Not all that insane, to be fair. I remember when my employer phased out cash payments for the very few employees who still received them, that quite a few of those employees had to go and open their very first bank account (and they weren’t very happy about it, either).
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There are employers who still pay wages in cash (often for legitimate reasons) but it is a real pain for many of their employees who have to trek to one of the ever declining number of bank branches.
That was 31 years ago. It’s time we moved on. 
The 2016 UK Payments Market Assessment estimated there will remain 237 million annual payments by cheque by 2025. This is a tiny fraction of a total estimated 40 Billion payments annually, but any “bank of the future” wanting to be taken seriously will need to find a work-around for this.
A bank of the future will (and has) anticipate(d) the decline in use of Cheques, it’s easier than ever to send money now, why would Monzo step backwards while they’re successfully leaping forwards?..
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Yes, but many don’t have bank accounts, or cannot wait 7 days for their earnings to clear, so they go to cheque cashing places, which of course charge a fee for the service.
A report earlier this year by Bristol University estimated that 2.3 million low-income households in the UK suffer cheque cashing penalties, so I don’t think it is at all unusual. Reference:
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[quote=“SheaLavington, post:87, topic:4412, full:true” why would Monzo step backwards while they’re successfully leaping forwards?..
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Maybe Colin_W’s post above partly answers your question, Shea.
I’m not sure it’s a step backwards to look how to more fully meet the needs of customers and potential customers.
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You can’t call yourself the bank of the future but then step backwards to try get people on board.
It’s just like Tesla (car manufacturer) saying, “To get new customers we’re releasing a petrol model”, it’s not what they want, it’s a major step back.
Considering Monzo want to be Mobile-First, I cant imagine how supporting an old method payment would be any benefit, yes, perhaps for 1 in every 200 people it may be of use, but it’s not enough to justify it. Monzo have publicly stated they won’t be issuing checkbooks and I could imagine them phasing out supporting cheques entirely in the next few years, and the same with many high-street banks, (perhaps a bit longer).
If you’re not willing to move to the future, Monzo simply isn’t for you. Instead of trying to get Monzo to adapt to your needs, why not join the revolution, Mobile & technology is the way to go.
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That’s all well and good, but in a bright new future, where Monzo is my main bank account, and someone sends me a cheque…?
I’d need an old fashioned bank account, so I could deposit it. So why would I need Monzo as well?
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I’m 23 and use cheques. I’d like to think I have quite a few more years in front of me, thank you very much! And I would like my bank to provide a service I do require.
Let’s keep age out of it shall we?
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Genuinely interested, why do you use cheques, @Tink? How often do you write them?
(The fastest demographic for card use is over-65s, I was reading earlier today)
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In the UK, I don’t write them. At least not regularly, I have probably written them once or twice a year as I try to avoid it if possible. I do however come from a country where cheques are VERY common so for me it’s no big deal, quite the contrary: it’s odd that people are so against it. It’s not something forced on everybody but a service that part of the customers require and that doesn’t have to affect everyone.
I receive quite a few of them. Just last week Experian sent me a cheque as a settlement for a complaint.
My grandfather still writes me cheques and I sometimes get paid with them.
I hate carrying cash, I feel safer with a cheque.
OF COURSE not having to bother with them at all would be great, but unfortunately we don’t live in an ideal world.
I am all for technology and my kerv ring is literally something I can’t leave my house without.
However cheques will be around for quite a while and having my bank support them, whether it’s by issuing chequebooks or the option to print one when needed is important for me. It’s just as important as international bank transfers or statements. For me until Monzo will be able to provide all of those services it won’t offer a complete financial product that I can trust enough to use as sole uk bank account.
Hope this makes sense
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That’s exactly what I had to do with first direct (the nearest hsbc is miles away and not open at weekends). I had a natwest basic account to clear cheques through (which I still have but natwest have closed their branch too).
Cheque imaging will solve it eventually… maybe monzo can do thst one day. Until then there really isn’t another solution than multiple accounts.
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It’s just that many people don’t have a choice. Typically their employer has made their “choice” for them by insisting on paying their earnings by cheque.
But yes, people have much more control over their own behaviour in terms of whether to write cheques or not.
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That sounds like it’d be pretty rare. A business incurring costs by having to deal with cheques plus inconveniencing all their employees who now probably have to take time off to deposit the damn things, and (currently) wait a week for it to clear… when BACS is completely automated and predictable.
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There are now two current cheque threads coming from a slightly different angle.
Should we keep both open or close one? Thoughts?
merge
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Perhaps we could have a vote? Maybe not… 
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There are also still people getting paid in envelopes of cash which must be deposited in order to pay bills etc.
I would love for Monzo to find solutions for these edge cases and become a bank for everyone.
Very interesting discussion here
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Thank you very much Ali. That’s really helpful and I hadn’t found it. I’m still trying to get my head around this forum layout. Sasha 
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