Direct costs are 3 to 6 cents.
Why do your banks all but insist that you waste time and money, particularly when a chunk of it is their money?
It is not the bank that is imposing the convenience fee on the customer. It is the government you pay your taxes too, the small business you pay for their service etc…. Many times, those groups either have no desire to move into the current day and age and they do not realize the extra cost to them in handling checks either.
It’s been almost one year. How many checks did you write?
When I reread the OP my first thought was. “I didn’t know they came in packs of 4.”
Wow, a blast from the past! This post made it through the great migration.
I looked through my checkbook and I’ve only written a handful of checks since December. It looks like I truly have a lifetime supply 
“your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash!”
I dealt with a ton of checks up until recently. The construction industry is still in the technological stone age to some degree.
We packed up our house to rent it out before coming to the US.
We found 5 unused American Express travellers cheques, in pounds Sterling, from 35 years ago. Total value 150 Sterling.
I was able to upload photos of the cheques and proof of identity to the website. American Express credited the 150 Sterling, in Australian dollars, to our bank account. I was really surprised that they accepted such old cheques.
We also found 8 unused National Westminster Bank cheques which we through away. We are still working through the mountain of paperwork to get access to our NatWest bank accounts which we have not touched in 30 years. They probably have a few hundred pounds in them.