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Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

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Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#71

Post by jqpabc123 »

lxgr wrote: post #44

It's still baffling to me that the US, unlike most other countries, have never developed "push" bank/credit transfers. Checks might have been useful historically, but I really can't think of any use case these days where I'd prefer writing a check over just instructing my bank to pay somebody directly, which has the huge advantage of being more secure (my bank and I can agree on any security measures we like, vs. hav…

It's still baffling to me that the US

Baffle no more --- it's called FedNow.

https://explore.fednow.org/

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#73

Post by deathanatos »

4ndrewl wrote: post #7

How common is check usage in the USA? Is it a daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly thing?

I've written one check in the last two decades, because it was the only overlapping means by which me & the destination merchant could transact.

It almost happened twice, but the other time it actually ended up being a direct bank-to-bank transfer.

Where it happens IME is large value transactions, where the merchant isn't capable of ACH, basically. Any normal bill payment like rent or utilities can do ACH, so that leaves large purchases. The one above was for a car.

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#74

Post by lxgr »

jqpabc123 wrote: post #71
lxgr wrote: post #44

It's still baffling to me that the US, unlike most other countries, have never developed "push" bank/credit transfers. Checks might have been useful historically, but I really can't think of any use case these days where I'd prefer writing a check over just instructing my bank to pay somebody directly, which has the huge advantage of being more secure (my bank and I can agree on any security measures we like, vs. hav…

It's still baffling to me that the US Baffle no more --- it's called FedNow. https://explore.fednow.org/

I'll believe it once I can actually use it with my bank.

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#75

Post by gruez »

ryandrake wrote: post #46
pfista wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes most of the major banks do, but many neo banks don't. Upside is convenience and speed for folks that don't have a bank with billpay.

Not sure what a neo bank is, but I don't think I'd trust an institution with my money that couldn't even be bothered to integrate the standard "check writing and mailing" package. I'm pretty sure every instance of "Bill Pay" is the same software, re-skinned for the bank's color scheme.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neobank

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#76

Post by ryandrake »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #10
4ndrewl wrote: post #7

How common is check usage in the USA? Is it a daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly thing?

Really depends. I think we have to write one maybe every other month? We own a house, and a lot of contractors (plumbers, electricians, etc) will accept cash or check - and while paying $300 cash for a plumbing job is easy, it's more difficult to get $7500 in cash out of the bank to pay for a heavier renovation project. If you rent, you'll often have to send a check off monthly. I don't remember the last time I've ma…

> and while paying $300 cash for a plumbing job is easy, it's more difficult to get $7500 in cash out of the bank to pay for a heavier renovation project.

Inflation makes this worse, too. I used to keep a handful of $100s in my wallet to pay for little odds and ends like a plumber or someone hauling trash to the dump. If I wanted to keep doing that, my wallet would have to fit a whole stack of them. The highest denomination bill printed by the US no longer even covers a night out at a mid-tier restaurant.

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#77

Post by pfista »

subhro wrote: post #58

> Check writing is becoming a rarity, and many first-time senders find the process daunting Now, I am scared of even the thought of pulling out my pen and writing. And you merely call it daunting? /s Some people assume people will fucking buy anything when wrapped by a pretty website eh?

Hah!

Yes, it's pretty incredible actually

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#78

Post by alwa »

pfista wrote: post #40
alwa wrote: post #20

This is hilarious and wonderful, and attractive to boot. I wish you the best of luck. I know that the big banks I use offer this service for free (as “Bill Pay”), but maybe there are also-ran banks that don’t? Or is the aim more to address the unbanked and fintech crowds: “Cash App us a lump of dollars and we’ll send it somewhere by check”? You stoked my curiosity, and I looked around: at a glance, it seems like Chas…

Thanks, appreciate the comment! > Cash App us a lump of cash and we’ll send it somewhere by check Funny thing about sending checks is it's just an account and routing number in a special font on a piece of paper. We don't touch any customer funds. > Am I missing something that differentiates what you do from what they do? We have a simpler UI with a focus just on sending the check, so having your contacts prefilled m…

> Funny thing about sending checks is it's just an account and routing number in a special font on a piece of paper. We don't touch any customer funds.

Oh that’s so cool! I hadn’t even thought about that operational aspect. Very clever: I guess that means you’re an easy, slick option for customers from an awfully long list of banks and neobanks with varying quality of native products.

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#79

Post by apsurd »

j0hnjjun9 wrote: post #64
apsurd wrote: post #53

I join my dad occasionally to watch the lakers games on tv. Recently he had his bills set up and was writing checks and placing them in envelopes. I remembered specifically helping him resolve a bill pay issue for one of his payments so I asked why doesn't he use bill pay for all of them? He says he likes practicing writing, the physical nature, and the routine of intaking these bills and mailing them out. he's retir…

What we found was bill pay is a lot slower and doesn’t give you any indication of if and when the check is cashed because they deduct that amount on the day you send. So that might be another reason your dad might be doing this.

that's a good point, yes he grew very annoyed of how bill pay works. The UX is rather lacking. he didn't like not feeling in control of it, was opaque to him, now that i remember.

it's a down side of "set it and forget it". if i remember correctly his bill pay was to pay down a medical bill, over time the details of his balance changed and it became annoyingly obtuse to him on how to change the bill pay settings.

Re: Show HN: Check Supply – Send Checks in the Mail

#80

Post by ryandrake »

function_seven wrote: post #47
ryandrake wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Technically, a check can be scribbled on a napkin in crayon, as long as it contains the sender’s account and routing numbers, and the payee, and the amount. It’s just an instruction note to a bank saying pay this person from this account.

I was told that a long time ago. But it turns out if your routing and account numbers aren't MICR'd, and you in fact hand wrote the entire instrument, it will not work. (We tried it a couple times at two different banks. With n=2, our p value was Is there some sort of standards document somewhere that outlines the minimum viable check? Because handwritten in crayon on a napkin... I don't think that even "technically"…

Interesting. I admit I haven't done it for a while, but I do recall several years ago writing a check out to someone in handwriting (not crayon) and it worked. Might be that recent rules/technology have turned something that used to be true into an urban legend!
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