Some businesses, stung too many times by the old line "the cheque’s in the mail", are unlikely to shed a tear. Those who find spelling the word cheque difficult and wonder why we could not have used the American check will struggle no more. For those who have spent decades using cheques in their everyday life, however, and who may not have easy alternatives, the phasing out of cheques is a real concern. The unreliability of internet access in some rural areas has been raised by Rural Women New Zealand which would like to see cheques kept until every rural household has access to reliable internet and consistent cellphone coverage. There will be other customers without smartphones or other internet access who do not wish to pay for such technology.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 24, 2021 15:32 UTC