Refusing to accept a cheque

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keef-WhatStandards
keef-WhatStandards Posts: 286 Forumite
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in Budgeting & bank accounts
Went into Nationwide yesterday with a Nationwide cheque to pay my TSB credit card. Was told they would not accept a cheque, so ended up crossing out the payee and paying it into a Barclays account, to then pay my credit card with a Barclays cheue!

Was told by the Nationwide Branch Manager, the reason they couldn't accept a cheque was that they were a building society and not a bank? The Manager in Barclays was as confused as me. Can anyone explain how a building society differs from a bank in this instance please?
Keef - Sheerness, Kent UK
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  • antrobus
    antrobus Posts: 17,386 Forumite
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    keef-WhatStandards wrote: »
    Went into Nationwide yesterday with a Nationwide cheque to pay my TSB credit card. Was told they would not accept a cheque, so ended up crossing out the payee and paying it into a Barclays account, to then pay my credit card with a Barclays cheue!

    Was told by the Nationwide Branch Manager, the reason they couldn't accept a cheque was that they were a building society and not a bank? The Manager in Barclays was as confused as me. Can anyone explain how a building society differs from a bank in this instance please?

    Don't know for certain. Probably because (not being a bank) Nationwide don't do Bank Giro Credits. But then it seems that, "not all banks provide bill paying services" anyway. So it might well simply be that the Nationwide doesn't either.

    https://www.chequeandcredit.co.uk/information-hub/faqs/credit-clearing-and-bank-giro-credits

    I'd have thought that the best thing would be to register for internet banking with the Nationwide. Then you don't have to faff about going into branches with bits of paper. Just do a faster payment. Or set up a DD for your TSB credit card. Then you don't have to do anything.:)
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 19,117 Forumite
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    according to this they do accept cheques unless a foreign one.
    http://www.nationwide.co.uk/support/payments-and-transfers/cash-cards-and-cheques/cheques
  • Flobberchops
    Flobberchops Posts: 1,279 Forumite
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    It was probably an (un?)official policy decision.

    Make life easier for yourself, set up a Direct Debit or failing that pay via internet banking.
    : )
  • keef-WhatStandards
    keef-WhatStandards Posts: 286 Forumite
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    Thanks for the link.

    I do have Internet banking set up, but sometimes I like to do things the old fashioned way: the High Street is only at the end of my road. ;)

    I've set up a DD now, but couldn't see how to do this on my Internet banking. At least you can message Nationwide and they are quite responsive.
    Keef - Sheerness, Kent UK
  • keef-WhatStandards
    keef-WhatStandards Posts: 286 Forumite
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    Same response from Nationwide online, so I assume it *is* official. ;)

    DD setup now. Internet banking is all very well, but you still can't pay cheques in online. :)
    Keef - Sheerness, Kent UK
  • EarthBoy
    EarthBoy Posts: 3,040 Forumite
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    The branch staff could have set up an electronic payment and paid the bill for you.

    http://www.nationwide.co.uk/support/payments-and-transfers/one-off-payment/single-payment#xtab:online-payment

    Once the payment has been set up you can pay it online, or using the app, or through Nationwide's own ATMs. This last facility is very useful for people who want the convenience of electronic banking but who don't want to do it online.
  • keef-WhatStandards
    keef-WhatStandards Posts: 286 Forumite
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    edited 12 July 2017 at 10:56PM
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    Yes, but I had already written the cheque, well two actually; the other to pay my Halifax credit card, out. Just annoyed that they wouldn't accept a Nationwide cheque in a Nationwide branch.
    Keef - Sheerness, Kent UK
  • MrsWenger
    MrsWenger Posts: 360 Forumite
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    Somewhat off topic but we recently had a situation where Nationwide branch staff gave us a lecture about paying cash in over the counter. The assistant told us she "would do it on a goodwill basis on this occasion" but in future we needed to do it via the ATM. Apparently, this is because we have a Flexdirect account "that we get 5% on" which is not correct as it is past the first year of interest at that rate. We will just pay it in elsewhere in future. If I worked in a bank or building society branch I think I would want as many people to use the branch as possible given the wide scale branch closures over the last few years...
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    The cheque payment isn't the main issue but bill payment (Bank Giro Credit) - they withdrew that facility some time ago (they paid a bank to process them on their behalf)

    They probably don't want the admin related to 3rd party cheques bouncing either.
  • PeacefulWaters
    PeacefulWaters Posts: 8,495 Forumite
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    Heng_Leng wrote: »
    The cheque payment isn't the main issue but bill payment (Bank Giro Credit) - they withdrew that facility some time ago (they paid a bank to process them on their behalf)

    They probably don't want the admin related to 3rd party cheques bouncing either.
    Exactly the issue.
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