Common sense prevails as cheques given reprieve

Fantastic to hear that the Payments Council has scrapped plans to phase out cheques by 2018. The plans had met with a backlash from the likes of charities and politicians, leading the Treasury Select Committee to reopen its probe.

Richard North, chairman of the Payments Council, has said: "It's in the DNA of the Payments Council to consult and listen to all those people who actually make payments and use cheques."

Hmmm, well better late than never, I guess. Of course, there has been a marked decline in cheque usage as chip and PIN has soared, but many people still rely on them and the 2018 deadline always smacked of the banks (aggrieved at how much it costs to process cheques) forcing something through with little or no regard for their customers, most notably those in the charity sector and small businesses. To quote Simon Morrison, director of marketing and communications at the Institute of Fundraising: "We are delighted that the Payment Council has disposed with the proposed end date for cheques. This will make a world of difference to a lot of our members, especially as some charities currently receive up to 80 per cent of their funding by cheques. For a large cohort of donors cheques are a preferred method of donation."