Dear Liz: Because I am concerned about check fraud, I pay most of my bills online. However, I still need checks for paying my housekeeper, gardener, etc. I use a gel ink pen to deter fraud but was wondering if there is something else I should consider doing.
Answer: Checks you hand to people you know are probably less risky than those you send through the mail, but there may be better options.
Most Americans have accounts with at least one peer-to-peer payment app such as Venmo, Zelle or PayPal. These can be a secure and convenient way to pay people you know.
Be sure to create a strong, unique password for your account and to keep the apps updated. Whatever payment method you use — checks, online payments or peer-to-peer apps — continue to monitor your linked bank or credit card accounts so you can spot and quickly report any suspicious transactions.
Regarding the “convenience fee” for paying bills electronically: a local utility here offers this, But at the monthly cost of an additional $1.50. How “convenient” that is for them, to have customers pay this fee to a third party, so they don’t have to receive and process payment themselves. If they wanted to make it convenient for customers, there would be no extra payment involved, or even offer a discount to pay this way. It is like paying insurance for the security of not using the postal service, paying by check. But it is still more than twice the cost of a 68-cent stamp to mail payment directly to the office. “Convenient” for the company, at double the price of a stamp for the customer.