Checks in the real world
Checks function much the same as a debit card, in that when you write a check and it's cashed, the money is immediately removed from your checking account.
It wasn't that long ago that you'd walk into a grocery store or department store and see people paying with checks at the cash register. It seems almost unthinkable in today's world that people would pull out a check and a pen to pay for groceries, but this was everyday life until the early 2000s. Compared to the contactless payment systems we have today, check-writing feels like something out of a historical novel.
And this is likely for good reason. Current payment systems are worlds faster and more efficient than check-writing, and in many cases provide a heightened level of security. What's more, when you pay with a credit card, you can review charges retroactively and challenge anything that looks suspicious or unusual.
Finally, it used to be that you'd need to "balance your checkbook", or manually write down transactions as you wrote out checks over a period of time. This tended to take a lot of time and was ripe with opportunities for errors on behalf of the payor. Now, we have automated systems that can help track your spending and even categorize it based on the type of spending. Needless to say, we've made some amazing technological advances in the world of payments.
As time moves on, you might find yourself writing fewer and fewer checks, but there's no telling when -- or if -- they may be phased out of our banking system.
