Pulaski

I was only referring to checks and check-like debits. I distrusted debit cards in the UK as much as I do here. I never used a debit card in the UK.

Michael

I don't use them either since US laws are not as protective for the holders of debit cards as they are for credit cards. There is a much shorter period of time that fraud has to be reported for debit cards than credit cards and the holder of the debit card can be held liable for a larger amount.

jjmb

the last few times I have used a UK debit card for a transaction, I have had to fill in a pop up box where I need to use the card reader I have. A lot of other transactions like transfers online also need a card reader.

MsElui

with US banking - ive often found it to be easiest to do the online bit at the payee end. ie go to the utility bill website and pull the money from the bank - rather than PUSH the money from the bank to the utility company.

Pulaski

Agreed, which is consistent with my posts #6 and #9, above ..... it is, indeed remarkably easy to charge debits to an account from outside the bank.

Mrs P has, for many years, used the mycheckfree.com web site which pulls debits from our checking account and forward the funds to utilities and credit card companies. My check free also acts as an electronic mailbox that receives our monthly statements. The advantage is that it can all be done from one website rather than logging into numerous different web sites.

scrubbedexpat091

Canadian banks don't seem too entirely different from US banks other then charging more fees, but pretty much everything now is auto pay and direct deposit (for work) and the only way to do those is to provide the routing and account numbers.

For instance our car insurance we have 2 options to pay if we wan't insurance.

1) Pay 1 year upfront.

2) Allow auto pay.

Same with the government, direct deposit for everything tax refunds and so on, they also need the account # and routing #.

Do US companies and gov't still trust people to pay on their own and not require auto payments?

My last job, I couldn't even get paid without direct deposit, like most companies here, they only do direct deposit.



Everyone up here has a debit card, but for the most part all transactions are PIN protected and can't be used without the PIN, there is tap and pay you can opt into that allows small transactions to not have a PIN, but we opt out of that program.

Some websites will accept debit online, but majority do not, and no US or any non-Canadian site will, although some banks now issue Visa debit card but they can only be used on specific Canadian websites or outside of Canada, inside of Canada the Visa part of the card won't work anywhere, has to be processed as a PIN debit transaction.

Our bank doesn't issue a Visa debit card, so in the US we have to use ATM's and pay cash everywhere since our debit card is useless in stores.

Debit system uses Interac which is utterly useless outside of Canada.

Using debit online at a participating company is a convoluted process, you get redirected from the merchant to interact website where you then choose your bank, get redirected to your banks website where you sign into your online banking, verify the amount, and submit it, then redirected back to the merchant.

It's a pain in the butt and places like Amazon don't participate.


Our bank did just introduce deposit by phone for cheques, so at least we no longer have to go to the bank to deposit them.


You'd think in the modern age they could process transactions on weekends, anything done after 6pm while deducted right away, won't show on the transactions page until Tuesday morning (processed Monday overnight) I guess computers need the weekend off or something.

MidAtlantic

All of this goes back to the OP's point. The banking system here is not just different, but antiquated and worryingly insecure. The fact that many of us have devised "work arounds" to get a reasonable level of service proves the point.

durham_lad

My biggest gripe with the US banking system these days is with the cashing of checks I receive. Since retiring in 2010 we spend many months away from home each year traveling and even though I've tried really hard to get everything moved on-line, every year something crops up that comes via snail mail. Checks that come in and need to be deposited have to be signed, which also converts them to cash, so mailing them to my bank is like mailing cash.

Mobile deposit has been a big help since it eliminates mailing checks but the check still has to be signed, so what I have discovered works this year is to use Adobe Reader signature (free). So far this year I have had 3 checks arrive at home and instead of getting my son to mail them to where we currently are living I got him to take a photo front and back, writing "FOR MOBILE DEPOSIT" on the back as needed, then email the images. I apply my signature to the correct location on the back-of-check image, then I bring each image up on my laptop and take a photo with my iPhone as prompted when making the deposit.

All this because there is no option to cross a check and have the bank deposit it to my account.

The 3 checks I have received have all been $200 or more and that in itself has been frustrating because they have been refunds from organizations where I have paid via credit card but they seem unable to refund money to my card and "have" to issue a check. This includes a big hospital and a cruise line.

robin1234

Hmm.. We used to sign checks before depositing them, but then our bank told us there is no need to sign them on the back when they are being deposited in the account of the payee of the check; i.e. they only need to be signed on the back when they are being deposited in someone else's account.

durham_lad

I think it is the issuing bank that can reject an unsigned check. In 2010 I received an unexpected bonus check from the employer that I had just retired from. I contacted the payroll office who checked their company's bank who said that they normally require checks to be signed but since they have been pre-warned then they will authorize it. I then contacted my bank and told them this, and had my son mail the check to my bank with a deposit slip and all went through.

Mobile deposit requires a signature on the check so I assume it is still the norm to have checks signed.

durham_lad

Got me thinking on this, and according to the link below it can work in most cases not to sign a check, but you are running a risk that the issuing bank will reject it.

When & How to Endorse Checks - Do you Need to Endorse?

Pulaski

That was the way it used to work in the UK before they prohibited the depositing of thirdparty cheques at least into personal current accounts.

In the US the payee's endorsement on the back is to acknowledge that you are vouching for the validity of the check and that you are liable if the check bounces - so they will reverse the credit, and ding you with a $35 fee. ..... In fact the last time I deposited a check with the wrong name on it into my business account (in the US) through the ATM, I received a terse phone call from the branch telling me not to do it again!

mikelincs

In the UK you just need to set up a PayPal account with your bank card details, and they then take a small, pence, amount out of your account, you then have to log in to PayPal and enter the amount that was debited to confirm your account. Once you have done that you are good to go. No need to sign anything.