Cash, cheque or any other means of paying

martin15

Does anyone know if a business operating in the UK has to accept cash/cheques as a valid form of payment?

O2 are telling me that "As an online business we are unable to accept cash or cheque payments".

We all know that a company has to pay to handle a credit card transaction, so why would they structure their model so that this is one of the only ways to pay (A debit card would work too)

Surely they have to accept any valid form of payment, particularly cash and cheques?

Thanks,

Martin

sinizterguy

Because with cash or cheque someone has to go put it in the bank.

With credit cards or other online/electronic payments - it all goes into their account without any manual intervention

martin15

So why don't all the High Street Retailers follow this model then?

Mark7799

Cheques are not legal tender - cash is
1p & 2p up to 20p
5p & 10p up to £5 (I think))
20p & 50P UP TO £10
£1 & £2 up to £20
notes - unlimited.

Anwen_2

martin15 wrote:

So why don't all the High Street Retailers follow this model then?

Because they are high street retailers and not online businesses, I expect. No shop is likely to go cashless any time soon, because there are lots of people who want to pay in cash. If it got to the stage where, for instance, Top Shop found that only 5% or so of its customers were paying in cash or cheque, then I guess they might decide to stop dealing with cash, because the admin and securicor costs would be more than it was worth, but I doubt this is imminent.

uberzoldat

No business has to accept cheques as payment. My small business does not.

I do think it's a bit silly that they don't accept cash, though.

martin15

So - if I send O2 a cheque and say this is in full and final settlement, can they still claim (in court if necessary) that I have not paid/settled my account?

Surely a court would say to a big business don't be so bloody silly. Bank that cheque and stop wasting the court's time?

Becles

martin15 wrote:

So - if I send O2 a cheque and say this is in full and final settlement, can they still claim (in court if necessary) that I have not paid/settled my account?

I would think that if their terms say you cannot send a cheque, and they do not cash the cheque that you send, then you haven't settled your account.

Why can't you pay by card?

Bernard_Coleslaw

uberzoldat wrote:

No business has to accept cheques as payment. My small business does not.

I do think it's a bit silly that they don't accept cash, though.

And you're not the only one

Shell no longer accept cheques, click here for story.

Cheques are on the way out, to be honest.

BC

martin15

Hi,

It's just that I resent being told how to pay by some faceless git at a company that has already proved to me that it is institutionally incompetent.

Just to prove that, I have today received a paper bill (from that online company) saying I can pay by cheque!! They are such a mess they can't even decide a coherent policy on how to accept payment!!

Everyone I have dealt with at O2 has been totally ridiculously incompetent, bar only one person (and I'll name him because he's been a star - Richard Chew)

If anyone reading this works for O2, it's nothing personal. It's general - SO IT INCLUDES YOU!!!! :-)

martin15

It's ok, I've since read through my emails and it seems that the guy that wrote that email didn't know what the hell he was talking about. There were earlier and later messages that say it's ok to pay by cheque.

To me, this is typical of my experiences of O2. Left hand/right hand, or some other suitable derogatory term. They are absolutely pants.

thanks for all your help,

Martin :j