WHEN Was the Last Time You Wrote a Regular Check?

SELF | May 2, 2026 | PJ-Comix

[PJ-Comix]

It struck me earlier today that I have NOT written a regular check in years. Yes, I have written a few bank checks but as far as personal checks I can't think of any that I have written any in at least 5 and more likely 10 or more years. At one time in my life and in the lives of many others, writing checks were a frequent activity. However, after the onset of the Internet and doing transactions over the web my check writing activities dwindled further and further until it has reached ZERO except for the few times I needed to write bank checks for the transferal of larger than normal funds.

So WHEN was the last time you wrote a regular check? And are there people here who still write checks frequently? I can't even remember the last time I wrote a regular check and it could have been as long ago as 20 or 25 years.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: checks; currency; internet; money; noonecares; onlinepayment; vanity

[George from New England]

My car ins pulls fee free from credit card once a month, no fees from policy either, simply 2 months in advance

[Persevero]

Had you out the 20,000 on Amex they would have lost $800 in profit

[Persevero]

Autopay is a menace I hate recurring payments. I can’t stop them without extreme effort.

[plain talk]

“It’s not only the writing of the check that seems to be too much effort but the mailing of it as well. “

Also postal workers aren’t too swift and mail can get misdelivered. We usually haul outgoing mail to the post office which is yet another nuisance.

On many bills we use autodraft. We do still write some checks but it’s less and less.

[citizen]

I remember the TV bank ad of the women starting microwave popcorn to pop and paying a wad of bills on her laptop in less time than it took for the popcorn.

I will contentedly remain a dinosaur - writing checks, while watching Perry Mason and old movies on TCM.

[RetiredArmy]

Yesterday. To the guys who worked on my plumbing.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I wrote a check for the property taxes on our rural compound and mailed it in November. It got stolen in the mail and I had to stop payment and then pay online with a late fee. Tomorrow I am going to pay a small payment on our Lowes Pro account by check. Other than that I pay everything online.

[jttpwalsh]

You don’t. You could, however, find the checkbook, write the date, payee name, and signature, to speed the process up, as a courtesy to those in line behind you. Thanks.

[KarlInOhio]

About a month ago for my dad’s nursing home bill. It’s big enough where I like the cancelled check for proof of payment and tax deductions. But this month I misplaced the checkbook (found it later), so I paid “electronically”. But it turns out the nursing home isn’t on ACH so the bank just mails a check themselves.

[kosciusko51]

I write a check every week for church.

[Patriot777]

I write about 4-5 checks a month. I like old school. They come through the bank pretty quick too.

[4yearlurker]

At the beginning of every month I write checks for all my bills.

[glennaro]

I wrote a check to Astound Broadband yesterday because they charge a buck for the "convenience" of paying my bill online. AI says they have 1.2 million customers ... do the math. So I make them mail me a monthly statement.

Yeah, I know it's only a buck and that I'm not saving anything, but it'll cost them to manually bill me and process my payment by check.

[wardaddy]

Only for rent

[Thank You Rush]

Friday for me also - at the grocery store...I write checks for everything except bills I pay online. Occasionally there will be a new clerk at the grocery store checkout who doesn’t know HOW to process checks; they call for help. A few weeks ago, a new gal pointed to the numeral written - $$$ 50/100 - and asked what it was!! I’m not sure she could even READ the written amount. Not long ago I wrote a check for my copay at a doctor’s office. The gal gave me a receipt AND my check back.

[SauronOfMordor]

Last week, wrote check to pay my lawn guy.

[fruser1]

old lady in the checkout line in front of me writes one every time I go

If she's there every time you go it just means you should've married someone younger.

[Thank You Rush]

“”the old lady in the checkout line in front of me writes one every time””

THAT’s me....I can feel the atmosphere in the checkout line...

[Reddy]

Still use them for utilities and anything that charges to use a card to pay. Probably about 3 checks a month. Plus, we just had an expensive outdoor renovation that we paid for with a check because they gave us a discount to do it that way.

[Bobbyvotes]

I have a old partially used checkbook (20 checks when new) still in my drawer from the 1990’s. I pay all bills with credit cards, and pay credit card bill electronically. I avoid using the mail for sending or receiving funds. It is all 100% electronic. Have no paper stock certificates either.