Most Americans Still Prefer to Pay by Check

Despite the many methods currently available to pay bills, most Americans still prefer checks, according to a study by a group of check acceptance companies, check printing firms and paper and envelope producers.

In its study of 1,000 U.S. consumers, the Payment Systems Education Assn. of Denver found that 72% cited checks as their preferred method of payment.

Cash, chosen by 21%, placed a distant second as the preferred method of payment, followed by credit cards, which were chosen by 5%.

Only 2% of the survey participants cited a preference for electronic payment, such as debit cards.