Writing/Receiving Checks

[Cool Chris]

Not counting paychecks, how often do you write, and receive checks?

I write a check every couple of months, not counting 3 checks I write to pay the property taxes for tree farms in TN we own (to avoid the online payment processing fees).

I receive a check every couple months, usually in the way of a gift from my parents or in-laws.

As president of our HOA I receive about have our annual dues in the form of a check. I have been pushing for PayPal payments and more homeowners are doing that.

[ProfessorPeart]

Write - usually a couple times a month. Probably 1-5, depending.
Receive - At least one a month, sometimes more.

[The Walrus]

I write at least two checks every month. One for my power bill, and one for my rent, and then I'll write a check for any other occasional stuff like doctor/dentist bills etc... So, bare minimum at least two a month.

I receive a paper check every week and get my state and federal tax returns via paper checks.

[El Barto]

My bank writes my checks for me. I receive a couple of checks a year, but that wasn't an option so I went with never.

Don't all banks have free bill pay now? Lots of people say they write checks to avoid processing fees. If somebody isn't set up for direct transfer my bank sends them a printed check in the mail at no cost. It takes 5 days instead of 2. I send two or three of these a month. They really make it easy.

[lonestar]

Honestly can't remember the last time I wrote a check, probably before I got sober when I'd write checks a few days before payday so I could cheat the system and get my fix.

Last physical check I received was a class action settlement from Staples about a 4 months ago.

[Evermind]

Non-American here, never for both.

[The Walrus]

My bank writes my checks for me. I receive a couple of checks a year, but that wasn't an option so I went with never.

Don't all banks have free bill pay now? Lots of people say they write checks to avoid processing fees. If somebody isn't set up for direct transfer my bank sends them a printed check in the mail at no cost. It takes 5 days instead of 2. I send two or three of these a month. They really make it easy.

I don't like leaving the responsibility of something like paying bills in the hands of the bank, automated or otherwise. I don't like automatic billing at all. I like being fully aware of writing the check or doing the manual online payment, I never save my info online. I feel like it's good for the brain to know your account info, type it in, type your card info in, or just write a check. It might be easier the automated way but I don't think it's good for remembering things and I don't like that it takes my agency away.

[Cool Chris]

My bank writes my checks for me. I receive a couple of checks a year, but that wasn't an option so I went with never.

Don't all banks have free bill pay now? Lots of people say they write checks to avoid processing fees. If somebody isn't set up for direct transfer my bank sends them a printed check in the mail at no cost. It takes 5 days instead of 2. I send two or three of these a month. They really make it easy.

I do that as well with utilities and the mortgage company, and don't consider that 'writing a check,' though honestly it never occurred to me when I made the poll. I was strictly thinking in terms of writing a check by hand.

[lordxizor]

I can't remember the last time I hand wrote a check. I probably average one a year. I have my bank send checks anytime I need to pay with one. It often will save me a stamp and one of the checks that I paid for. My wife writes 3 or 4 checks a month for various things.

[pg1067]

As I just wrote in the handwriting thread, I probably wrote 12-15 checks over the past year, so I went with once a month.  Most of those relate to my daughter's high school marching band.  Regular expenses are all paid online or via the bank (I do manual payment and have only a couple things set for auto-pay).

Same frequency for receiving checks, although the number is probably lower.  My "paycheck" is direct deposited, so I don't receive an actual check.  I do get actual checks as reimbursement for certain work-related expenses.  The frequency of that varies pretty widely.  I also occasionally get reimbursed for expenses I incur on behalf of the marching band boosters.

[faizoff]

My reply from the other thread.


I write monthly checks to my daughter's school, they charge stupid fees for automated payment so I save by just writing checks every month. Same was in the previous rental I lived in, I would write checks to them to avoid paying stupid fees.

[Podaar]

I've had my personal checking account for about 15 years and never bought any checks for it, so I chose "Never". But, we (the Mrs. and Me) write a couple of checks per year from our joint account...which is still close to never.

I've not received a check from anyone in a decade, so I chose "Never".

[Stadler]

I write a fair number of checks for personal stuff.  To my ex.  Sometimes I will use checks to transfer money between banks if I don't want to wait for the normal process to flow through.

[Harmony]

I write checks every month; just a few.  I'm not a big fan of having my banking info available online because of hackers.  I realize that mailing checks has it's own risks but I've had more contacts from companies that my online data has been compromised (at least 3 times now) than I have had checks stolen in the mail (never) so...

[TAC]

I write checks for my wife's dry cleaning, and to my plumber as needed. That's it. My wife has all the bills set up online.

[bosk1]

My bank writes my checks for me. I receive a couple of checks a year, but that wasn't an option so I went with never.

Don't all banks have free bill pay now? Lots of people say they write checks to avoid processing fees. If somebody isn't set up for direct transfer my bank sends them a printed check in the mail at no cost. It takes 5 days instead of 2. I send two or three of these a month. They really make it easy.

I don't like leaving the responsibility of something like paying bills in the hands of the bank, automated or otherwise. I don't like automatic billing at all. I like being fully aware of writing the check or doing the manual online payment, I never save my info online. I feel like it's good for the brain to know your account info, type it in, type your card info in, or just write a check. It might be easier the automated way but I don't think it's good for remembering things and I don't like that it takes my agency away.

That's just...weird.

I am 100% with you on all of that. 

[Cool Chris]

I write checks for my wife's dry cleaning

I have never went to a dry cleaner.

[Chino]

The last check I wrote (bank check) was almost 6 years ago when I bought my house. Can't even remember the last one before that. I don't understand how/why checks are still a thing outside of receiving currency from an employer.

[Phoenix87x]

Almost never. Used one when I bought my last car, since there was an issue with debit card limits, but besides that rarely if ever

[Indiscipline]

Never wrote one. The last time I received one Euro wasn't currency yet.

[The Walrus]

Never wrote one. The last time I received one Euro wasn't currency yet.

Okay how old are you? In my head you're like 49 and always have a monocle equipped. You are a damn enigma.

[Indiscipline]

I'm 42 going grey

[TAC]

I write checks for my wife's dry cleaning

I have never went to a dry cleaner.

My wife gets her suits dry cleaned for work. Since I have a day off during the week, I usually drop it off/pick it up.

[The Walrus]

I write checks for my wife's dry cleaning

I have never went to a dry cleaner.

My wife gets her suits dry cleaned for work. Since I have a day off during the week, I usually drop it off/pick it up.

You take it to the Jeffersons?

[TAC]

[millahh]

I was averaging writing 1-2 checks/year until we bought the house.  Since then, it's been maybe 6/year, as it's sometimes the easiest way to pay contractors.  Receiving?  maybe 6-8/year, mostly from health insurance.

[XJDenton]

I live in Sweden, which is country that views my preference of using a bank transfer rather than Swish outdated. Hence, I can only imagine that trying to present a cheque would receive a similar reaction to placing a dead cat on the table.

[Stadler]

For those that say "never".... how do you give money, say, to a school for dues?  Or pay rent?   Or, for those in that situation, pay your share of expenses to an ex?   I'm not giving any of those people electronic "insight" into my accounts.  That may be the "old man (get off my LAWN!) side of me talking, but if I owe my ex $200 for insurance for my kid, BOOM, I'm writing a check.   

[Indiscipline]

Bank transfers to dedicated accounts

[Northern Lion]

Honestly can't remember the last time I wrote a check, probably before I got sober when I'd write checks a few days before payday so I could cheat the system and get my fix.

Last physical check I received was a class action settlement from Staples about a 4 months ago.

Maybe that's common knowledge around here, but because I'm fairly new, I didn't know.  Congrats on being sober!  I can't imagine that was an easy thing to do.

I'm 42 going grey

Congrats on being "the answer to the untimate question"!

About 2 weeks ago I got a cashier's check from the bank to help out a friend, but before that, it's been years since my wife and I have had a check book or written checks.  I pay all my bills online.  And if I need to give money to someone for some reason, I do cash.

[Podaar]

For those that say "never".... how do you give money, say, to a school for dues?  Or pay rent?   Or, for those in that situation, pay your share of expenses to an ex?   I'm not giving any of those people electronic "insight" into my accounts.  That may be the "old man (get off my LAWN!) side of me talking, but if I owe my ex $200 for insurance for my kid, BOOM, I'm writing a check.

You can push money from online banking to almost any recipient. Like Barto said, have the Bank/Credit Union write the check.
Other than that, there's Venmo or even cash.

[New World Rushman]

Writing checks I voted for once a month, either to the dog groomer, who is cash or check only, and I never carry cash, and my wife to her hair salon, not sure why, never asked, maybe they don't accept plastic either.
So yeah the dog's groomer, and my wife's groomer. 

All bills are paid electronically, either through my bank's bill-pay, or on the payee's website.
Very few automatic withdrawals, I like to control when they get paid.


Last check received was probably the $100.00 check my mother-in-law slipped into my birthday card back in March. So I went with once every couple of months.

[TempusVox]

Initially, I thought this thread was about getting paid for publishing. 

I occasionally get checks when I do a speaking engagement; but that would technically be considered a paycheck I guess.

I used to write checks for our maid services, gardening, and lawn mowing services. But they're all Venmo, or autopay now.

Sometimes for other contracted services like HVAC maintenance, or vent cleaning, we'll write a check. And I'll sometimes write a check if I'm buying something like art, or whisky or something from a private collector.

[pg1067]

For those that say "never".... how do you give money, say, to a school for dues?  Or pay rent?   Or, for those in that situation, pay your share of expenses to an ex?   I'm not giving any of those people electronic "insight" into my accounts.  That may be the "old man (get off my LAWN!) side of me talking, but if I owe my ex $200 for insurance for my kid, BOOM, I'm writing a check.

You can push money from online banking to almost any recipient. Like Barto said, have the Bank/Credit Union write the check.
Other than that, there's Venmo or even cash.

Paying an ex-spouse in cash for something is a great way to get hauled into court for contempt...and lose.  I do some volunteer work and can't tell you how many folks come in and say that they paid something in cash and didn't get a receipt, so "how can I prove I paid?"

While not everyone who's divorced has a contentious relationship with the ex, the absolute best way to pay anything to an ex is with a paper check that notes the purpose of the payment on the memo line.  And make and keep a PDF or paper copy of EVERY check.  Electronic payments (e.g., Zelle) are ok as long as you use the "what's this for"/notes section, but make sure you keep screenshots or really understand your bank's record maintenance policy.  I can tell you from experience representing folks that there are few things more stressful than "knowing" you paid something but being unable to prove or having to hope that you can get proof of payment from a bank (especially an "online bank").

As far as Stadler's questions, corporate landlords often have online portals that they require be used for rental payments, and individual landlords may accept Paypal or Zelle or things like that.  We pay school expenses with check, but that's largely because the school charges a fee to make electronic payments.

[Cool Chris]

For those that say "never".... how do you give money, say, to a school for dues? 

Most of the rare checks I write are school-related (yearbooks, PTA, for example), or I just give cash since those amounts are small.

Regarding contractors, seems like the ones I've had lately all accepted plastic.