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.
Mostly online, by phone, or automatic payments, although my wife writes checks for some. I'm not sure why.
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.
-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.
I only have two regular bills to pay; electric bill and phone/internet bill. They are both on draft. Why not draft, @John Brunner ?
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.
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
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.