Tesco is latest retailer to end cheque payments 'to speed up service

THE UK’s biggest supermarket chain is to stop accepting cheques at its tills.

Tesco announced yesterday it will bring in the ban from 25 February at its 2,000 UK stores. It is the latest retailer to stop accepting cheques, which could now face extinction.

Rival supermarkets Sainsbury, Morrisons and Asda plus many high street stores have already abandoned cheques.

Marks & Spencer has said it will stop accepting cheques from 1 March.

A Tesco spokesman said: "Phasing out the use of cheques in stores will result in quicker service and improved security for our customers."

An M&S spokeswoman said the chain decided to stop taking cheques becausetheir use was declining every year.

"Cheques now account for less than 2 per cent of all transactions at M&S and that figure is declining year on year," she said.

Boots and Shell are among the other retailers which have already stopped accepting cheques at all their UK outlets.

Tesco had earlier made a small number of its stores chequefree to test customer reaction.

The Tesco spokesman added: "We recognise that some people, especially the elderly, might be worried by this change and this is why we have given customers plenty of notice.

"We will be in touch with Age Concern and other groups to ensure that people realise, where necessary, they can call their bank, building society or credit card provider and request an alternative, usually a signature card which will not require them to use a Pin number."

The first personalised printed cheques were introduced in 1810.