Who Is Still Writing Checks

[rk911]

So far this calendar year we've written ~ 50-checks. One every other week to the housekeeper and the remainder are gifts, donations to charity and to vendors that prefer checks to save on CC fees. Between now and December 31st I expect to write 8-10 more. All of our regular monthly bills are paid via automatic ACH debit with most of the irregular bills paid via debit on the vendor website. One insurance company insists on a check for the annual premium.

 

[foxcreek9]

Don't quickly dismiss paying by CC just because there is a fee. Our county takes CC for taxes and charges 2.25% +1.50. So the fee for paying $3,800 is $87 but we get 2% back, $77.6 plus the money stays in fund paying 5% for 5 extra weeks, so $18.27 in interest. Takes no more time and I am up $10.

 

[ncbill]

Have you tried Direct Pay? https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay

You can schedule only one payment in advance at a time, but you still can pay electronically.
Screen print and save your confirmation # to PDF as proof of payment.
Oh, and if you don't have enough funds in your bank account when they attempt to pull your payment, they will send you an email letting you know the payment failed and to resubmit your payment.

Exactly what I do...no need to setup an account on EFTPS just to pay quarterly.

 

[easysurfer]

Most of my payments are automated. But I still do write checks occasionally. Nice to have a checkbook handy for those times.

 

[jazz4cash]

That would drive me nuts. How can you not track your balance? I guess you don't balance your checkbook either since you've got nothing to balance it against.

When you don’t write a lot of checks it’s no problem not tracking your balance
or I can always track it on the app. As for balancing, It’s just as easy to balance using carbonless copies. I use credit and debit cards without making any register entries too. Also have some autopays that get pushed from the checking account. They show up in the app as pending transactions.

 

[disneysteve]

If I had to write a check, then I’d use my credit union’s bill pay feature. They will mail a check if the recipient doesn’t support electronic payments.

Do you ever encounter an issue when you need to mail in a form of some kind with your payment because that way they'll get the form and check separately? I'd be concerned that they wouldn't match them up correctly and think I just hadn't paid.

 

[Palmtree]

I write maybe four or five a month. Generally for one off things like payment for yearly taxes, a new fence or a service.

 

[Dash man]

We only write a few checks a year, maybe four or five. All utilities, taxes, HOA fees, insurance, church contributions and most charitable contributions are paid electronically. I haven’t had any problems with it coming out of our checking account.
The few checks we write are for the occasional contractor, a gift or donation.
I don’t keep a check register. I closely watch our checking account and credit cards to check for errors. I never let the account get low enough to worry about a bounce, and there’s a credit card backstop if it did happen.

 

[brett]

One cheque every two years or so.

That is....when I can find our cheque book!

 

[Alan]

I haven’t written a check in years, the banks over here don’t even provide check books with new accounts, every thing is bank to bank including to friends, acquaintances etc.

 

[disneysteve]

I would love to not write any checks but some places still require them. And sending a check through online banking isn't really an option because the payment needs to accompany the paperwork being returned. I guess I could write a note on the paperwork saying the payment will arrive separately, but then I'm depending on them to match up the check with the form when it arrives. And since I have to mail in the physical form anyway, I'm not really saving anything by not writing a check at the same time.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I had to write a 5-figure check today, to send across the country. I used a Sharpie, and also wrote in the box on the back side: "For deposit only to the account of the payee." Then I sent it registered mail, with tracking (~$4). The Sharpie bled through. Oh well, not my problem. I'll get a Sharpie gel pen for future use. A copy of the invoice was included, and I put it in an envelope with masking on the inside. The company does not accept electronic payments-it's rural, farm-related.

Interesting that while I was at the post office the worker was discussing fraud-prevention measures recently instituted.

 

[ownyourfuture]

The guy who mows my lawn only takes checks. Bills me once a month so that's 5 or 6 a year. Send a check to Fidelity for my annual HSA contribution.
Plan on changing it soon, but for now I send in checks for my quarterly estimated taxes. Still write a check for my annual car registration (Tabs) & 2 a year for property taxes. About 20 per year.

 

[frayne]

DW writes a few during the month for the local muni bills and one for the VISA bill. If it were left up to me, everything would be paid in the digital domain. My handwriting sucks.

 

[Car-Guy]

DW writes a few during the month for the local muni bills and one for the VISA bill. If it were left up to me, everything would be paid in the digital domain. My handwriting sucks.

Mine too... I print everything, except my signature.

Let's see, giving myself the benefit of the doubt,

Cursive writing = D-
Block printing = C
Grammar = F
Spelling = F
Vocabulary = D
Speaking = B+ (if it's Texan speak)

 

[ncbill]

When you don’t write a lot of checks it’s no problem not tracking your balance
or I can always track it on the app. As for balancing, It’s just as easy to balance using carbonless copies. I use credit and debit cards without making any register entries too. Also have some autopays that get pushed from the checking account. They show up in the app as pending transactions.

Yeppers, no need to "balance a checkbook" since we write less than a dozen checks annually.

Easy to monitor the balance in that checking account online.

 

[disneysteve]

Yeppers, no need to "balance a checkbook" since we write less than a dozen checks annually.

Easy to monitor the balance in that checking account online.

Monitoring your balance and balancing your account are not the same thing. I have 30-40 transactions per month in that account. Balancing is when I verify that they all processed correctly. It’s also when I make sure there aren’t any transactions I don’t recognize.

 

[scrabbler1]

My college's alumni association would call me every year to solicit a donation. I'd throw them a few bucks and ask them to send me the paperwork and I'd mail them a check. The students manning the phones began mildly hassling me about paying that way, insisting (that may be too strong a word) I give them my CC number over the phone. I balked at that, and one student wanted to put his boss on the line to try to convince me it was safe. I still balked, telling the student it's my way or you don't get my donation.

I then blocked the phone number so they would have to mail me the paperwork for my donation. Killed 2 birds with one stone: I get the paperwork directly and don't have to deal with the annoying annual calls any more.

 

[disneysteve]

For those who don't balance their accounts, what's your process for checking that all transactions processed correctly and that no unknown transactions have occurred? I know I'm doing it the "old fashioned" way but I'm not sure what would be easier than that.

 

[MichaelB]

For those who don't balance their accounts, what's your process for checking that all transactions processed correctly and that no unknown transactions have occurred? I know I'm doing it the "old fashioned" way but I'm not sure what would be easier than that.

I don’t balance my checking account but I do monitor the account and check every transaction.

 

[disneysteve]

I don’t balance my checking account but I do monitor the account and check every transaction.

Maybe we're all doing the same thing. Balancing is when I check every transaction. I guess others are doing it throughout the month while I'm sitting down once a month and doing it all at once.

 

[Phroig]

I know I'm doing it the "old fashioned" way . . .

Me too. As soon as I have the statement, I sit down with it and the checkbook register.

 

[Texas Proud]

Yeppers, no need to "balance a checkbook" since we write less than a dozen checks annually.

Easy to monitor the balance in that checking account online.

Not quite as easy as you think... I am sure there are a lot of other entries into the checking account except the few checks...


I look at my DDs account and see a LOT of venmos, debits etc.. plus bill pay...


I do 'balance' when I pay the bills twice a month.... look to make sure nothing hit the account I was not expecting...

 

[mpeirce]

For those who don't balance their accounts, what's your process for checking that all transactions processed correctly and that no unknown transactions have occurred? I know I'm doing it the "old fashioned" way but I'm not sure what would be easier than that.

With my system, it always goes back to a $100 balance.

If it's not at $100, I can look to see what's up. It helps a lot that there aren't many transactions. Maybe one a month.

Looking at it now. One check in August. One in July. Two checks in June.

 

[mpeirce]

Not quite as easy as you think... I am sure there are a lot of other entries into the checking account except the few checks...


I look at my DDs account and see a LOT of venmos, debits etc.. plus bill pay...

We have different accounts used for writing a check. Bill pay. And Apple Cash.