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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2014 9:39:54 GMT
. i guess there are some places i've given my checking account info to that takes it out as an EFT but if i was to send money from my account to someone else's i'd have to have enough info on their account to be able to steal all their money so i don't really see that happening over here. I don't understand what you mean here. If you've given your checking info to someone in the past were you not concerned that THEY might have had access to your account then? How did you make certain that they were taking out the correct amount that you needed to pay them. There's no way that a person over here could go into the bank with the details of someone else's cheque account or any other account come to that and tell the teller I want xyz pounds out of Mrs Q's account and transfer it into mine unless, they have a third party withdrawal form authorizing the transaction,signed by Mrs Q and matching the signature the bank have in their records pertaining to Mrs Q's account No one can go into a bank here and present a cheque and exchange it immediately for cash either. A cheque has to be paid into an existing account in that persons name.
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Post by gypsymama on Aug 9, 2014 10:42:26 GMT
.............. but if i was to send money from my account to someone else's i'd have to have enough info on their account to be able to steal all their money so i don't really see that happening over here. and it costs a good bit to send money from my account to someone else's, i want to say it was $15 the last time i did it.... I don't see how sending money from one bank account to another could, possibly let you steal from the other account. How could it?? When you pay with a check, it has your bank account written on it, doesn't it? That doesn't let the person you gave it to, get into your bank account and steal your money.Exactly the same as them giving me their bank account number to transfer money into, doesn't let me get into their account. Our fees are the reverse of yours. No fees at all for electronic transactions. Banks charge fees only on transactions that involve bank staff - like handling checks. But the fee for banking a check is only about 30c. i'm not a banking expert but in my understanding, me giving, say, the grocery store, my check and then they have posession of my account information is one thing.... presumably we trust them to keep it safe... but if the grocery store gives their account number to every customer who passes through the door, not very trustworthy folks out there. once i had an account totally drained because i gave my checking info to pay a bill and it was a collection agency, not the original business i owed the money to... they just kept taking payments out rather than the agreed upon monthly bill.
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Post by chances on Aug 9, 2014 10:46:45 GMT
So it sounds like the answer to not writing checks is to live outside of the U.S. Here, if I have enough information to deposit into your account, I have enough information to withdrawal. I also wonder if it is about "lifestyle" and location. My friends and I are mostly young professionals/ graduate students. We write rent checks each month. Landlords of mid-range apartment complexes do not maintain online payment systems. I have also noticed that vendors are increasingly adding fees for debit/credit cards. This is especially true of universities So it's either check or cash. I definitely do not have the money to pay for additional card fees. This is in Los Angeles. I imagine someone who has more money to pay convenience fees or who owns their home might have a different experience.
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Post by gar on Aug 9, 2014 10:51:40 GMT
I don't see how sending money from one bank account to another could, possibly let you steal from the other account. How could it?? When you pay with a check, it has your bank account written on it, doesn't it? That doesn't let the person you gave it to, get into your bank account and steal your money.Exactly the same as them giving me their bank account number to transfer money into, doesn't let me get into their account. Our fees are the reverse of yours. No fees at all for electronic transactions. Banks charge fees only on transactions that involve bank staff - like handling checks. But the fee for banking a check is only about 30c. i'm not a banking expert but in my understanding, me giving, say, the grocery store, my check and then they have posession of my account information is one thing.... presumably we trust them to keep it safe... but if the grocery store gives their account number to every customer who passes through the door, not very trustworthy folks out there. once i had an account totally drained because i gave my checking info to pay a bill and it was a collection agency, not the original business i owed the money to... they just kept taking payments out rather than the agreed upon monthly bill. So again.......do you think, in places where this is a standard way of banking on a daily basis, that no one has noticed their account being pilfered? Or that they carry on anyway? Your example of having your account emptied is a different thing altogether. Maybe systems are just substantially different between us and you.
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Post by pjaye on Aug 9, 2014 10:59:26 GMT
If I want to gift money I use a something like a Visa gift card...it can be used at almost any shop. If they were saving for something specific and couldn't use the card, then they could give it to one of their parents, get the same amount in cash and the parent could use it next time they buy petrol or groceries. Or Paypal, or direct deposit into their bank account.
Why is it "annoying" to get cash out? If you have a planned appointment or school fees, this isn't a surprise, just get the cash you need next time you are near an automatic teller or other place that lets you do cash withdrawal. I have a manicure very 4 weeks, I know when it's coming up and I make sure in the days beforehand to get out extra cash (I usually do that at the same time I grocery shop - pay for the groceries via EFT and take out the extra money at the same time). Unless I lived in the middle of nowhere, but I'm out and about everyday and getting some cash out is a minor acitivity that doesn't take more than a few minutes.
Unexpected things like a tradesman who comes at short notice because something broke - never met one who didn't take a credit card yet. They either come with a mobile unit, or I phone the office the next day and do CC over the phone.
I had a cheque book (it's cheque here, not check) book about 25 years ago to pay my rent before the days of online banking etc. But I haven't used it since then.
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Post by gypsymama on Aug 9, 2014 10:59:47 GMT
apparently they are drastically different... i just can't even imagine my a/c guy or mechanic giving me their bank account info!
on a side note, this thread and the other, lots of comments on how far your banks are from you... well for one thing, its the UK and to me, in Texas, nothing over there would be considered "far" so a definite cultural difference there... and my bank, and the reason i chose it is for this very fact, has a branch inside my grocery store and inside walmart across the street plus in a number of other stores around town. i don't know why i would pick a bank that was not conveniently located.
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Post by gypsymama on Aug 9, 2014 11:02:00 GMT
do y'all have to pay a fee at an ATM machine to pull out cash? we do unless its our own bank's ATM. if we get cash back while shopping there's not usually a fee but my husband does have a weird credit union where its free to run his visa check card as "credit" but if he runs it as "debit" there's a $1.50 charge. ATM fees vary from $2ish on up if its not your bank's machine.
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Post by chances on Aug 9, 2014 11:07:21 GMT
A handyman would laugh in my face if I tried to pay with a credit card ( or check). Taxi drivers get pissy when you pay by card ( but whatever).
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Post by pjaye on Aug 9, 2014 11:09:52 GMT
Doesn't seem to be the case over here, according to the website (and the one I have used in the past): linkYou only pay a fee if you use it to buy from overseas, or if it's a re-loadable card (which I wouldn't get as a gift card anyway) I have also received these cards in the past and never had it be any less than the full amount.
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Post by chances on Aug 9, 2014 11:10:39 GMT
i don't know why i would pick a bank that was not conveniently located. Better service and fees. I often use a credit union that is close-ish but has horrible hours. However, they don't charge me outrageous fees like the bigger banks located on every corner.
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Post by pjaye on Aug 9, 2014 11:15:13 GMT
Generally not. There are a certain number of times it's free at the ATM (like 10 times a month for me). Then you only pay a fee if you use it more than that, or if you use an ATM from another bank. If I pay by EFT and take cash out at the same time - then that is always free....so that's the one I use the most. I probably only go to an ATM machine once a week or less.
Obviously it's different here. You can deposit very easily, my online banking has a "pay anyone" button. All I need is a name and the bank number and account number and the money is transferred within 24hrs. But it does not work in reverse, it's only for payment, not withdrawal.
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Post by juliet on Aug 9, 2014 11:31:09 GMT
Checks were discontinued over here in 2002, and I have never paid with one. We do everything by electronic banking. Salary is automatically put into our bank account, bills are automatically deducted. If I receive a bill that has to be paid, I use the electronic banking system to pay it. Every store here has the option to pay by PIN/debit card. I hardly ever use cash or credit cards.
If I want to send someone money as a gift I put cash in a card with an envelope and send it, or I use Paypal. I usually buy gift cards to specific stores though.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2014 11:46:32 GMT
do y'all have to pay a fee at an ATM machine to pull out cash? we do unless its our own bank's ATM. if we get cash back while shopping there's not usually a fee but my husband does have a weird credit union where its free to run his visa check card as "credit" but if he runs it as "debit" there's a $1.50 charge. ATM fees vary from $2ish on up if its not your bank's machine. We don't over here in the UK provided it has a "Link" logo on there and most of them do. There are some in very few shops/gas stations/hotels that are privately run that have a transaction fee but the machines are clearly marked that they do charge.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2014 11:55:49 GMT
. Here, if I have enough information to deposit into your account, I have enough information to withdrawal. . This is in Los Angeles. I imagine someone who has more money to pay convenience fees or who owns their home might have a different experience. Let me get this clear in my mind......so you can go into a bank with someone else's account number and just draw out money from that said account? Surely that isn't right?
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BarbaraUK
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Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Aug 9, 2014 12:17:16 GMT
apparently they are drastically different... i just can't even imagine my a/c guy or mechanic giving me their bank account info! on a side note, this thread and the other, lots of comments on how far your banks are from you... well for one thing, its the UK and to me, in Texas, nothing over there would be considered "far" so a definite cultural difference there... and my bank, and the reason i chose it is for this very fact, has a branch inside my grocery store and inside walmart across the street plus in a number of other stores around town. i don't know why i would pick a bank that was not conveniently located. There is no more information given out for an electronic payment than is given out on any cheque/check used - as in account number and sort code of bank (to identify which branch it is) - so it is very secure. It's just like paying at the store by debit card but we can do that online by entering a number and sort code. We don't need any private information such as address etc., to do this. It comes out of our account immediately and is available to the person receiving it almost immediately. Most handypeople here prefer that because there is a record of the transaction for tax purposes and one person businesses often use the Paypal, or similar, App' to avoid carrying cash so again, no personal bank account information needed. To access bank accounts we need all the details including pin numbers and those aren't given out or included in electronic payment details and it would be impossible to access bank accounts without this and other personal information. I don't really understand your comment about the UK and Texas at the moment - our banks are also conveniently located and have branches in the High Street etc., all over the country and we have a lot of ATM's around at or within stores. A lot of us here use online banking just because we can do our transactions in our time rather than having to get there within banking hours if we need to go into the bank rather than just use an ATM. No, there are no charges for using an ATM with a debit card (which immediately deducts the sum drawn from the account) but using a credit card to obtain cash can attract a charge. Obviously there must be huge differences in the banking systems of the US and other countries such as the UK, European countries, Australia and New Zealand etc., judging by this thread.
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Post by anxiousmom on Aug 9, 2014 12:24:26 GMT
my husband's last 3 jobs didn't even have an option for direct deposit so we have to go to the bank every week anyway... i don't understand how someone would have no way to cash a check. If you do not have a checking account, then a lot of banks will charge you to cash a check. It is one of the inequities of our economic system that people don't really think about. You have to have money in order to open a checking account, and then you have to have money to maintain the account. If you fall below a certain balance, then you are charged fees. If you do not have an income that supports a surplus in your account, your funds are eaten away by fees. There are lots of little hidden issues for people living below or right on the poverty line.
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Post by gar on Aug 9, 2014 13:36:53 GMT
apparently they are drastically different... i just can't even imagine my a/c guy or mechanic giving me their bank account info! on a side note, this thread and the other, lots of comments on how far your banks are from you... well for one thing, its the UK and to me, in Texas, nothing over there would be considered "far" so a definite cultural difference there... and my bank, and the reason i chose it is for this very fact, has a branch inside my grocery store and inside walmart across the street plus in a number of other stores around town. i don't know why i would pick a bank that was not conveniently located. I can't see anyone who mentioned how far away from a bank they were...maybe that was the other thread. If I had to drive even an hour to get to my bank I'd consider it 'far' in convenience terms....and the UK isn't that small!!
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 9, 2014 13:54:03 GMT
For those so worried about giving an account number to deposit money opening up unauthorized withdrawals, you do realize your account number is printed on the bottom of your check. You're sharing your complete account with routing number to everyone you've ever written a check to.
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Post by momofkandn on Aug 9, 2014 13:58:24 GMT
gypsymama, you said "once i had an account totally drained because i gave my checking info to pay a bill and it was a collection agency, not the original business i owed the money to... they just kept taking payments out rather than the agreed upon monthly bill." A bank always requires authorization for someone to take money out of your account. Somewhere in the fine print, you authorized this collection agency to draw from your account. EFT's can be authorized for one time paying of a bill or they can be authorized for long term and anytime a new invoice comes in. It's confusing and many times not very clear to the consumer. But collection agencies are very good at this and will make the fine print difficult to see. If you hadn't authorized them to keep taking money out, your bank would not have allowed it. Otherwise the collection agency would have been guilty of banking fraud. Lesson learned is to read all that fine print when giving out your banking information. So there is no risk for a company to give out their banking info for you to pay them. You can't withdraw money unless you are authorized. To the original OP question: I do have some checks for times like sending a gift or for school field trips and the like. I pay cash to the kid that mows my lawn and the guy that cleans my gutters. But for the most part, I use online bill pay either from my bank account or using the vendor's website. I carry almost no cash. When I have to withdraw it, it's free if I use my bank's ATM.
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Post by gar on Aug 9, 2014 14:12:23 GMT
For those so worried about giving an account number to deposit money opening up unauthorized withdrawals, you do realize your account number is printed on the bottom of your check. You're sharing your complete account with routing number to everyone you've ever written a check to. Aa well as your sort code so, good point, you're not revealing any more info than is written on cheques you happily hand out. To access someone's account online you would need password etc.
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Post by Pahina722 on Aug 9, 2014 14:52:41 GMT
Although we HAVE a checkbook, I haven't carried one in at least five years. We have a couple of bills that we must pay by check (because the charge for electronic payment is higher than the inconvenience and postage of paying by check), but all told, not more than five per month.
When we send monetary gifts, we do so in the form of gift cards to a specific store like Target, Best Buy, or Amazon.
Every service person we use allows us to pay by credit card.
For that matter, most of the things we used to use a check or debit card for, we now put on our credit card, so that we earn points and then make one electronic payment per month.
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Post by tuva42 on Aug 9, 2014 15:43:43 GMT
I have found pre-paid Visa cards to be a bit difficult to use. Some places won't let me us it, others require me to use the whole amount, still others won't let me use the card + cash. If a relative says they are saving up for something and therefore asked for cash for birthday gifts, I send a check. That way they can combine it with other cash gifts to buy something more expensive than I would buy. I don't know ahead of time if the store they are going to buy this item at will allow them to combine a pre-paid card with cash or other pre-paid cards.
I in the U.S. though, and it seems that folks in other parts of the world do things differently.
It's interesting, though, we were in Germany earlier this month and many places really didn't like us to use credit cards. In a 12 day stay, I used my card 3 times. DH used it to pay hotel fees, but he got a lot of flack at restaurants when he wanted to use it. I'm guessing they use pre-paid or debit-like cards instead in Germany.
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BarbaraUK
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Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
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Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Aug 9, 2014 16:04:41 GMT
It's interesting, though, we were in Germany earlier this month and many places really didn't like us to use credit cards. In a 12 day stay, I used my card 3 times. DH used it to pay hotel fees, but he got a lot of flack at restaurants when he wanted to use it. I'm guessing they use pre-paid or debit-like cards instead in Germany. Not sure why regarding this - maybe credit cards attract a high usage charge to the restaurant, they are worried about fraudulent use, and/or there's more of a delay with it being paid into their account because of accounting procedures with the credit card company as against using a debit card where the payment is very quick, so they prefer debit cards to be used. Maybe someone from Germany will be able to explain it! Interesting though, there were some places in Italy not keen on accepting credit cards too but had no problem with debit cards.....although it is about two years since we were there last.
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Post by myshelly on Aug 9, 2014 16:11:45 GMT
I have found pre-paid Visa cards to be a bit difficult to use. Some places won't let me us it, others require me to use the whole amount, still others won't let me use the card + cash. If a relative says they are saving up for something and therefore asked for cash for birthday gifts, I send a check. That way they can combine it with other cash gifts to buy something more expensive than I would buy. I don't know ahead of time if the store they are going to buy this item at will allow them to combine a pre-paid card with cash or other pre-paid cards. I in the U.S. though, and it seems that folks in other parts of the world do things differently. It's interesting, though, we were in Germany earlier this month and many places really didn't like us to use credit cards. In a 12 day stay, I used my card 3 times. DH used it to pay hotel fees, but he got a lot of flack at restaurants when he wanted to use it. I'm guessing they use pre-paid or debit-like cards instead in Germany. Yes, I hate those prepaid cards with a passion. I resent the fee associated with them. Why would I pay $6 for one when I could gift cash or a check for free? Ridiculous. And they are SO hard to use. Store employees often don't understand what they are or how to use them. And you have to know your exact balance or else it is declined. Here's what I mean by that: If I am at Target and I have a Target gift card with a $42 balance and I go to make a $50 purchase, I use the gift card first and then the cashier says "you owe $8 more". Fine, easy. If I have a prepaid visa with a $42 balance and I go to make a $50 purchase, the visa is declined. I have to know and remember the exact balance on the visa and say "I want to pay $42 on this card" and have the cashier figure out how to do a partial payment and ring it up for exactly $42. It's a PITA to remember how much to the penny is on those stupid cards.
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Post by tuva42 on Aug 9, 2014 16:18:26 GMT
Yes, MyShelly, exactly that!
My boss keeps giving us bonuses in these cards and it drives me nuts.
I gather these things work differently in different countries.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2014 17:50:13 GMT
I understand what you mean but the store can check the balance on their own gift cards whereas they have no access to the balance on a visa gift card, no different to an ordinary credit card. As far as the store is concerned you've gone over the card limit in the same way as if you had maxed out your ordinary credit card.
I've only used one once here. DD was given one but I knew that it for £20 ( her aunt has written the amount on the card it was attached to). I just told the cashier how much it was for and I would give her the extra £1.The item DD was buying was £20.99.
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Post by ihaveonly1l on Aug 9, 2014 17:57:36 GMT
Our bank gives one box of checks free per year if you have your paycheck direct deposited. We have had the same box of checks for 6 years. I do write them for gifts (wedding, birthday, graduation) and sometimes it's easier to write them for school stuff that I have to pay on Open House night because I can get them all done before we go there. They usually want separate pay for each department, so I just do it at home ahead of time and it streamlines the process at school. We also had a repair man the other day and I wrote him a check.
I probably write two checks a month.
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Post by tuva42 on Aug 9, 2014 19:53:21 GMT
I've noticed from reading your replies that many of your banks offer services that mine does not. Makes me feel like I go to a bank from the dark ages! We belong to a fairly small credit union. It's great in that it charges no fees, and its located between my office and my home. But I also work for a small business that is in the dark ages, so I get a paycheck every two weeks that I have to carry to my bank to deposit. No option for direct deposit and my bank won't let me take a photo of it to deposit. So I guess I'll keep writing a handful of checks each month and watching wistfully as everyone else gets to do all their banking on-line.
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