The retail giant Target is changing up how it accepts payment as customers soon won’t be able to pay with personal checks at its stores across the country.
In a statement this week, Target announced that it would stop accepting personal checks starting on July 15, an update to its accepted payment options.
While a move like this would have meant more than a decade prior, several studies have found that Americans no longer use personal checks like they once did.
According to GoBankingRates, only half of Americans write a check at least once a year, while many shift to online forms of payment like PayPal, Venmo, or others.
Additionally, while 1 in 5 people over 66 write several checks each month, half of those under 55 don’t write a single check the whole year.
When it comes to why the company is moving away from the payment method, Target pointed directly to consumer preferences.
“Due to extremely low volumes, we’ll no longer accept personal checks starting July 15,” a Target spokesperson said in an email. “We have taken several measures to notify guests in advance to aid an easy and efficient checkout experience.”
Target is not changing much else, as it will still accept cash, credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and SNAP/EBT cards.
Now, Target joins the growing list of retailers to no longer accept personal checks, including Aldi’s and Whole Foods.