[NTLK] Writing

[Michael Sheflin]

That's probably not true.  Most stores have stopped accepting checks in the
US, but they're still a form of tender:

I'm an attorney.  I recently had to open an IOLTA-compliant trust account
in New Jersey.  To access that account, I have to physically appear in
person and risk my life to deposit or withdraw tiny sums of money.  But I'm
required to have the account.  To deposit my first $100, rather than going
to the bank.

I don't think appearing at a bank is higher tech than writing a cheque...
And, it looks like the reason cheques aren't used in Germany is not to
related to hi-techiness (
https://www.german-way.com/travel-and-tourism/banks-money/#:~:text=Unlike%20Americans%20(and%20the%20French,name%20of%20the%20account%20holder.)
.

On Tue, Mar 30, 2021, 7:24 AM Ionos: robowerk.de <m.melcher at robowerk.de>
wrote:

>
> LOL. German banks havn't accepted cheque payments in the private sector
> for the last 20 or more years. I probably could not have bought a
> MessagePad with a cheque here back then. There is no such thing here
> anymore. You can transfer money online or with a paper form that you
> drop off at the bank, but more commonly, repeating payments are
> automated. Nothing to fill out, sign, or send.
>
> Payments that differ from month to month, like the phone bill, are taken
> directly out of the account by the phone company. What sounds bad at
> first is actually pretty great, because I can reverse that payment for
> three months in case of a dispute. So I have all the convenience of not
> writing cheques, and all the security and full power over my account.
>
> I was very surprised when I got payed the first time working in
> California in 95. They gave me a cheque every other Friday. During lunch
> break, half of the company ran(!) to the bank to deposit the cheque.
> "But why?" my European friends may ask. Well, people were afraid that
> our employer gave out more cheques than he had money in the bank, and
> that late cheques may not get cashed!
>
> I ended up opting for the - back then revolutionary - direct deposit,
> got my money already on Wednesday, and watched the Friday bank lines in
> amazement for 10 more years.
>
> On 3/30/2021 12:43 AM, Dennis Swaney via NewtonTalk wrote:
> > That is how I pay all my bills. Just paid my auto insurance and renter's
> insurance today. Also you can't pay a credit card bill with a credit card.
> >
> >> On Mar 29, 2021, at 14:35, Alan Grassia <alan.grassia at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Wait, who’s still writing cheques?!
> >>
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