While I agree cheques fill a need for certain financial transactions (In Cheques We Trust - letters, Jan. 5, and Endangered Paper - editorial, Jan. 2), they're an inconvenience, especially for those receiving one. You have to go to the bank to deposit it, then wait days for it to clear. Despite the annoyance, however, we keep cheques around because there are still occasions when they're the easiest alternative to cash.
Today, you can send money any number of ways online, the simplest method now being mobile payments. With PayPal, for example, all you need is a person's phone number. It won't be long before the cheque is part of Canadian history, like the telegram. I won't say the cheque will die completely (after all, it's still possible to send a telegram), but it shouldn't be the way we pay or get paid in the 21st century.
General manager, PayPal Canada,