Re:The Long Shadow of Checks
by lh7777 on Wednesday December 13, 2023 @08:19PM
(#38636622)
> IRS has an excellent electronic debit system.
They actually have two! Direct Pay and EFTPS use ACH (electronic check) and are both free.
Personally, there's very little anymore that I need to pay by physical check -- almost everyone takes credit cards, and for those that don't (or who charge more than 2% for credit card transactions), I use ACH.
> I'm surprised you don't get billed for checks.
Not too many years ago, I had a landlord (a big property management company) who charged a fee for electronic payments. I forget how much exactly, but it was ridiculous -- like $10 or $20 per payment. For them, I used my bank's online bill pay, which behind the scenes is just the bank printing out a paper check and mailing it to the payee. I bet they've switched to free ACH payments by now.
Lately, the only cases I can think of where I actually pull out a check book and write out a check are to pay (1) a contractor (electrician, landscaper, etc.) and (2) for a campsite at a self-service campground. Most parks take credit cards (just write your payment information on the registration slip) but a few don't. I'll pay cash if I have exact change, but as I don't make a habit of carrying around lots of small bills it's helpful to have checks just in case.
They actually have two! Direct Pay and EFTPS use ACH (electronic check) and are both free.
Personally, there's very little anymore that I need to pay by physical check -- almost everyone takes credit cards, and for those that don't (or who charge more than 2% for credit card transactions), I use ACH.
> I'm surprised you don't get billed for checks.
Not too many years ago, I had a landlord (a big property management company) who charged a fee for electronic payments. I forget how much exactly, but it was ridiculous -- like $10 or $20 per payment. For them, I used my bank's online bill pay, which behind the scenes is just the bank printing out a paper check and mailing it to the payee. I bet they've switched to free ACH payments by now.
Lately, the only cases I can think of where I actually pull out a check book and write out a check are to pay (1) a contractor (electrician, landscaper, etc.) and (2) for a campsite at a self-service campground. Most parks take credit cards (just write your payment information on the registration slip) but a few don't. I'll pay cash if I have exact change, but as I don't make a habit of carrying around lots of small bills it's helpful to have checks just in case.