# No bank drafts,gift cheques or cheque books anymore!



## Delboy (23 Mar 2015)

Went into my local BoI at lunch time there to get a bank draft for an upcoming wedding (my last Chq book is fully used up and BoI no longer issue new ones). Lady behind the counter told me that no bank drafts or gift cheques will be issued for under €500!!!
So I said how was I supposed to give a gift, as cash is not the safest option on the day and is a bit crude as a gift? Get their bank details and transfer the amount she said....are you serious I responded!

This is getting ridiculous


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## mathepac (23 Mar 2015)

Gift cards. iTunes, One4all, etc not the rubbish ones or the dodgey vouchers with any expiry date / use-by date on them. Postal Order from An Post (expensive) or if you know where they're going on the honeymoon a foreign currency card from An Post.


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## Jim2007 (23 Mar 2015)

Delboy said:


> This is getting ridiculous



Cheques went out years ago on mainland Europe, the UK and Ireland are playing catch up.  I've not seen a cheque in about 15 years at least...


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## mathepac (23 Mar 2015)

IPSO stats don't quite support your claim @Jim2007 France processes 2.54 times as many cheques per capita as Ireland . When you look at the value of cheques per capita, the stat is reversed.


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## roker (23 Mar 2015)

How do you pay tradesmen etc. without a cheque?


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## Steven Barrett (23 Mar 2015)

Give them cash. We got loads of cash envelopes for our wedding and always gave cash when we were guests. I've never heard of the bridal suite being broken into and all the cash envelopes being robbed. 

I didn't know that BoI had stopped issuing new cheque books though. About time though really.

Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie


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## Delboy (23 Mar 2015)

roker said:


> How do you pay tradesmen etc. without a cheque?


This. Is it all cash from here on with regards to small jobs....I can see how that'll end in tears.

With regards to Gift cards, one4All. These can be be restrictive especially for folk in rural areas....and people want to get gifts they can convert into cash to help against their wedding bills (or at least I did when I got married)


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## Delboy (23 Mar 2015)

SBarrett said:


> Give them cash. We got loads of cash envelopes for our wedding and always gave cash when we were guests. I've never heard of the bridal suite being broken into and all the cash envelopes being robbed.



I have heard (and seen) Best Men off their heads with envelopes falling out of their jackets as the night progresses! At least with a cheque, you knew a few days later that the intended recipients had gotten the gift!!!


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## misemoi (24 Mar 2015)

Annoying, we always send our wedding gifts in advance by cheque.  Only way to make sure they get it.  I would never give cash in an envelope unless giving it in person to the recipient, especially the amount we would be giving for a wedding gift.  But if this becomes commonplace hopefully it will also become commonplace to ask for someone's bank details to do a cash transfer.


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## roker (24 Mar 2015)

The tax man is not going to like paying tradesmen with cash


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## Grizzly (24 Mar 2015)

My insurance broker charges 7.5% commission if I pay my insurance with my credit card. As they are local I just drop them a cheque. I know I have to pay medallion stamp duty on the cheque but it works out cheaper. I can pay my health insurance by credit card but I find that I have to load my credit card with cash before I can do this. I still write about 6 cheques a year and I find them very convenient for some transactions.


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## Steven Barrett (24 Mar 2015)

roker said:


> The tax man is not going to like paying tradesmen with cash



It is the tradesmans responsibility (or whoever receives the cash payment) to declare it to the Revenue, not the payors. 


Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie


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## thedaddyman (24 Mar 2015)

Delboy said:


> Went into my local BoI at lunch time there to get a bank draft for an upcoming wedding (my last Chq book is fully used up and BoI no longer issue new ones). Lady behind the counter told me that no bank drafts or gift cheques will be issued for under €500!!!
> So I said how was I supposed to give a gift, as cash is not the safest option on the day and is a bit crude as a gift? Get their bank details and transfer the amount she said....are you serious I responded!
> 
> This is getting ridiculous



Bank of Ireland are still issuing cheque books, they no longer issue cheque books automatically, you have to request them from the account holding branch. It sounds to me like you got someone on the branch who does no know their job


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## Delboy (24 Mar 2015)

But is there a date set when cheques will no longer be accepted/processed by banks as I recall that moves are being made to do away with them?


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## thedaddyman (24 Mar 2015)

Delboy said:


> But is there a date set when cheques will no longer be accepted/processed by banks as I recall that moves are being made to do away with them?



no, there are no industry plans to eliminate cheques and anyone who tells you so is talking rubbish. There is a plan to reduce the volume of cheques but not to eliminate them


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## shoegal (24 Mar 2015)

Having spent a bit of time in France over the last few years, specifically Brittany,  I've been surprised at how widely cheques are used. I've even seen them to pay for things at Market Stalls, where I'd normally expect transactions to be in cash.


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## Jim2007 (24 Mar 2015)

roker said:


> How do you pay tradesmen etc. without a cheque?



IBAN and make a transfer... The tax man love it


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## Jim2007 (24 Mar 2015)

mathepac said:


> IPSO stats don't quite support your claim @Jim2007 France processes 2.54 times as many cheques per capita as Ireland . When you look at the value of cheques per capita, the stat is reversed.



Interesting, but it is still heading in one direction - down.  It is too expensive - I think a Swiss bank will still accept a cheque, but they charge a big fee for it, since it has to be sent for collection.


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## Jim2007 (24 Mar 2015)

thedaddyman said:


> no, there are no industry plans to eliminate cheques and anyone who tells you so is talking rubbish. There is a plan to reduce the volume of cheques but not to eliminate them



Well if they do anything like my little bank it will amount to the same thing, I just checked my fees list and yes they do still accept cheques for a fee, a rough translation would be:
- If they can hop around the corner and get it paid at the other bank: 50 Francs
- If they have to go to some other location in Switzerland: 100 Francs plus cost of courier
- Abroad - capped at 500 Francs... that sounds scary!

And I can even get a cheque book at a charge of 20 Francs per cheque!!!


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## MrEarl (24 Mar 2015)

Hello,

For a gift, what about a pre loaded debit card/credit card ?

I know I've seen them around.  From memory, St. Stephens Green Shopping Centre have them, or at least they used to.

From what little I know of them, I think you can get cash out through an ATM worldwide with them, along with using them to make direct purchases.

Also, options like 3V might be worth checking out.

Actually, from memory I think the PTSB were doing something with a prepaid card, not sure of the details though.


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## Audi_Driver (24 Mar 2015)

Cheques are still widely used in the agri sector.


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## theresa1 (24 Mar 2015)

Finally found on PTSB Open 24 page to order a cheque book but it says you must phone them if you are ordering a cheque book for the first time. Any idea why?


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