Making Monzo: Cheque Imaging

Back in June we announced our plans to let you pay in cheques, just by taking a picture!

In this thread, we’ll share updates and screenshots of how we’re getting on.

Update 3/1/18: We’ve had to push the launch date of cheque imaging back a bit. Here’s some more info about why -


In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you…
What do you typically receive cheques for?
How much are the cheques worth?
How often do you personally write cheques? (And what for?)

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Rarely birthday, but mostly tax refunds or from the DVLA when you get reimbursed on your car tax.
It was over 12 months since I had one last.

around £100 or less

Proud to say I’ve never owned a cheque book.

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Ditto to the above. I’ve only had to cash a cheque for a tax refund. I don’t own a cheque book, and have never written one.

Refunds from utilities etc. But really rarely - probably only one over the last 18 months (and that’s because British Gas flat out refused to transfer it to my bank account).

Who could tell? I try to avoid them if possible but they range in value.

I can’t remember the last time I wrote a cheque. Or even if I have a cheque book… :thinking:

In recent times I’ve only received one cheque… It was actually the week before “FREEPOST MONZO” became a thing :joy: I was gutted that I didn’t get to experience the Monzo cheque workflow as I’d already taken it into my legacy bank :slight_smile:

That cheque was a refund for a car service plan which was no longer required :oncoming_automobile:

Not a massive amount, I don’t see any cheques in the future being more than ‘£20’ realistically - that’s if I receive one at all :slight_smile:

(£20 is just a rough guess)

I spy a trend :eyes: … I’ve never written a cheque :slight_smile:

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Gifts from relatives
Refunds from some companies/organisations

<£100

Very rarely now, occasionally for a tradesman or something like that, but most take transfers now.

Usually utilities/services refunds etc.

Generally not much (maybe £50 max?)

Never

Started getting a travel expenses cheque for under £20 every 6 weeks or so. Total pain. Haven’t written a cheque for 2 years but the schools insist on only cash or cheque and it’s easy if it’s a large amount as I know they won’t bank it for weeks

I’ve started getting cheques for my mobile phone cashback every few months. Not high value but still helps reduce costs.

They obviously know some people won’t bother claiming, or forget to visit a bank, so being able to get the money the next day after snapping a pic in the HSBC app is great.

Gifts from some relatives.
Some utilities or government departments prefer to send one-off sums owed as crossed warrants rather than bank transfers, so hopefully those will also work with the imaging procedure.

Anywhere from ten to a few hundred pounds.

Never.

Grandparents… It’s always the Grandparents…

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Receiving funds from organisations who refuse to use other methods

Typically up to £500

Never

Govt / Company Refunds (e.g. HMRC) however also received from relatives (recent family berevement and an inheritance cheque).

Normally <£50 however the inheritance was more than £1000.

I shredded my cheque books about 4 years ago and not needed one since.

Those are my personal answers however I know of two areas which do not affect me but may be relevant. Many companies (such as Bingo providers) pay winnings above a certain value by Cheque due to AML requirements of the payment being tracable. Being employed by such a company I know we sent out 50~100 cheques a week all above £500 in value).

My friends all talk about the pain it is sending money to their children’s schools for trips, events, etc. They only accept cash or cheques, so many have cheque books just for that purpose.

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What do you typically receive cheques for?
Expenses to do with my role as membership secretary of a walking club.
In fact I have one to pay in now for £118. Its a shame this new cheque imaging isn’t up and running right now. I know I can send it freepost to Monzo but I don’t trust the Post Office. However it will be easier for me to pay into my TSB bank account then transfer to Monzo when it’s cleared.

How much are the cheques worth?
Between £50 and £200

How often do you personally write cheques? (And what for?)
Not written a cheque for over a year.

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How often do you personally write cheques? (And what for?)

Complementary health clinics often don’t have a card reader. I write a cheque once or twice a month.

What do you typically receive cheques for?
Refunds from large organisations (e.g. train ticket refunds).
On occasions such as birthdays or Christmas.

How much are the cheques worth?
This varies - typically small amounts from companies (recently I deposited £6.10).
As a gift - usually a set amount such as £25, £50 etc.

How often do you personally write cheques? (And what for?)
Several times a year. My dry cleaner doesn’t take card payments and it’s easier to write out a cheque for an exact amount rather than worry about using cash and dealing with the leftover change.
In the past, I’ve used cheques to pay for driving lessons and for house deposits at university.

For what it’s worth, I would be keeping a legacy account open for the purpose of writing cheques, until such time as Monzo give me a cheque book, or my dry cleaner takes card payments.

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I have never received or written a cheque.

I’ve had HMRC refunds but I always have them transferred into my bank account rather than opting for a cheque :+1:

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What do you typically receive cheques for?
Christmas, birthdays, government or company refunds, occasional big things sold (sold my moped and got a cheque)

How much are the cheques worth?
Christmas and birthdays are anywhere between £10 and £300. Refunds are smaller amounts, rarely above £20. Big things could be up to £1k.

How often do you personally write cheques? (And what for?)
I write a cheque when sending in a charity donation along with the gift aid forms. There was no option by the charity to donate directly and send in the gift aid forms separately, and they only accepted cheques and purchase orders. This happens yearly. The amount sending meant that I would also not be comfortable sending cash (a few hundred quid).

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I’ve just had a cheque through from Greater Anglia for a rail delay for the grand sum of £13. I noticed HSBC now have cheque imaging so I decided to give it a go and then just transfer the funds over. It’s the most infuriating thing ever and quite simply does not work. It’s a good example to look at of how not to implement cheque imaging. Freepost Monzo it is then for my rail riches!

What do you typically receive cheques for?

Refunds for Tax (although this was done by BACS last time).
Delay Repay from train companies.
Utilities

And I’ve maybe had 1 cheque in 2018

How much are the cheques worth?

Probably £20-80, ish

How often do you personally write cheques? (And what for?)

I don’t recall writing one in the last 2-3 years. Probably longer.