I buy a roll of stamps from the post office every once in a while. I still mail payment for my bills each month. The price of s tamps went up again not too long ango. As a result they are about to get expensive. A roll of stamps cost $55.00 now days. Since I no longer have transportation and can't go to the post office to pick up a roll of stamps, I called the post office and asked how we could remedy this situation. They suggfested I request an envelope for that purpose which they would sent me, to kput my check in this envelope and mail it back to them, then they would mail me a roll of stamps. It works but it takes a little longer. But regardless, it is time to request another envelope. Does anybody out there sti,ll use postage?
None of the people who have done jobs for me, like roofer, painter, land contractors, etc... accept credit or debit cards or e-checks. So I've been using a lot of stamps and checks lately too. I had to make a homeowners insurance payment by check recently, because the bank wouldn't guarantee an electronic transfer within a week to this particular company, which was past the due date. I don't understand why, maybe to do with shut downs? I even had to buy some bank counter checks recently, 4 for a dollar, because I ran out of checks.
We always keep a roll of stamps, "just in case." You never know when you'll need a postage stamp. Our bills are paid electronically by our banking credit union, but we mail birthday cards and other things.
My credit union offers online bill paying but I have never explored it. Guess I've never fully trusted any one to have access to my meager funds, afraid they might over draw me I suppose. Expect I'm getting so old I'm not caring what other methods might be available. I've got grands who think this is rediculas.. Maybe so, but since I'm closer to the end that the beginning, I'll keeping on keeping on as I am doing.
We have used the bill pay option for several years; it's convenient and saves us the costs of checks, stamps, and the occasional envelope. I also have some of our monthly bills paid automatically by a credit card that pays a nice cash back percentage. That card is then paid off monthly. This month I had enough Visa "rewards" $$ to buy my rebounder that's coming today. (woohoo!)
I pay all monthly bills via bank..either bill pay or auto debt. It saves time and money quick and easy. A one time charge from like doctor I pay at their site.
That's interesting. I pay about everything that won't accept my Cash Rewards Credit Card though my bank's online bill pay. Before I got that card, everything got paid through online bill pay. There are certain businesses my bank can make electronic payments to, and the others get a computer-generated paper check sent via the mail. I set up the mailing address & account# for the Memo field for the latter, and it's in there to use forever. I do know that there's a minimum amount of time my bank requires to process the payment/write the check/allow for transit time. I've wanted to change banks to the local one that's right up the road from me (the nearest branch of my current bank is 16 miles away), but the other bank's electronic payment system just looks too "primitive."
Maybe that explains it. My bank probably sends an actual check in the mail, rather than an electronic transfer. I never paid that much attention. The other 2 payments I did on the same day were local, and they were scheduled about 3 days ahead. The insurance company was out of town. I dread the thought of ever having to change banks. The number of automatic things I'd have to change. They've got me trapped.
I only know about the difference between wire transfer and paper checks by the way the payee is set up. The wire transfer guys go through an electronic validation process to tell you it's done right. The bank has no way of knowing if you fat-fingered an address on the other ones. I'm in the same boat as you regarding changing banks. It would be a pain to set that stuff up again, kinda like getting a new computer.