I can vouch on the usefulness of the ING account. They offer the check photo deposit as well as two free checkbooks, and free banking on most accounts.

Find a friend with a referral link to enjoy 25 $ each.

Here's a thing tough : I have been living cheque less for a few years now, and you can't open an ING account without a cheque from another Canadian institution. They wouldn't accept anything else, and I wasn't happy to have to pay over 50 $ to BMO to order cheques.

The tip : make the cheque yourself. I found a copy of a old starter cheque from my account, used that as a template, found the font for the bottom numbers online and made sure to use a cheque number that hasn't been used yet. Then used the photo deposit app.

It worked perfectly for me, is legal, and can save you from a very stupid spend : ordering cheques for an account you just wish to close because you need a cheque to open your new account...

Interesting-many landlords that I know insist on CASH ONLY.
(OK, they do accept cheques, but they want a 'processing fee' of several hundred dollars.)

Seriously?!?

I have heard of landlords only accepting cash or certified cheques when dealing with low-income / unemployed /high-risk-of default tenants, and of course there are landlords who prefer cash payments so they can "forget" to pay income taxes more easily, but other than that I´ve never heard of any landlord who demands cash payments - or a premium when paying by cheque.

The second one was the case according to the tenants (though because of the second, the first was not a problem. They were primarily looking for good location and good price, which was the reason why they got the landlord that they did. From time to time when the landlord was out of the country, they gave the tenant an ATM authorised user card to load rent on every month as well.)

While I would be very happy to do some sort of electronic money transfer to my landlord, I would never accept to pay in cash. There is simply not enough of a paper trail to document that I've actually paid my dues - and I do not want to encourage my landlord to 'forget' paying income tax.

At least neither my landlord nor my bank charge any fee for the cheques. It's just a hassle to deal with all the paper.

i've been ordering from cheques plus $24.99 for 100 cheques and free shipping

I was recently reminded about paper cheques when I started a new job recently and was asked for a void cheque for direct deposit of my paycheque. I panicked a bit as I couldn't remember writing one for years on my chequing account but luckily I found a way at my online banking where I could print a void cheque so it all worked out. But to answer the question, yes, I can survive without paper cheques.

Hmm,

Although cheques are certainly avoidable (and this comes with a certain amount of inconvenience), I'd expect any new arrival to a town in Canada to need the convenience of cheques to start out.

As stated in previous posts, I'd stick with institutions that offer free cheques. Like PC Financial. Those cheques will get you through years of living here.

Though if you decide to go cheque-less, you'll have to consider the following:

- Finance/payroll for employment request a void cheque to set up direct deposit of your pay. You can print a form off from your banking institution that includes the relevant information instead. This is relatively new;

- Tons of smaller businesses (roofing companies, painters etc) are above board in that they pay taxes on their earnings (lots don't) but they are too small to absorb the 3% credit card fee they'd have to pay to accept credit card payments. So they accept cheques as a convenience to the customer. They'd certainly accept cash payments. The ones who only accept cash are the ones who are most likely avoiding paying taxes on that income. But for you to pay cash in any sizeable amount in lieu of a cheque, you'd have to go into the bank and withdraw that large sum or go to the bank machine over a number of consecutive days and withdraw the maximum allowable. It's common to have a $500 daily withdraw limit on your debit card as it helps limit the amount subject to fraud;

- We don't have amazon payments here. Paypal and bank transfers cost extra money;

- Canada is very debit card oriented. As a result, you get in the habit of not having any cash on you at all. Certainly you can use a debit or credit card for most purchases, but sometimes there are not options except cash or cheque payments. Organizations for charitable donations often go door to door. If you're so inclined you'll have to pay by cheque if you don't have any cash. Same with services like a piano teacher.

- I've got three children in grade school. There are activity fees, yearbook purchases, hot dog and pizza days, field trips etc. They don't want cash payments for these things and are not set up for credit card purchases. I must write about ten cheques during the school year as things come up. I don't see any way around that.

Cheques are convenient here. I wouldn't want to pay money for them. But I have a full service account at TD Canada Trust. Cheques and cheque fees are waived but I have to tie up cash to maintain a $5000 balance in that account to waive the monthly account fees. It's worth it to me for the other things that come with that account.

Otherwise I'd go the PC Financial or ING route.

The thing is that they may say 'if you pay cheque we give you the same rate but we charge HST. We are open to waiving HST if you pay cash' (true story-though since there is no reward for me to do so, I will not tell you who this is.)

More like who is not doing this.... :)
Often pushed from the perspective of a 13% discount.
I like saving money but I still can't manage without cheques.

For me, just paying my nannies and housekeeper without cheques would be a massive headache. :D

I do our version of direct deposit; just transfer via on-line banking the net pay every Friday.

If you're living in Ontario and claiming the OEPTC (basically free money if you're low-ish income and renting), then you can use cheque copies as proof of rent payments if you can't get a receipt out of the landlord. However, you can't use Interac e-Transfer payments, word of mouth as proof of rent paid....

I don't think there are too many Ontario FTers in that category. However my DD did claim and received the credit while at Western.

Well FTers don't, but their children might if not now then someday. :)