Current Events > Do you remember when people paid for things with checks?

(+) Yeah! (+)

When I was a kid debit cards weren't much of a thing. I still have vivid memories of being at the grocery store waiting in line for people to write checks for their food. Feels bad. All I wanted to do was get out of there and play Nintendo.

During the pandemic I worked at a liquor store and was told by a customer that they took checks. Perhaps they did before the pandemic, but that at the time, my manager reiterated that we were not taking checks.

My current job will take checks, but it's very rare that they're received from one-off clientele. When we gets, it's usually either from donors or traveling groups with balances. From a non-management source I was told that we shouldn't take checks outside of those issues, although one time someone did because our system was down and we couldn't take card.

we prefer checks over cards tbh
aint tryna eat a processing fee on thousands of dollars

I never understood why people used checks.

Credit cards have existed since World War II.

Some people still use em (mainly elderly) around here

I remember using my moms without her permission when I was young

she did not like that

Yeah my mom used to pay for groceries with checks when I was little.

Anyone remember traveler's checks? What exactly were those? >_>

Checks are still nice for when you need to get paid under the table. Obviously cash is better though.

I've been meaning to ask for a while. Is paying bills by cheques still a norm in the USA?
Or is automatically taken from your bank accounts?

I ask this because at a work party some years ago i overhead a conversation someone had with a visiting American and he was talking about a time recently when he wasn't paying his bills and all his checks were bouncing.

JaiCSC posted...

I've been meaning to ask for a while. Is paying bills by cheques still a norm in the USA?
Or is automatically taken from your bank accounts?

I ask this because at a work party some years ago i overhead a conversation someone had with a visiting American and he was talking about a time recently when he wasn't paying his bills and all his checks were bouncing.

There is autopay on bills that you have to opt in for

there is direct deposit pretty much every where now

NeonTentacles posted...

Yeah my mom used to pay for groceries with checks when I was little.

Anyone remember traveler's checks? What exactly were those? >_>

it's like a money order

Robot2600 posted...

it's like a money order

the fuck is a money order

I worked in retail in the late 1990s. I hated checks. Always slowed down the customer lines. Even worse was when someone would unfold their checkbook and push the unwritten check over to me to fill out.... ugh.

ArsGoetia posted...

the fuck is a money order

its like a travelers check

I dont even remember people commonly paying with cheques.

When I worked at Dollar General in 2012, the people who paid by checks only ever did so when there was a big ass line of people and theyd take forfuckingever to neatly write it out and slowly tear it off the checkbook

Shit was infuriating

Dont think I ever saw people use cheques to pay for things other than bills or birthday money.

I actually wrote one when I bought my car last week because I didn't want my card to get flagged by the bank for hitting my limit. I only use them for rent otherwise.

We still see some checks written at work by elderly patients.

Geriatrics still use them at the self checkout.

JaiCSC posted...

I've been meaning to ask for a while. Is paying bills by cheques still a norm in the USA?
Or is automatically taken from your bank accounts?

I ask this because at a work party some years ago i overhead a conversation someone had with a visiting American and he was talking about a time recently when he wasn't paying his bills and all his checks were bouncing.

I've paid my bills online for at least 15 years. Everything is set to autopay now. Some people (older people especially) still send checks to pay their bills. My parents do this. It's just not common at all to see people pay with checks at retail stores since debit cards, which basically act as an electronic check.

Money orders seem more common to pay bills when people most likely get their money illegally. I've known a few people who have never had a bank account. If they're selling drugs or whatever, if they deposit a lot of cash it gets flagged and the feds get notified.

ArsGoetia posted...

the fuck is a money order

you pay money upfront and put the amount on a piece of paper. The party you give it to then takes that piece of paper and redeems it for cash. Theres fees when you create one and some places take a cut when they accept it. Its a scam.

Ive paid my taxes with a money order only for the state to turn around and say they received payment. The state of Ohio owes me money

TimeForAction posted...

you pay money upfront and put the amount on a piece of paper. The party you give it to then takes that piece of paper and redeems it for cash. Theres fees when you create one and some places take a cut when they accept it. Its a scam.

It depends on who you're taking it from. If they're known for writing bad checks, it's better just to only accept a money order from them.

There are instances where paying with a check is easier and makes sense at least in the US.

To me, when I bought a car, paying the down payment with a check seemed like the easiest way to do it. If you go onto a bullion website you usually save 4% if you pay by check(thought ACH debit is also a thing and gives you the discount iirc). Sometimes you will encounter a service that paying with a check incurs no fees while paying online does.

Generally though, day to day, there is no reason to use checks to pay for 99% of things. But they can save you if you lose your bank card and do not have any sort of phone app payment thing set up.

I work in retail and we only take checks from business customers but at my store it was one guy but now he mainly uses his debit card. Also at my work, your first pay when you get hired should be direct deposit, but if that isn't set up in time or whatever you may get your first pay as a check. Not really a huge deal, just go to your bank or even the ATM outside to deposit it.

I got a Chalmers big and tall card. But it's a small chain in the northwest. So it does me no good here.

argonautweakend posted...

Also at my work, your first pay when you get hired should be direct deposit, but if that isn't set up in time or whatever you may get your first pay as a check. Not really a huge deal, just go to your bank or even the ATM outside to deposit it.

My previous job didn't even give physical paychecks. If someone doesn't have a bank account for direct deposit, they get a debit card with a special account where all their money goes.

I use checks for monthly rent, and nothing else

Nope. I feel like that's an American thing cause I have never seen a check in real life. Other than those novelty oversized ones at charity events.

I still use checks every now and then, but not that often. They were already being phased out by the time I got a checking account, but they're neat and I feel fancy whenever I write one. It's like giving an autograph to the cashier, but they're probably annoyed by it instead of excited like if it was their favourite celebrity giving them an actual autograph.