Cheque-ing out?

So, cheques may be phased out by 2018 Link
I suppose it had/has to happen. I use them so rarely now, I get quite nervous about whether I am completing them properly! However, for the few occasions in the year when I do use them, I can't think of an appropriate alternative. I suppose a visit to the bank/ATM will produce cash to pay the log man but what do I tuck in with a birthday card? Can't send cash, so it's down to gift cards I suppose - but that doesn't give the recipient the same freedom.
And what about the reverse? What about that delicious moment when you read a cheque frm the tax man - even if it's only for £4.70? How will that be effected?

Will you miss cheques, or can't you remember the last time you wrote one?

Re: Cheque-ing out?

I haven't used cheques in years! I never liked them, so I won't miss them but recognise that people who do use them will miss them.

Wonder what next will be taken off!

Re: Cheque-ing out?

I only use building society cheques when I need a cheque for anyone ..

I just go in and they write them for me ..otherwise it's card ..

So if they are phasing them out as they are so expensive will we be getting reduces bank charges?

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I don't like cheques either, but they're handy for businesses :/

Re: Cheque-ing out?

Since I spend about nine months each year out of the UK I have to rely on internet banking and rarely ever use cheques but yesterday I sent one because it was quicker

How can that be you ask - well in June I added a company to my BACS transfer list and authorised quite a large payment to them. I thought all was well when I got a letter from my bank asking me to ring them. It was Friday and when I called they had just gone home so I had to wait until Monday

It transpires that as this was a new BACS instruction (and for quite a large amount) they wanted to verify it. They had tried for two days to telephone me and had missed me every time so they wrote. The letter took four days to reach me.

So, adding the 2 days (phone) + the 4 days (letter) + the 2 days (Weekend) + the normal 3 day process time means that it took 11 days

If I had sent a cheque it could have been with the supplier in 3 days so it's not always quicker by electronic means

I appreciate my bank taking internet security seriously but I think I would still like to have the use of cheques aometimes.

Re: Cheque-ing out?

I still use cheques on odd occasions for things like paying the milkman and sending small monetary gifts to young relations.

I received one this morning, my Christmas gift from my big brother, I would hate not to be able to receive this . I don't think a cash transfer would have the same effect as opening a card with a cheque inside .

Re: Cheque-ing out?

Well, they say they will be phased out in 2018 but that an alternative has to be in place (?????)
We haven't moved house that often but I remember the need to write mighty cheques then. I wonder how we'll be able to process movements of hundreds of thousands of pounds? A debit card doesn' seem quite right

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This will be a real pain for me when I pay part-time or casual staff & volunteers for the events I run. A cheque means I have a record and am not carrying cash - also if it goes astray I can cancel it and issue another.
I have no idea what I could do instead - I really don`t want everyone`s bank details so I can transfer it electronically and I`m certainly not handing out cash at events.

Re: Cheque-ing out?

As I pointed out above they wouldn't do it anyway until they had verified it with you so you'd have to always be by the phone or else all your tempory helpers might be waiting for a week or more

Re: Cheque-ing out?

I don't use cheques very often but at least 3 or 4 times a year I have to send cheques off for Life Insurance (in Scotland) Ground Rent (in London) etc. because that's the only way I can pay. Will be interesting what the alternatives will be.