Start spreading the news, the cheque has been saved! The Payments Council announced yesterday that cheques will continue in circulation for as long as consumers need them – and the victory is largely down to you.
This is fantastic news for consumers and ensures that the millions of consumers who use cheques are not left out in the cold.
I’ve written several times about cheques on this site and the response I’ve received every time has been overwhelming; you want to save the cheque. You’ve posted over 300 comments, helping us to identify the numerous reasons why the cheque should be saved and the countless situations in which the cheque is the most suitable method of payment.
Payments Council sees sense
We’ve taken your comments to Parliament, the Payments Council and the industry and now it seems they have finally seen sense.
The decision came after a surge of public support for the retention of the cheque. As members of the public voiced their concerns, more and more parliamentarians and banks started to sit up and listen. Speaking yesterday, Richard North, the Chairman of the Payments Council said:
‘It’s in the DNA of the Payments Council to consult and listen to all those people who actually make payments and use cheques. Listening to over 600 stakeholder groups, working with the banks and following our appearance before the Treasury Select Committee, we have concluded we should reassure customers that the cheque is staying.’
Bowing to public pressure
The Payments Council’s appearance in front of the Treasury Select Committee may be regarded as the turning point in this saga. If you haven’t watched the session I would recommend it. At times the questioning is brutal. However, this point was only reached because of the public pressure that has built up over recent months.
People made their feelings clear to their MP, to the Payments Council themselves and to organisations such as Which?. In the end the groundswell of public support for the cheque made the Payments Council finally see sense. Now this ruling has been made banks need to make sure they listen to what their customers want and stop any attempts to discourage people from using cheques.
I normally write on this site to ask a question or to find out more about an issue. Today I am writing to give you all a pat on the back. People power has won out.
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