Half of Britain's under-25s have never written or cashed a cheque. According to market research group Mintel, this online banking fad is here to stay and chequebooks could soon be extinct. Which is a disaster. Here are six things you can only do with a cheque:
Sliding a payment over a desk
In the classic movie scene, the guy in the sharp suit writes a cheque, folds it, and slides it over the desk. The guy in the less sharp suit peeks at it, looks impressed, and nods. How much less slick would the first guy look typing in the amount he was willing to transfer, sliding over the laptop, and urging the other guy to decide before it logs him out?
Taking a pen out of your pocket authoritatively
Tapping a coffee-stained keyboard and trying to remember your customer number will never look as cool as whipping out a pen and a chequebook. It just won't.
Posing with massive cardboard cheques for charity
No matter how worthy the cause, a massive printout of your transaction confirmation isn't going to make the local paper.
Stopping a cheque just to spite someone
A cheque takes up to five working days to clear. That means the person you've paid has to be nice to you for nearly a week, in case you change your mind and cancel it. Try it.
Being handed a blank cheque
Imagine the possibilities. A blank online transaction isn't nearly as exciting; it's just zero. I'm writing you one of those right now.
Postdating a cheque hundreds of years in the future
This is especially funny as a birthday present for a bratty child.
