On 12-10-2009 4:03, Neeum Zawan wrote:
> On 10/11/09 15:42, andrel wrote:
>>> We also have "money orders", where you go to the (government run) post
>>> office and give them cash money, and they give you something that
>>> works essentially like a check. So people who don't have a bank
>>> account can still pay people who are remote.
>>
>> People without bank accounts?? Are you living in a third world country?
> 
>     Now _that's_ a fairly parochial statement!

Thanks, I aim to please. ;)

> 
>> I think this German thing is for a single time. Possibly something close
>> to a credit card payment. For recurring payments we use something like
>> that too. Even for the ones that may change every time.
> 
>     Although probably more than half of my friends do automatic bill 
> payment, I don't. I always assume it'll be a hassle if they screw up and 
> take more money than they should have (I once got a phone bill exceeding 
> $600 - their error).
> 
>>> We have all those options. Checks are to pay the guy down the road for
>>> the used bike he sold you or something. :-)
>>
>> If it is a private person, I'd do that in cash. If it is a shop I'd pay
> 
>     Lots of people here don't carry cash, and mostly use cards. That 
> doesn't work well in paying a guy you just met at a garage sale.
> 
>> electronically in the shop. Until a few years ago we had special cheques
> 
>     Some shops here don't take cards, or have minimum required amounts. 
> Lots of people pay most of their stuff by cards, but many prefer paying 
> stuff in cash. I go back and forth. I know I'm unlikely to shop at a 
> store physically if they _don't_ take cash.

I only pay small amounts, typically < $10 in cash. All other things in 
stores are paid electronically in the shop. It is transferred from my 
account to the shop owner at that point in time and the shop owner 
immediately gets conformation that the transaction succeeded. What could 
be more convenient?

>     Also, in many of the apartment buildings I've lived in, they take 
> only checks or money orders. No credit cards, no bank cards, and 
> certainly no cash.

Rent (and mortgages and electricity and...) are, I guess, nearly all set 
up as automatic periodical payments here. A factor might be that it is 
almost impossible to disappear here, so there is no point in not paying. 
   If you can't pay you are removed from the house. That does not happen 
often because the system here will in most cases allow you to rent some 
place. If you don't earn enough the state will pay part of your rent 
(that's not how it work of course, but close enough).

Anyway, this all shows that you live in a financially totally different 
country.  But I knew that already.

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