Do you use/have checks?

amother

Lightcoral

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 3:34 pm

I hate checks. There are so many expenses going out and it's hard to keep track of which checks were not yet deposited and try to make sure there is enough money in the account to cover them. I'm always running low, and bounced check fees are very upsetting. I much prefer when the money goes out right away and I don't have to worry about it not being there in the end.

amother

Pistachio

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 4:26 pm

amother Lightcoral wrote:

Use the check register. As you write a check, do the quick math for the balance.

amother

Celeste

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 5:37 pm

Interesting that no one else has mentioned property taxes. In my town, four times a year you can pay in person in city hall, which is located nowhere near where anyone lives and is a pain to park, or pay by credit card for a really large fee (the convenience fee is based on your payment and I live in a high property tax area) or pay by check.

amother

Holly

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 7:48 pm

amother Celeste wrote:

Most people have a mortgage and an escrow account.

amother

Holly

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 7:49 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

For teachers, we have class whatsapp groups with the parents. The parents association organizes a gift and for the money to get collected through paybox.
As for simcha gifts, for a wedding, I would ask the chatan or kallah and for a bat or bat mitzvah I would ask the parents. These payment apps are used a LOT in Israel.

Class gifts I agree lately are collected using Zelle. I was thinking more about an individual gift that you send with a card at Chanukah or Purim or the end of the year.

As for Simcha gifts. This seems awkward, etiquette wise. But it’s possible in places like Israel the etiquette itself is changing.

acemom

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 8:47 pm

We use paper checks when we give "wedding gifts" but not very often.
My husband gives his Rav a check written out to a foundation as his MM and ML on Purim.

Otherwise, we use Zelle/QuickPay or cash. Bills get paid online or through e-checks from the bank.

amother

Slategray

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 10:26 pm

Something else nobody mentioned-I always use check when shopping in Jewish clothing stores.

Their policy is usually no refund for credit card purchases, so check is usually the only option, unless you want to carry around wads of cash.

amother

Skyblue

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:48 pm

I use it occasionally for services where the vendor doesn't have an option for Zelle (and I never have cash on me). Ex: For a wash n set
Also, sometimes a store will have a more generous return policy if the payment is made by check vs cc, so if I know I may need to return/exchange, I'll use a check to pay.

amother

Lightcoral

Wed, Aug 16 2023, 12:23 am

amother Pistachio wrote:

Use the check register. As you write a check, do the quick math for the balance.

This would only work if I put every single autopay or debit card transaction into the check register also!

essie14

Wed, Aug 16 2023, 12:30 am

amother Celeste wrote:

I don't think I've ever paid a convenience fee to pay any taxes or utilities in Israel via credit card.
As shabbatiscoming said, everyone uses the payment apps or at least accepts a bank transfer.
When we go to a wedding, I use a payment app and send straight to the couple. Some weddings have a CC machine next to the gift table, or the registry that they send with the e-vite has an option for "cash gift" which you can pay with your CC online.

For a bar mitzvah I'll get cash or send to the parents payment app.

Every vendor that comes to my house has the Israeli equivalent of Zelle - handyman, AC vent cleaner, plumber, appliance repair (just thinking of people who have been in my house recently).
My gardener takes bank transfers.
Driving instructor for my teens, swimming lessons, summer camp.....

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Aug 16 2023, 8:26 am

amother Celeste wrote:

So in israel, arnona, the property tax, comes in the mail in the beginning of the year, in january, and you can do monthly payments on your credit card so that you wont forget about it every month. Thats what we do because one year we got a notice that we had forgotten one month. Its that simple thankfully.

amother

Lightpink

Wed, Aug 16 2023, 10:36 am

If you are a fiduciary, like a guardian, trustee, or estate administrator, you can only make payments from the account with checks. Probably the same if you are dealing with escrow situations.

keym

Wed, Aug 16 2023, 10:50 pm

It's so funny. I was thinking about the thread.

I took one of my kids to get a passport and we were told multiple times that they ONLY accept personal check or cashier check for most of it. The fees can be in cash, credit, whatever.
But I needed to bring my checkbook for the passport.