s/o checks - Does anyone remember "Counter checks"?

I'm not that old, but I remember counter checks. I grew up in the country, where credit cards probably came later than they did to the cities.

Yes.  I managed a check processing department at a bank for many years.  When I started checks were processed by using the micr encoding at the bottom of the checks.  They were processed through a sorter that read that information (Routing number, account number, check number, and amount).  

We had people that processed all paper document through machines that encoded that information onto the checks, deposit slips, etc that wasn’t preprinted and they also balanced each transaction.  Then the documents were run through a sorter that captured that information and sorted the checks and other documents into separated pockets.

 We hated counter checks because we had to encode all the fields and it slowed you down.  Everything was speed and accuracy driven.  😄  We were often asked to encode a bunch of checks for customers that had run out of checks and couldn’t get more for weeks.  Now imaging is used and micr encoding is gone by the wayside.  

sorry - too much information as usual.  😉😆

ETA - maybe I don’t know what you are talking about as I read your second response.  🤷‍♀️

Odd that your question came up. About 3 nights ago, DH and I discussed counter checks.
They were around as late as the 60s in this part of the US.

For those who don't know--the banks would have checks from other banks on the counters at a bank, a person came in, found the checks from their bank, wrote out a check and cashed it, or paid for things. DH was telling me about a coworker who had several people using counter checks and getting money from coworkers account.

I thought counter checks were something you got at a bank, not a merchant? But, I think you can still get counter checks, aren’t they the same as temporary checks

I don’t remember counter cheques (don’t even know if they were a thing here) - but I can barely remember any cheques at all.
I certainly can’t remember when I last wrote a cheque of any sort, and I know that we haven’t got a cheque book in the house.

This is what I’m thinking of.

I don't remember counter checks.

I remember my Grandmother and Great Aunt, dressing up(dress, hat and gloves) to make the every other week trip to the bank to get the spending money/petty cash needed until next payday. We had to wear our yearly Easter dress and good shoes and be on our best behavior, if we went to the bank(or Doctor, restaurant, store, etc...) with them.

I remember the old style credit card slide machines.

I remember riding my bike to the liquor(now called convenience store) store to get my Mother and Step fathers cigarettes (and whatever else was on the list) and we were each allowed to get one penny candy, then we would say "My Mother (Mrs Name here) says put it on my (step) Fathers account(because the account had to be in the mans name back then   ). 

I used travels checks once when I was 18 or 19, and all I remember is that they were a pain in the ass, and that small businesses wouldn't take them only major stores and restaurants.

I remember wearing a thin money belt/fanny pack type thing under my clothes, and only keeping a small amount of money in my purse, when on vacation in my 20's. Beware of pick pockets everyone would say.

Interesting, never heard of them. Here you could just come back and pay later. Heck we (some of us) can still do that (at quite a few places) in our community.

They are still around! We used one today at a closing for a property we purchased. It was assumed that the money could be transferred between accounts at the same bank and the bank preferred to use a counter check.

I remember when banks had them in the lobby. in the counter with little pigeon holes.

Oh heck yes! I remember counter checks! My little town had two big banks! Every store in town had a book of counter checks for each bank. So did the bar. The bar was where I usually used one. I didn't even have to write my account number on it. You just had to make sure you grabbed the right bank - but if you goofed, they just called you up and had you fix it. Small town living! LOL Everybody knows your business, but sometimes that isn't so bad.

I am glad Travelers Checks are a thing of the past. What a huge pain!
Heck - even the ATM is getting archaic. My kids pay each other and at a lot of business with Venmo or CashApp.

I'm calling Venmo the "Counter Check" of the modern day

I can still get blank checks from my bank when I run out of checks. They pre-print the routing number and account number on the bottom and I just use my address stamp to put my name on it. Those are not the same as a counter check.


I still write a surprising large amount of checks each month for bills. I do pay a lot online, but in the farming/ranching business - checks are still very important.

We quite often buy replacement calves out of sale barns in Colorado, South Dakota or Nebraska. It is normal for the calves to arrive on our farm and then we write the check to pay for them and drop it in the mail... this is to the tune of $200,000 to $300,000! They know if you can't pay - and they know if you CAN! Reputation is everything in the cattle business.