Do You Write Checks Or Pay All Your Bills Online?

Discussion in 'Money & Finances' started by Lon Tanner, Jan 7, 2021.

  1. Herb Durant

    Herb Durant Very Well-Known Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2020
    Messages:
    490
    Likes Received:
    366
    2010
     
    #16
  2. Hedi Mitchell

    Hedi Mitchell Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2017
    Messages:
    8,796
    Likes Received:
    15,380
    Um I am not sure. I am not ordering any more checks - almost out- as have no real need for them anymore.
    Use bill pay at bank or have auto pay. :)
     
    #17
  3. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2015
    Messages:
    6,505
    Likes Received:
    8,951
    After we got married in 1999.
     
    #18
  4. Lon Tanner

    Lon Tanner Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2016
    Messages:
    5,596
    Likes Received:
    5,314
    I never write checks and use Credit Card or pay online.
     
    #19
  5. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    12,750
    Likes Received:
    8,743
    Both online and with checks. I do the online payments and my wife does the checks/mail out.
     
    #20
  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    24,325
    Likes Received:
    42,608
    Mostly online, by phone, or automatic payments, although my wife writes checks for some. I'm not sure why.
     
    #21
  7. D'Ellyn Dottir

    D'Ellyn Dottir Very Well-Known Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    May 16, 2021
    Messages:
    565
    Likes Received:
    709
    I sometimes write checks to transfer funds from one bank to another by way of a photo deposit. The money gets into the receiving account faster that way than using the bank's website transfer function. Otherwise, I don't even carry a checkbook anymore.
     
    #22
    John Brunner likes this.
  8. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    22,673
    Likes Received:
    32,144
    -First I pay by credit card wherever possible to get the reward points.
    -Next I pay with my bank's online bill pay.
    --Some payees are set up to receive electronic payments.
    --Some payees get physical checks.

    In no circumstances do I pay with my debit card or bank draft. The perceived risk is greater than I will abide.
     
    #23
    Lon Tanner and D'Ellyn Dottir like this.
  9. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Messages:
    55,628
    Likes Received:
    23,289
    I only have two regular bills to pay; electric bill and phone/internet bill. They are both on draft.

    Why not draft, @John Brunner ?
     
    #24
    John Brunner likes this.
  10. Lon Tanner

    Lon Tanner Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2016
    Messages:
    5,596
    Likes Received:
    5,314
    Do you pay for gasoline, food. dining out, sundries with cash?
     
    #25
  11. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Messages:
    55,628
    Likes Received:
    23,289
    No. I put everything on my credit card. I write a check once a month to pay my credit card bill. I get Quickpoints on my credit card. By paying it each month, they are paying me to use their money. Can't beat that. :)
     
    #26
    Yvonne Smith and John Brunner like this.
  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    22,673
    Likes Received:
    32,144
    I have electric and communications set up to auto-pay on my credit card. I get 2% cash back because they are both classified as utilities, and Verizon (like some other businesses) gives me an additional cash discount for going paperless. Verizon would give me an additional discount if I prepaid with a bank draft instead of them incurring the credit card fees, but it's only pennies more than I get with the 2% credit card utilities rebate.

    I don't like bank drafts because I don't like having my banking numbers in online databases, anymore than I like having my cell phone number out there (I pay for a land line primarily to use wherever a phone number is required.) That being said, I just remembered that my Medicare supplement plan requires that I pay via bank draft. They do not take credit cards, and mailing me a paper bill for me to then send them a paper check would cost something like another $30 or $40 per month...it's an obscenely high amount meant to make sure that no one does it. My bank gives me 2 free checking accounts, so I use the second one for this. I keep a minimum amount of money in that "bank draft account" solely to cover such requirements to minimize my exposure.

    I have just a few more monthly bills than you do, Shirley...mostly medical insurances:
    -Electric
    -Phones (land line, cell and internet are from Verizon)
    -Medicare supplemental (so far, my prescription plan is low enough that I just prepay each year.)
    -Dental
    -Vision
    -XM radio (I don't have pay TV but I like my music and talk radio)

    I've thrown other stuff to auto-pay on the cash back card as well:
    -Car insurance
    -House insurance
    -AAA

    All of the above earn cash back into my checking account, the % depending on the nature of the purchase. It's not a ton of money (maybe $300 or so a year), but it's not insignificant, either. I'm currently looking at a Verizon-branded VISA whose higher % rewards would almost double that amount (they told me about it when I got my new phone.) Verizon allows you to apply that money to your cell phone bill, making it as good as cash.

    It's funny, I've gone from rarely charging anything to using my card as my primary payment vehicle since I got my bank's Rewards card 2 years ago. I just make sure to pay it off every month. I still pay cash for gum and for Slurpees ;)
     
    #27
  13. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,053
    Likes Received:
    24,623
    Haven’t written a check in 15 years.
     
    #28
  14. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2018
    Messages:
    10,664
    Likes Received:
    19,998
    Regular monthly, annual, or semi-annual bills all paid online or autopay. Income taxes by paper check because I still file paper returns. :)

    I've written lots of paper checks just in the last few years. Most small contractors here don't take credit cards or debit cards, and don't have a bank account set up to receive e-checks, or don't want to. I've never met anyone so far who refused a paper check.
     
    #29
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2021
  15. Marci Miller

    Marci Miller Very Well-Known Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2020
    Messages:
    368
    Likes Received:
    590
    I pay online when I can.
     
    #30

Share This Page