No Personal Checks

[MrWolf]

No don't get any card linked to your bank account get a DEBIT card and when you need to put money in it do it. I pay cash or debit with no link to my bank or me.

This folks. If you need to use a debit card make it from a separate account then your regular accounts. You have almost zero recourse, other than the court system, if someone hacks your debit card account. That is your money, not the banks. Credit cards come with protection, debit cards nothing. I know folks are set in their ways, but a zero cost credit card that gives you cash back is the way to go IF you pay it off every month. The days of hiding cash and paying solely with it are almost gone. Talking from experience as a C.P.A. before retirement. Good luck.

[starnbar]

This folks. If you need to use a debit card make it from a separate account then your regular accounts. You have almost zero recourse, other than the court system, if someone hacks your debit card account. That is your money, not the banks. Credit cards come with protection, debit cards nothing. I know folks are set in their ways, but a zero cost credit card that gives you cash back is the way to go IF you pay it off every month. The days of hiding cash and paying solely with it are almost gone. Talking from experience as a C.P.A. before retirement. Good luck.

That is true however if I need an item that cost 50.00 bucks I put 51.00 on the card and my liability is 1 dollar I can live with a loss like that.

[Shawlerbrook]

My wife and I have this discussion. She is an accountant and still love writing checks. I tell her they are going the way of the typewriter and prefer credit card or cash. Neither of us are fans of debit cards. Not at all secure.

[SeabeeMan]

I used to write checks for purchases.
When some place didn't want to take it, I told them, "Sure, no problem, put it on this credit card and lose 4% when they pay you".

That's getting passed right on to the customer, though. If it isn't hidden in the price, it's an outright up charge at checkout. I don't blame the business, but I've seen as high as 6% around here. In talking with several different owners, they're seeing 10's of thousands of dollars in just processing fees each year.

[Ickisrulz]

The safest, fastest and easiest way to pay for anything is by using a credit card. Just pay it off each month. Get one with cash back too. If a company adds a CC fee, then use a check or cash.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Gee, us old codgers will argue over anything

But a word to the wise, be sure to keep a couple weeks worth of cash on hand. when this $3.5 trillion socialism bill gets passed and creates more inflation, it'll likely effect the banks. We've seen it in 3rd world Countries like Venezuela...and also in Greece not too long ago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...d-atms-n383606

[MaryB]

My bank debit is a Visa and it has protection for fraudulent charges. I write 3 checks a month, my health plan(they need to join this century and take electronic payments), water/sewer bill(city will take electronic payments... for a $5 fee!!!! No thanks), and my gas bill at the co-op(they are to small to take electronic payments, cash or check).

If I feel iffy about an online payment I use a credit card, and if I am out of cash and stop for fast food it is a credit card and not my debit. Fast food joints are the #1 fraud source around me!

[Walks]

I tried those non-credit cards that you "fill up" and use then refill. I would put only what I needed to spend on it. Spend it and wait for the texts from my bank, to tell me that someone on the other side of the country tried to use it at a starbucks.
Get a new card and it would happen again.
Bank said it wasn't their fault, must be a "worm" on my computer.
The thing is, I was using the card over the phone to different places that I have dealt with for years.
So gave that up. Wife bought me a cash card, thing is I couldn't buy tobacco products with.
So no pipe tobacco. I sure as heck don't need an arbitrary company telling me what I can or can't spend my money on.

[MrWolf]

Gee, us old codgers will argue over anything

But a word to the wise, be sure to keep a couple weeks worth of cash on hand. when this $3.5 trillion socialism bill gets passed and creates more inflation, it'll likely effect the banks. We've seen it in 3rd world Countries like Venezuela...and also in Greece not too long ago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...d-atms-n383606

Rule of thumb is try for at least six months. With this administration I would think twelve might be the new minimum.

[Lloyd Smale]

My bank debit is a Visa and it has protection for fraudulent charges. I write 3 checks a month, my health plan(they need to join this century and take electronic payments), water/sewer bill(city will take electronic payments... for a $5 fee!!!! No thanks), and my gas bill at the co-op(they are to small to take electronic payments, cash or check).

If I feel iffy about an online payment I use a credit card, and if I am out of cash and stop for fast food it is a credit card and not my debit. Fast food joints are the #1 fraud source around me!

mines the same.

[Thundarstick]

Gee, us old codgers will argue over anything

But a word to the wise, be sure to keep a couple weeks worth of cash on hand. when this $3.5 trillion socialism bill gets passed and creates more inflation, it'll likely effect the banks. We've seen it in 3rd world Countries like Venezuela...and also in Greece not too long ago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...d-atms-n383606

Better have something besides cash if that plays out! US paper money will be worth less than CSA dollars are today! I was told booze and cigarettes are the best items to have on hand in a collapse, as they will buy anything!

[Gator 45/70]

Around here a lot of maw and paw places will charge you 4% if you use a debit or cc vs's cash, So cash it is !

[gbrown]

Years ago, I got a "Serve" card, the Serve Company is part of American Express. I used it for restaurants when my grandson was on a BB travel team so some server couldn't take one of my regular cards when I settled the restaurant tab, and take a picture of it, front and back. Kept a little money on it, not enough to hurt if it was compromised. It is rechargeable, doesn't cost a dime. When the grandson got old enough, got him one and put it on a sub-account. I can track his spending and also add money to his account, again, no charge. I can do it from my cell phone. Works just like a credit card. Here's a link. https://www.serve.com/

[cwtebay]

Around here a lot of maw and paw places will charge you 4% if you use a debit or cc vs's cash, So cash it is !

That's actually an illegal practice in some states. When I first started taking credit cards I tried it, the merchant company was (of course) the one that informed me about it. It is strange though that I can post "prices reflect a 3% cash discount" and that discount can be removed if someone is paying by card.
The sad state of affairs is s such that if you take a $100 bill from someone and put it in your till - that becomes $71 to pay for the goods or services rendered. I'm quite certain that a number of small business owners like myself will stop reporting most - if not all- cash transactions.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I wasn't giving advice for end times, just a bit of advice for a "blimp" on the banking radar like Greece had in 2015, to the OP and anyone else that doesn't have a few weeks of cash on hand. Advice for end times should go into the prepping forum...and I agree, cash won't be much good for a Nation ending collapse.

[Gator 45/70]

That's actually an illegal practice in some states. When I first started taking credit cards I tried it, the merchant company was (of course) the one that informed me about it. It is strange though that I can post "prices reflect a 3% cash discount" and that discount can be removed if someone is paying by card.
The sad state of affairs is s such that if you take a $100 bill from someone and put it in your till - that becomes $71 to pay for the goods or services rendered. I'm quite certain that a number of small business owners like myself will stop reporting most - if not all- cash transactions.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

One thing about it, Absolutely non,zero,nada single cc machine or atm was working were Ida passed thru several weeks ago, Cash only signs went up.

[MT Gianni]

I pay almost everything by cards, cash being the other choice. I have about $200-$500 a year of charges I keep slips for but never come through to my bank. They get lost in the nether-lands and I take them out of my balance register after 6 months. I think those charges happen to most companies so they build in costs to accommodate them.

When I worked, I used to turn in slips for petty cash rather than putting a $1.50 charge on a card. I was told that it costs my employers less than 5 cents to process a CC bill and $3.00+ to process petty cash.

[downzero]

Needing to do a bit of work on the wifeys car I stopped by my closest Ogreen chain parts store to gather the needed supplies. Everything was on hand and when I asked for the total to write out my check the lip ringed (different rant) clerk told me they no longer take personal checks and I would have to use a credit card or cash. I asked when this went into effect and she didn’t know. I asked for the manager and she replied that she was the shift manager. I promptly turned on my heel and walked out of the store before going off on her.

Not sure if this was a one off but we are ever cautious of where or when we use a credit card, and I normally don’t carry much cash on hand either, it just seems to melt out of my pocket.

Even at the height of the ‘rona scare most everyone around here at least still took checks.

Is this becoming more common in a push to go to a system where all your purchases can be tracked fo targeted marketing and knowing where you spend your money?

The old faithful red&yellow checkered flag parts store was as always more than willing to take my cash substitute.

You think a check is less likely to track you? It has your address, maybe your telephone number, and most importantly, ALL of your account information.

I don't know if this is common because I don't use checks, but checks are the easiest way for stores to get scammed, so if i were them, I wouldn't accept checks, either.

[StuBach]

I tried those non-credit cards that you "fill up" and use then refill. I would put only what I needed to spend on it. Spend it and wait for the texts from my bank, to tell me that someone on the other side of the country tried to use it at a starbucks.
Get a new card and it would happen again.
Bank said it wasn't their fault, must be a "worm" on my computer.
The thing is, I was using the card over the phone to different places that I have dealt with for years.
So gave that up. Wife bought me a cash card, thing is I couldn't buy tobacco products with.
So no pipe tobacco. I sure as heck don't need an arbitrary company telling me what I can or can't spend my money on.

The company I work for sells these cards very heavily and they are mostly a sham in my opinion. They were primarily developed for what the banking industry calls “un-bankables” meaning people who for one reason or another can’t use banks to store and process their money (liens, garnishments, etc). Most of them charge huge fees on every transaction (load or spend). Understand they fill a need for some but if you can avoid these I highly recommend you do.

The “serve” card mentioned by another member sounds interesting in that regard if there are no fees like he says.

[toallmy]

Does anyone still stand in line and count coins paying the exact change ?