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What seemed weird when I visited your country
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: LookingIn on 21 Dec 2013, 15:03 ---There are many, many, many people who don't have a computer or who aren't computer savvy or don't have an online bank account who have to rely on paying their bills by check. [/list]
--- End quote ---
Depends where you are. Cheques are hardly used in Germany, for instance, and the UK started the process of phasing them out - as a first step, cheque guarantee cards are no longer valid. (Mind you, they have also stopped the process of phasing them out, but cheque guarantee cards will not return.)
Skewbrow:
--- Quote from: LookingIn on 21 Dec 2013, 15:03 ---
There are many, many, many people who don't have a computer or who aren't computer savy or don't have an online bank account who have to rely on paying their bills by check.
--- End quote ---
We stopped using checks way before internet and on-line banking existed. There are other ways of transferring funds. A standard protocol for me authorizing the bank to pay various bills in advance (i.e. the authorization lasts for an indefinite period) is all that is needed. So power company sent two copies of the bill. One to me (in case I want to contest it), and another to the bank. If I don't react, on the due date the bank will transfer money from my account to that of the power company. The emergence of on-line banking has improved this system by removing the need to mail anything. It's a win-win. I don't need a checking account. I don't need to worry about forgetting to mail my check. The company gets its money timely.
Method of Madness:
I have a checking account, but the only time I ever wrote checks was for rent. I used a debit card for everything else, including getting cash.
LookingIn:
--- Quote from: Skewbrow on 21 Dec 2013, 15:33 ---
--- Quote from: LookingIn on 21 Dec 2013, 15:03 ---
There are many, many, many people who don't have a computer or who aren't computer savy or don't have an online bank account who have to rely on paying their bills by check.
--- End quote ---
We stopped using checks way before internet and on-line banking existed. There are other ways of transferring funds. A standard protocol for me authorizing the bank to pay various bills in advance (i.e. the authorization lasts for an indefinite period) is all that is needed. So power company sent two copies of the bill. One to me (in case I want to contest it), and another to the bank. If I don't react, on the due date the bank will transfer money from my account to that of the power company. The emergence of on-line banking has improved this system by removing the need to mail anything. It's a win-win. I don't need a checking account. I don't need to worry about forgetting to mail my check. The company gets its money timely.
--- End quote ---
There are other ways, but there isn't necessarily the best way for many people. And there are people who prefer the paper trail that checks provide to cover their backs in case of problems as photo copies of the cancelled check are sent with monthly statements(online and paper) to both accounts.
Loki:
If I overdraw my account for any reason (e.g. because I didn't have enough funds to push throug the direct debit authorization), I get a notification too. And of course all transfers show up in the paper trail.
Pretty much everything in Germany has a paper trail :roll:
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