What have you bought recently?

In the past year, we too have lots of stores that don’t take cash. Cheques are rare here. Most people pay bills online.

If you get a cheque, your bank allows you to deposit it using your phone/tablet.

The last time I saw someone pay by cheque was at Costco. The lady had a large business ledger.
 
Jules said:
In the past year, we too have lots of stores that don’t take cash. Cheques are rare here. Most people pay bills online.

If you get a cheque, your bank allows you to deposit it using your phone/tablet.

The last time I saw someone pay by cheque was at Costco. The lady had a large business ledger.
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yes we have lots of stores who 'prefer' contactless, but although they don't make it clear they will accept cash if pressed, they do.. and I always will pay with cash where possible especially for smaller amounts.

The last thing I want is the country to become a cashless society.. for Big brother to have complete control over every penny you own...
 
Glowworm said:
I use Credit Cards almost all the time. More and more stores here have ”Cash free shop” signs. When the CC bill comes it’s always paid in full to avoid the exorbitant interest.

Another thing we don’t use in Sweden are cheques (checks). They haven’t been used here for over 25 years. I received a payment from England a few years ago by cheque and as they are no longer processed here the bank charges were nearly as much as the cheque was worth so I tore it up.
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hollydolly said:
We haven't used Cheques for years here either...surprised you got one Glowworm
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We still use checks for business, pay a few bills with them, and give checks for wedding and other gifts.
 
British banking is about 10 to 15 years more technologically advanced than US banking. US banks are only now starting to kind of do what British banks could do years ago. And British banks don’t nickel and dime you.

Chip and pin was rolled out nationwide in 2006. Every merchant. Contactless has since become near universal. Transferring money between accounts, between banks, even to different people has been simple and free for years. I can initiate an international transfer on my own. And now I can do it for free. I can withdraw cash from an ATM without using a card, and thus not risk taking out my wallet or having my card skimmed. I can also send a code to someone to withdraw cash if they need it. Similarly, I can send money instantly and free to a friend without going through hoops and I just need their phone number. And all of that can be done on my phone.

Also, I haven’t written a cheque/check in years. I’ve written 7 cheques since 2006. Between direct debit, and to a lesser extent these days standing orders, all my bills are paid.

I can still go into a branch and deal with a person who is not behind 6 inches of bulletproof glass.
( from Quora)
 
More....

The US banking system is at least a decade behind Europe and highly deveped Asian countries.

I'm British, lived in the US for the past 5 years and now in Dubai, UAE.

First cheques. The UK has been cheque-less for over a decade, close to 15 years from memory. It's a slow antiquated way of processing payments. Yet in the US its still used by a lot of people and businesses. My father in law up until a year ago wrote checks every month for his utilities, his mortgage etc.

Payments in the UK & EU run through faster payments and SEPA which is lightyears ahead of Fedwire or ACH in the US. Payments in the UK and Europe have been near instantaneous for over a decade. Its only in the last year that some US banks have offered the service. Even then its only for a couple of grand, whereas in EU its near instantaneous in any amount.

Bank transfers are free in UK, and while I always got them for free in the US, its because my accounts were higher tier accounts where free wires was a perk. Still waiting 3 days in a lot of cases for a wire to be sent, processed, received and be available is ridiculous. It used to cost us money to send from my wife's primary account to mine, unless we used a check and waited 5 days. It was genuinely quicker to withdraw the cash, drive an hour and deposit the cash. That's how outdated the US system is.

Before we moved to the US, loads of retailers wouldn't accept my UK or other international cards, gas stations need a 5 digit zip code, whereas everywhere else in the world just uses a pin code, but in US, its zip codes just in case those pesky Americans forget their pin.

Plus loads of US retailers can't process non US cards over the phone or online. It's worse than South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Mozambique etc etc. In US you used to have to force foreign debit cards through as credit because the systems couldn't work with pin codes.

I went into a chase bank when I first got to US and I saw a sign where they were advertising how fast the payments could get to your account and it was…in just 3 days. I had to ask the staff if it was a joke, but they didn't understand, they couldn't believe we could send money instantaneously in Europe.

In the US, you never know what your true account balance is because everything is so delayed, in UK, its instant. Depending on your spending habits, you always need to leave a buffer because of the delays and good luck of you suddenly realize you need to transfer money. It can't be done.

Credit cards in US don't require pin codes because US financial institutions are concerned Americans won't remember them which will prevent them from spending. Debit cards have pins, but the banks want to keep that money so that's why they stick a pin code on the account.

As for bank security, it's laughable, it's literally a username and password. I was horrified at how easy it is to log in to online banking and then frustrated at how badly designed their systems and interfaces are.

I actually opened HSBC accounts and had the nearest branch an hour from my house so that I could get somewhat modern banking. Being based in London and having a huge presence throughout Asia, they have a lot of well developed systems that require your cell phone to generate a code before you can then use another password to login. Basically 2 Factor Authentication. However in UK you have a device that you have to put your card into, and that device has to be registered to you. It's way more secure than just a username and password.

In summary, payments are faster, easier and infrastructure is better than in the US.

Even recently when multiple US/International banks created their own method for faster payments now the fed wants to create their own so they can be the single point fo failure like a few days ago when the whole fed went down for a day and nobody could process wires. Happened end of last year too. In short the US banking system more closely represents that of a 3rd world country.
 
We have another method of payment in Sweden called Swish. Many small shops and market stalls offer this alternative of paying by Smartphone. You couple your Smatphone to your bank checking account and when you buy something you open the Swish app on your phone and punch in the amount and mobile phone number of the recipient. You then open a separate app connected to your bank, punch in an eight digit safety code to confirm the purchase and the amount is immediately transferred to the account that the recipient has coupled to their Smartphone. Direct payment, no cash, no bank charges and no credit card fees for anyone
 
StarSong said:
How do people without smartphones manage this?

Believe it or not, there are over 7 million American households who live on a strictly cash basis, meaning no member of the household has a bank account. Some 15% don't have smart phones.
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I can’t speak for the USA. Cash payment is still more common in the USA than in Europe. I rarely see people here in Sweden paying cash so obviously our systems sre different.
 
Glowworm said:
We have another method of payment in Sweden called Swish. Many small shops and market stalls offer this alternative of paying by Smartphone. You couple your Smatphone to your bank checking account and when you buy something you open the Swish app on your phone and punch in the amount and mobile phone number of the recipient. You then open a separate app connected to your bank, punch in an eight digit safety code to confirm the purchase and the amount is immediately transferred to the account that the recipient has coupled to their Smartphone. Direct payment, no cash, no bank charges and no credit card fees for anyone
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Yeah. I observed that happening. I sure will have an adjustment to make once I'm finally allowed across the border.:rolleyes:
 
StarSong said:
How do people without smartphones manage this?

Believe it or not, there are over 7 million American households who live on a strictly cash basis, meaning no member of the household has a bank account. Some 15% don't have smart phones.
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Having tinges of the luddites within me I continue to rebel against the brave new world "improvements" but am slowly succumbing to the pressure. My smart phone is not intelligent yet it's still insulting. As with every ever-changing cultural redirection we adjust and survive no matter how painful. (GET A HORSE :ROFLMAO:)
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I could care less about the banking system of various countries. My system works here. I prefer to use cash for the most part, but wish I had more😍. We have Apple Pay, and other stuff but at my age, cash works best for me.

I would not use a bank at all, but it seems necessary. I still write paper checks every now and then.
 
I went back to Walmart and bought a couple of frying pans, with Teflon coating. My faves.
I was looking for The Pioneer Woman's turquoise frying pan, but they were sold out.

I've been having a problem burning my stainless steel frying pans......they're soaking w/baking soda in them right now. Waiting to use my Scrub-daddy on them.
 
Today I'm thinking about Hurricane Season ahead, and they keep saying be ready for whatever may come! ..... so I'm checking my battery supply, and canned food/water stockpile.

I decided that a new improved weatherband radio is needed, and I want to get a battery powered TV.
Years ago we had a battery powered TV, and I remember thinking that it really came in handy for power outages.
They make much better ones these days.
And my list is growing :) ... I want a second battery powered fan too.
 
Everything that you have described, Holly, has gone completely over my head. I see people pointing their phones at a gizmo on the counter but I have absolutely no idea how that works but what I can safely assume is that the purchase has been documented and added to the profile. It's that underhand data farming that puts me off, so I continue with cash, and would you believe, cheques.

Yesterday, we took our friends out in our old MG to an old railway station, now functioning as tea rooms. It's the fellow's birthday and what better way to come out of lockdown than a cream tea among convivial company.

"We only take cards," the young lady told me, after I had placed the order. "That's a problem," I replied, explaining that we were treating a birthday boy to a cream tea. "When I called," I said, "there was no mention of card only, and as luck would have it, I have the exact amount of cash." The young lady was not being deliberately belligerent, "hold on," she replied, and spoke to someone behind the counter. After confirming that it was ok, she took the cash.

It was a wonderful afternoon, the MG must have been photographed many times, then when it was time to leave, that same young lady was clearing our table away. I smiled at her and said, "that rule, you are only accepting card payment, you won't be wanting this then," as I held a five pound note tip in my hand. "Thank you Sir," she said with a smile. So cash is not quite dead yet then.
 
Opened up the wallet again, let a few of the moths out and ponied up for a Cuisinart countertop toaster oven. Don't know if this is a good value but it's one the kids have, was on sale and they've no complaints.
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I had enough of waiting for the range oven to first heat up and then heat up the kitchen as the food broiled/baked/whatever. Haven't used it yet but will probably start with a run to the fish market to get some salmon.

Edit Note: Salmon was preempted by someone's desire to try the pizza stone that came with the oven.
 
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DH wasn’t with me so I went into a thrift store. Bought two brand new white blouses for <$14, including tax. This is another white purchase after I proclaimed I don’t want white clothes. I’ll have no financial complaints when they become dismal. Ordered a door alarm for use in hotels. I’m trying to be optimistic about future travel. A new hat today, half price. I can’t resist a sale.
 
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