Methods of payment

[Yellow Fang]

I've got the hang of cash, cheques, credit cards and debit cards and paypal. I've never really used online banking much, or BACS payments. I joined a LETS community once, but never traded in it. I've never used Bitcoin, because I'm not a cyber-criminal. I have seen people pay for things with their smart phones. What's that about? However, what I'm really interested in is has anyone ever sent a postal order? I've often wanted to, but the commission always put me off. Come to think of it, I've never used travellers cheques neither.

 

[Drago]

Mrs D takes care of all that, and being younger than me (I'm a lucky boy! ) is more adept at that sort of stuff. I'm a cash man, although use a credit card for the consumer protection it brings on more expensive purchases.

Is a story on the BBC news website today. People are being put off parking in certain areas by ticket machines that require a mobile phone to operate. I've got a dumbphone, so if the machine dinnae take cash I'm stuck.

 

[Milkfloat]

I will use whatever payment is easiest for me. The majority of times nowadays when it is a physical transaction I just use my watch - two taps of a button and hold it up to the reader. I only used travellers cheques once about 25 years ago, I soon realised what a faff it was and an extra expense. The last time I used a postal order would have been to join the Beano Fan Club where I received a fluffy Gnasher badge.

 

[Drago]

Oh, didn't know you could do that. Do I just hold my Traser close to the card reader?

 

[snorri]

However, what I'm really interested in is has anyone ever sent a postal order? I've often wanted to, but the commission always put me off. Come to think of it, I've never used travellers cheques neither.

I've used Postal Orders for buying stuff from Mail Order companies, but that was a long time ago, it was a cumbersome system but the best that was available at the time. With the closure or restricted hours of opening of many Post Offices, they have become more difficult to buy. I have only used Travellers Cheques on one holiday over 30 years ago, again a cumbersome system now overtaken by credit and debit cards.
There may still be some situations where P.O.s and Traveller Cheques are advantageous but they are few nowadays.

 

[Milkfloat]

Oh, didn't know you could do that. Do I just hold my Traser close to the card reader?

You have the stare really hard at it too, really, really hard.

 

[welsh dragon]

Postal orders are really old fashioned now. Last time i sent a postal order must be about 30 years ago. I didn't even realise they still used them. You arn't missing much by not using them. More faff than useful. Don't bother.

 

[Globalti]

Postal orders and travellers' cheques belong to the era when people went to town once or twice a week to conduct their business. Nowadays traffic makes that a pain unless you are enlightened and you ride a bicycle. We pay everybody including the window cleaner, the milkman and the farmer when he supplies wood by bank transfer, which suits them as much as it suits us.

One of the biggest stimulants to the growth of grass-roots business in Kenya has been M-Pesa, the mobile phone money-transfer system that has made a massive difference to people's lives. Instead of taking the bus to the city and spending the day queuing at a bank, citizens can deal with payments and receipts in a few seconds at very little cost.

M-Pesa explained: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-Pesa

 

[raleighnut]

I've got the hang of cash, cheques, credit cards and debit cards and paypal. I've never really used online banking much, or BACS payments. I joined a LETS community once, but never traded in it. I've never used Bitcoin, because I'm not a cyber-criminal. I have seen people pay for things with their smart phones. What's that about? However, what I'm really interested in is has anyone ever sent a postal order? I've often wanted to, but the commission always put me off. Come to think of it, I've never used travellers cheques neither.

Do your wages get paid into a bank, that will be a BACS system.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Postal orders and travellers' cheques belong to the era when people went to town once or twice a week to conduct their business. Nowadays traffic makes that a pain unless you are enlightened and you ride a bicycle. We pay everybody including the window cleaner, the milkman and the farmer when he supplies wood by bank transfer, which suits them as much as it suits us.

One of the biggest stimulants to the growth of grass-roots business in Kenya has been M-Pesa, the mobile phone money-transfer system that has made a massive difference to people's lives. Instead of taking the bus to the city and spending the day queuing at a bank, citizens can deal with payments and receipts in a few seconds at very little cost.

M-Pesa explained: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-Pesa

I had an interview with M-Kopa, who use a similar method to pay for their solar panels. Didn't get the job

 

[ianrauk]

I have seen people pay for things with their smart phones. What's that about?

Convenience. It means I don't have to carry (much) cash or credit cards on me.
I use my phone for as many payments as possible. In pubs, shops, train travel etc.
It is so much easier then faffing about with other methods of payment.
I have 2 cards on the phone. My main credit card which is set to default. It's an Amex so some shops and pubs don't take it so I can switch it to the debit card. It also shows you an instant record of the payment and how much you have spent.

And no, people can't side up to you using some sort of hidden machine to take money from your phone.
The payment method (Andriod Pay) is only active when you unlock your phone.

 

[mjr]

I've never used Bitcoin, because I'm not a cyber-criminal.

Don't believe everything the banks tell you.

I have seen people pay for things with their smart phones. What's that about?

Possibly PayM (basically a way of looking up a phone number to find the correct bank to send a transfer to), possibly a phone that pretends to be a contactless card.

However, what I'm really interested in is has anyone ever sent a postal order?

I think I did, decades ago. Not the sort of thing to do often.

I've got a dumbphone, so if the machine dinnae take cash I'm stuck.

All the pay-by-phone systems I've used so far also offered an option to ring up one of those automated systems and punch in the location number on the sign, some identifier of your vehicle and your payment card numbers. I've often done that if the other option is downloading some app which I wouldn't trust further than I could throw my car.

 

[mjr]

And no, people can't side up to you using some sort of hidden machine to take money from your phone.
The payment method (Andriod Pay) is only active when you unlock your phone.

Yeah, so they'd need to get malware onto your phone to unlock it too... and if they do that, they might as well make your phone call premium numbers or sign up to subscription texts or something like that instead, because it will work on every phone while only a minority use payment apps yet.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I've used both postal orders and traveller's cheques, but a long time ago. I've never paid for anything with my phone, I wouldn't know how to set it up and would be worried about security.

 

[ianrauk]

I've used both postal orders and traveller's cheques, but a long time ago. I've never paid for anything with my phone, I wouldn't know how to set it up and would be worried about security.

Its simple.
Check your bank is compatible.
Download the android pay app. Scan in your credit card, comfirm and your done. It really is that simple.

As to security issues. It's not a problem if you keep your phone locked, you only unlock it to pay. Also the max limit per contactless transaction is £30. Anything above that and you will be asked for your pin number.