Who Still Takes Checks? Where to Pay and Deposit Them

Checks remain a traditional payment method. While digital transactions are increasingly prevalent, paper checks still hold a specific role for various transactions. Annually, an estimated 11 billion checks are written, indicating their continued use, particularly for significant financial exchanges. Despite the rise of electronic payments, checks represent the second-most used payment method by total dollars exchanged, following only ACH transfers.

Where Checks Are Commonly Accepted

Checks are still widely accepted for a range of bill payments, including utilities, rent or mortgage payments, and insurance premiums. Many individuals continue to use checks for recurring household expenses, particularly when remitting payments by mail or in person. Government agencies, at federal, state, and local levels, often accept checks for taxes, licenses, permits, and other fees.

Personal transactions frequently involve checks, such as monetary gifts between individuals or payments to small, independent contractors like landscapers or cleaners. Many grocery stores, including Publix, Trader Joe’s, and Safeway, and various department stores like Kohl’s, Macy’s, and JCPenney, still accept personal checks. Large retailers like Walmart, Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Walgreens also accept checks.

Situations Where Checks Are Less Common or Not Accepted

Most major retail chains and general merchandise stores have largely moved away from accepting personal checks due to concerns about fraud and processing time. Retailers like Target, Aldi, Whole Foods, Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta have ceased accepting checks.

For online transactions, checks are almost universally not accepted as a direct payment method for digital purchases or services. Similarly, in many restaurants and fast-food establishments, checks are not a standard form of payment due to their impracticality for quick, everyday transactions. Hotels, airlines, and car rental agencies typically do not accept personal checks for their services.

Depositing Checks

Checks can be deposited through several methods. The traditional approach involves visiting a bank branch and presenting the check to a teller, often requiring identification and a deposit slip. Many automated teller machines (ATMs) also accept check deposits, where you typically insert your debit card, enter your PIN, select the deposit option, and then feed the endorsed check into a designated slot. Modern ATMs often automatically read the check amount, eliminating the need for manual entry.

Mobile banking applications offer remote deposit capture, allowing you to deposit checks using a smartphone camera. This process generally involves logging into your bank’s app, selecting the deposit feature, and taking clear photos of the front and back of the endorsed check, often requiring “For Mobile Deposit Only” written on the endorsement line. Most banks have daily or monthly limits for mobile deposits, which can range from approximately $2,000 to $5,000 per day, though some larger institutions may allow up to $50,000 per business day. Funds from mobile deposits are typically available within one to two business days, although processing times can vary depending on the bank’s cutoff times and policies. Checks can also be deposited by mail by sending the endorsed check along with a completed deposit slip to the bank’s processing center.