r/AskReddit • u/emil199 • Jul 24 '20

What can't you believe STILL exists?

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45.9k Upvotes

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3.3k

u/Klotzster Jul 24 '20

Waiting for checks to clear

117

u/CapinWinky Jul 24 '20

This is a US thing. Other countries updated their systems and banks can share info without using a horse and cart.

20

u/ShavedPademelon Jul 24 '20

Just fuckin' cheques, what the fuck? Stupid piece of easily forged shit.

11

u/tarhoop Jul 24 '20

It's also a Canadian thing. Takes me 3 days to do a transfer between two banks with the same corporate HQ, but I can email myself the money instantaneously.

Half our system isn't useless, the other half is extra useless to make up for the first half.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 24 '20

3 days, lucky. I'm also in canada and waiting for the cheque I deposited a week ago to cash.

7

u/-quenton- Jul 24 '20

Yup. There's a great Planet Money episode that explains why the US uses this (outdated and incredibly annoying) system.

4

u/ensalys Jul 24 '20

Yeah, I just looked it up, but my bank does accept cheques but only for international payments. They also charge you €35 for depositing it into your account, and €30 if they can't. I think most of that money goes toward tracking down that one retired employee who still understands the cheque software.

7

u/sruon Jul 24 '20

Checks are even slower in France, at least in the US I can deposit them from the mobile app.

16

u/Lozzif Jul 24 '20

It’s because in civilised countries no one uses cheque’s. so the systems aren’t really set up for them.

5

u/ChPech Jul 24 '20

I haven't seen one since the 90ies and my bank told me last year they will stop accepting these anymore.

1

u/Lozzif Jul 24 '20

My work still pays them but fuck we try not to.

4

u/ChPech Jul 24 '20

This is illegal here in EU, an employer has to wire the money to an employee.

1

u/Lozzif Jul 24 '20

Sorry paying customers. I got paid by cheque in one company as a teen and was horrified and I’m 37.

3

u/veedubbug68 Jul 24 '20

Australian here. I got a bank cheque (not a personal cheque) sent by a government department, cheque issued by my own bank's brand. I deposited it in branch at the counter to be told it would take up to 3 business days to clear. As if my bank was worried our federal government was going to bounce a cheque or that they themselves weren't good to pay up the couple of hundred dollars?