Send with a Cheque...

[heart-of-wessex]

I had to get my friend to write a cheque out for me with his account so I could get my PCV licence and digi card, and then transfer the costs online from my account to his to cover the amount.

The DVLA won't do cash through post obviously, you cant send off bank details and you cant pay online, other way to do it was Postal Order, but paying a bit more for the privilege, it was then my friend who offered to send a cheque so I wasnt paying over the odds!

Thank God as the last time I wrote a cheque was in 2004 or so, to Ashley Greenup who did the Cab View Driver sims and payment was by cheque.

Some years later I lost my chequebook and that was that, never had one since!

 

[Bald Rick]

How odd, I was thinking about this the other day in the supermarket when paying for shopping, and remembering how I used to wonder why people paid for their shopping by cheque, guaranteed by their bank card, which of course could have been used much more quickly just to pay for the shopping.

Which in turn made me think about all the thousands of people who were employed by the banks to proces and file the cheques. And the cheque processing centres - including the huge one in Southwark that was demolished last year. The March of progress!

To answer the question - no idea.

 

[Dai Corner]

How odd, I was thinking about this the other day in the supermarket when paying for shopping, and remembering how I used to wonder why people paid for their shopping by cheque, guaranteed by their bank card, which of course could have been used much more quickly just to pay for the shopping.

Which in turn made me think about all the thousands of people who were employed by the banks to proces and file the cheques. And the cheque processing centres - including the huge one in Southwark that was demolished last year. The March of progress!

To answer the question - no idea.

The cards were probably Cheque Guarantee Cards, not debit cards. Do you remember the tills which would print the payee and amount on cheques?

 

[Bald Rick]

The cards were probably Cheque Guarantee Cards, not debit cards. Do you remember the tills which would print the payee and amount on cheques?

Since about 1990, all cheque guarantee cards became debit cards. All mine certainly were.

But yes, I remember the cheque printing service.

 

[Welly]

I only write 8 cheques a year, all of them birthday/xmas gifts to my godchildren and my cousin's kids!

 

[PeterC]

I write one a year normally. That will probably increase when my daughter provides me with some grandchildren.

 

[Hadders]

I haven't written a cheque since 2013.

How odd, I was thinking about this the other day in the supermarket when paying for shopping, and remembering how I used to wonder why people paid for their shopping by cheque, guaranteed by their bank card, which of course could have been used much more quickly just to pay for the shopping.

Which in turn made me think about all the thousands of people who were employed by the banks to proces and file the cheques. And the cheque processing centres - including the huge one in Southwark that was demolished last year. The March of progress!

To answer the question - no idea.

Cheques were a right pain in shops, especially the work needed in the cash office. Every cheque had to be manually listed in a cheque listing book, and there were a fiar few that were returned as well for missing signatures, incorrect dates, words and figures not agreeing or handwriting that just couldn't be deciphered.

Since about 1990, all cheque guarantee cards became debit cards. All mine certainly were.

But yes, I remember the cheque printing service.

IIRC Barclays were the first to combine cheque guarantee cards with credit and debit cards. The rest eventually fell into line during the early 1990s but it always frustrated me when people paid by cheque and guaranteed it with their debit card. I remember asking some customers why they did this and they told me that a cheque took far longer to process than a debit card transaction so it helped their cash flow.

I even remember some large supermarkets encouraging customers to get their cheques pre-authorised on entry to they could get through the tills quicker!

 

[thejuggler]

There is no doubt cheques were a godsend on that Friday before payday when you knew you could write one and know it wouldn't clear until after pay day.

I may have also deliberately not signed a few to extend payment terms on gas and electric by a couple of weeks!

 

[Bald Rick]

I remember asking some customers why they did this and they told me that a cheque took far longer to process than a debit card transaction so it helped their cash flow.

Yep I asked a few people and they said the same thing.

 

[MotCO]

I can remember that the first automated method of getting cash from a bank, was to push a piece of plastic card into a slot, and a bank note was delivered. I think the plastic card had slots cut in it, and I think it (or another) was returned to me by post a few days later. It was some time (can't remember how long) before cards with memory strips and PINs were introduced.

I remember those - they were like small punch cards (anyone else remember those?). I had two so I could get £20 out

 

[MotCO]

The last cheque I wrote was 6 years ago.

I was trying to remember how you used to get cash from a bank before there were cashpoint machines? Didn't you have to make out one of your own cheques for cash and hand it to the cashier? I didn't need to do it for long, as the branch where I opened my first account in 1973, got its first cashpoint machine a few weeks later, although other branches had them a few years earlier.

Yes, you had to pay 'Self' or 'Cash' to get cash at a bank. I also recall that the payee could also countersign the back of the cheque to enable it to be payable to a third party.

 

[Spamcan81]

Still write cheques on my business account as well as a charity account I administer. Can't remember when I last wrote a personal cheque though. As for paying in cheques, my banking app allows me do do that on line by photographing them.

 

[eMeS]

Yes, you had to pay 'Self' or 'Cash' to get cash at a bank. I also recall that the payee could also countersign the back of the cheque to enable it to be payable to a third party.

You've reminded me that there were differences between England and Scotland in 1961 when I needed to withdraw cash from my bank account, using the bank in Oban. I was with the Westminster Bank & accustomed to "English" usage, but the bank in Oban (of the same company) required more in the way of identification or some such - and travelling only in the UK, I was not carrying my Passport. Not quite the welcome I'd been told to expect!

 

[cactustwirly]

I had to get my friend to write a cheque out for me with his account so I could get my PCV licence and digi card, and then transfer the costs online from my account to his to cover the amount.

The DVLA won't do cash through post obviously, you cant send off bank details and you cant pay online, other way to do it was Postal Order, but paying a bit more for the privilege, it was then my friend who offered to send a cheque so I wasnt paying over the odds!

Thank God as the last time I wrote a cheque was in 2004 or so, to Ashley Greenup who did the Cab View Driver sims and payment was by cheque.

Some years later I lost my chequebook and that was that, never had one since!

Really? The DVLA accepts card payments for vehicle tax, so I don't see why they can't for a PCV license.

 

[philjo]

I usually pay my camera insurance by cheque. Card payments can be taken by phone but often find they have closed for the day by the time I try to call.
Direct debit payments cost more than paying by cheque.

Our milkman announced that will stop taking cheque payments at the end of this month to the annoyance of my Dad who usually put a cheque in the empty bottles each month.


our newsagent will not take card payments over the phone for newspaper delivery bills but are happy to accept a cheque delivered to them -presumably because they know the address of the customer!

 

[Mojo]

Received a cheque in March, after I closed my Virgin Media account but the account was still in credit. Attempted to pay it in via a Mobile App for the first time ever however despite a number of attempts across different days, with different backgrounds and light levels it would just not accept it, it kept getting rejected immediately. Tried via another bank App of which I'm a customer and it worked first time.

 

[Crossover]

Received a cheque in March, after I closed my Virgin Media account but the account was still in credit. Attempted to pay it in via a Mobile App for the first time ever however despite a number of attempts across different days, with different backgrounds and light levels it would just not accept it, it kept getting rejected immediately. Tried via another bank App of which I'm a customer and it worked first time.

I must say I relunctantly first tried the mobile banking app cheque paying in service a few months ago and it has worked OK. I did struggle with one, but crafty use of an external light source sorted it out such that the app would accept it

 

[Bald Rick]

You've reminded me that there were differences between England and Scotland in 1961 when I needed to withdraw cash from my bank account, using the bank in Oban. I was with the Westminster Bank & accustomed to "English" usage, but the bank in Oban (of the same company) required more in the way of identification or some such - and travelling only in the UK, I was not carrying my Passport. Not quite the welcome I'd been told to expect!

Reminds me of a story from my Inter-railing. After three weeks of training around Europe, one of my co-travellers ran out of cash in, of all places, Monte Carlo, with a week to go. The rest of us lent him a few francs, but as we were walking around the Grand Prix circuit we saw a Barclays up near the Place du Casino. He’d brought his Barclays cheque book with him, so decided to try a cash withdrawal....

Enter three scruffy teenagers who hadn’t washed in about a week. The one with a broad east Lancashire accent asks to cash a £50 cheque. But of course, M’sieur, but there is a 70fr charge. That’s fine says our relieved hero. M’sieur, We just need to telephone your branch to confirm...

I have this mental picture of a lowly clerk in the Rochdale branch of Barclays picking up the phone to hear: “hello, I need to confirm there are sufficient funds in your client’s account no 12344578 to cash a cheque”; “of course, yes, just, it’s a student account and that takes him to his overdraft limit. Which branch are you?”
“Monte Carlo”.

 

[PeterC]

our newsagent will not take card payments over the phone for newspaper delivery bills but are happy to accept a cheque delivered to them -presumably because they know the address of the customer!

I imagine that their merchant account doesn't permit "customer not present" transactions.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I still use cheques but not very often. Very useful for sending relatives money. I always received money that way from my Mother as it was not worth attempting to get her to use a computer.

Still use cheques (and cash), but then I'm old school.

First ATM machine was indeed a Barclay's device, unveiled in June 1967 at their Enfield branch by a certain Reg Varney, the lead actor from the ITV "On the Buses" comedy show. The amount that could be withdrawn at the time was just £10.

I had a Midland Bank account 1979. The card allowed you to withdraw ten pounds as £1 notes folded in half in a plastic clip.

Reminds me of a story from my Inter-railing. After three weeks of training around Europe, one of my co-travellers ran out of cash in, of all places, Monte Carlo, with a week to go. The rest of us lent him a few francs, but as we were walking around the Grand Prix circuit we saw a Barclays up near the Place du Casino. He’d brought his Barclays cheque book with him, so decided to try a cash withdrawal....

Enter three scruffy teenagers who hadn’t washed in about a week. The one with a broad east Lancashire accent asks to cash a £50 cheque. But of course, M’sieur, but there is a 70fr charge. That’s fine says our relieved hero. M’sieur, We just need to telephone your branch to confirm...

I have this mental picture of a lowly clerk in the Rochdale branch of Barclays picking up the phone to hear: “hello, I need to confirm there are sufficient funds in your client’s account no 12344578 to cash a cheque”; “of course, yes, just, it’s a student account and that takes him to his overdraft limit. Which branch are you?”
“Monte Carlo”.

As for cash raising. In about 1980 I found myself half way between Medway and Birmingham (Dunstable or somewhere near on the A5) with a motorbike that was a bit low on Petrol. I did not have the means to pay but I went to the local Midland Bank branch. My memory allowed my to quote my sort code and account number. I got something like £50 after they got me to sign a piece of paper and faxed it to my branch for them to check. That was the first time I didn't use a cheque !.

 

[PeterC]

IIRC Barclays were the first to combine cheque guarantee cards with credit and debit cards. The rest eventually fell into line during the early 1990s but it always frustrated me when people paid by cheque and guaranteed it with their debit card. I remember asking some customers why they did this and they told me that a cheque took far longer to process than a debit card transaction so it helped their cash flow.

Actually Barclays were the last to enter the guarantee scheme. Initially they only permitted Barclaycards to be used as guarantee cards when withdrawing cash from a Barclays branch. As they were the only bank with an in-house credit card (the rest jointly ran Access) they eventually gave in and made it a guarantee card as well. Debit cards were intially only for use in cash machines, replacing the first generation punch card type.

I worked in bank in the 70s and I remember filling the packs of envelopes. Take a pack of 100 one pound notes. Count out 10 into each envelope and find that you only had 9 left for the last one! The second most boring job that I did in the bank.

 

[theblackwatch]

I was 17 and still in sixth form when I got my first cheque book - the Building Society wouldn't give me a cheque guarantee card at the time though! I actually opened the account as a customer at work (I worked in a large supermarket at evenings/weekends) recommended it, and - over 30 years later - I still have that account (and a chequebook!) although I don't use it as my primary account. I still write cheques now and then but probably not more than 4 or 5 a year - there are a couple of charities which I support which don't do online payments, along with at least one operator of charter trains abroad.

 

[PeterC]

I was 17 and still in sixth form when I got my first cheque book - the Building Society wouldn't give me a cheque guarantee card at the time though! I actually opened the account as a customer at work (I worked in a large supermarket at evenings/weekends) recommended it, and - over 30 years later - I still have that account (and a chequebook!) although I don't use it as my primary account. I still write cheques now and then but probably not more than 4 or 5 a year - there are a couple of charities which I support which don't do online payments, along with at least one operator of charter trains abroad.

Initially guarantee card's weren't issued automatically, with a £30 guarantee on a book of 25 cheques they wanted to see a little history of responsible use on the account first.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Actually Barclays were the last to enter the guarantee scheme. Initially they only permitted Barclaycards to be used as guarantee cards when withdrawing cash from a Barclays branch. As they were the only bank with an in-house credit card (the rest jointly ran Access) they eventually gave in and made it a guarantee card as well. Debit cards were intially only for use in cash machines, replacing the first generation punch card type.

I worked in bank in the 70s and I remember filling the packs of envelopes. Take a pack of 100 one pound notes. Count out 10 into each envelope and find that you only had 9 left for the last one! The second most boring job that I did in the bank.

That makes sense. I had opened a Barclays account in 1978 whilst doing my A'Levels. When I went to uni in 1979 I soon noticed everyone else could pay by cheque but I could not as I could not guarantee the cheque. So I opened a Midland Bank account, paid in my student grant, and got cheque book and guarantee card within a week.

 

[PeterC]

That makes sense. I had opened a Barclays account in 1978 whilst doing my A'Levels. When I went to uni in 1979 I soon noticed everyone else could pay by cheque but I could not as I could not guarantee the cheque. So I opened a Midland Bank account, paid in my student grant, and got cheque book and guarantee card within a week.

Late 70s, yes they started putting guarantee cards into the student package around then although some branch managers were still sniffy about giving them to other new customers.

Within a week! That is all it should take but in the 21st century it took over a month for HSBC, as they are now, to open an account for me as an executor. That was one account where everything was paid out by cheque of course.

 

[Hadders]

Actually Barclays were the last to enter the guarantee scheme. Initially they only permitted Barclaycards to be used as guarantee cards when withdrawing cash from a Barclays branch. As they were the only bank with an in-house credit card (the rest jointly ran Access) they eventually gave in and made it a guarantee card as well. Debit cards were intially only for use in cash machines, replacing the first generation punch card type.

I worked in bank in the 70s and I remember filling the packs of envelopes. Take a pack of 100 one pound notes. Count out 10 into each envelope and find that you only had 9 left for the last one! The second most boring job that I did in the bank.

Ah yes! Barclays were always a bit different to the rest. I remember a standard format cheque guarantee card for all the banks except Barclays where it was a Barclaycard.

Weren't Barclays the first bank to issue debit cards, branded Barclays Connect which was processed through the Visa card scheme? Most other banks branded their debit cards as Switch, iirc.

 

[Bevan Price]

Usually send a few each year. Last one was to an on-line bookseller who preferred a cheque to on-line payment - possibly because there is (usually) no commission to pay on cheques cashed in banks.

 

[philjo]

I remember needing to use cheques in M&S in the mid 1990s as they did not accept debit card payments at that time. So unless you held a M&s account,cheque was the default method for larger purchases. Or use cash.

Looking at receiving payments, I have had a couple of payments due to me from Solicitors in the last year. They can pay Directly into my bank account but charge £35 for the privilege so opted to receive a cheque as there is no fee for that.

 

[DerekC]

I am treasurer for a small charity which runs our local village hall. Currently all outgoing payments are made by cheque but this is getting increasingly difficult, with some suppliers asking specifically for electronic payment. The bank (CAF) has now started electronic banking and we need to switch. All cheques have to have two signatures and the electronic system evidently has a way to do the same thing, but I haven't tried it yet. It may be interesting getting some of the trustees to work with it!

 

[cactustwirly]

Received a cheque in March, after I closed my Virgin Media account but the account was still in credit. Attempted to pay it in via a Mobile App for the first time ever however despite a number of attempts across different days, with different backgrounds and light levels it would just not accept it, it kept getting rejected immediately. Tried via another bank App of which I'm a customer and it worked first time.

Neither of my banks have that facility, so I had to go in person to a branch to pay in a cheque a few weeks ago.