Like a lot of other Americans, I now pay virtually all my bills online. There are a few that I still write checks for, but they are getting less and less each month. Bill payment has become an electronic medium for me.
But, as I look at the graduation announcements I'm receiving in the mail, I'm reminded that I'll always have to have some paper checks around--to write the grads for gifts and other philanthropic donations where I want a copy of what I donate.
So, I'm out of checks (or I will be soon) and I need to order some more. I no longer need to order massive quantities to have on hand. I use so few. I looked at the smallest amount that I could order and thought, "how long will it take me to use those up?" Probably, longer than I will live at that address, that's for sure.
Still, I order some because of the grads and others I mentioned. I placed the check order and then wondered, "If I had gone online and entered each of them as payees and queued a check to them through my online bill pay, all they'd be missing was the nice 'congratulations' card. And cold, hard money is a good replacement for nice cards, right?"
Am I getting lazy? I'm much happier with the electronic bill pay. I like being able to review my payment history online, see the payments as they are cashed/deposited. It's more immediate than the paper check turnaround used to be. Remember 'floating' a check? Writing it today in the hopes that you could cover it by the time it was cashed? That's a thing of the past for me. I can't even do it accidentally. The online format won't allow for it.
So, the grad gifts will wait for the checks to be delivered. I remember when the scariest part of the shipment was waiting for the checks in the mail. There was a whole fraud scheme where the check boxes were stolen from the mail (or mail boxes) and checks written before the addressee even knew they didn't arrive. Now, things are a little more secure. They track the packages and you know immediately if one has gone astray... soon enough to stop payment on the checks, probably.
I guess we'll never get completely off of paper. But we're mostly there.
--Sandee Wagner
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6 comments:
We only use checks to pay our mortgage, and that's because payday is the day it's due--the bank recognizes it as paid if we write a check on the 15th!
Also, we don't do the online check from the bank... we pay by debit directly through the payee's website!
Well, Emm, it's all a matter of who you trust online, isn't it?
I don't want a vendor telling me how much I owe and then taking it from my account directly. I want to look at the bill and queue the payment. So I don't let ANYBODY draft from my account. spw
The only auto-payments I have are USAA, I feel the same about queuing up the payments, I just do it directly instead of through the bank...
I don't think the grads would mind you processing a check through your bank. LOL! I write aproximately 6 checks a month and that's because I can't seem to ATM the money. 4 to daycare and 2 to the cleaning lady.
Emm,
I guess it's all about trust, hmm?
Z&K,
HA! I pay the lawn guy in untraceable cash... and the auto mechanic. I generally just get the cash the day of the service. No checks required. spw
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