Waipā District Council to stop accepting cheques as payment

30 March 2021

Waipā District Council will soon join many other organisations nationwide removing cheques as a payment option.

From 30 April 2021, Council will cease to accept cheques as a payment method after considering current timelines for the removal of cheques from New Zealand banks.

Finance Manager Sarah Davies said the number of customers using cheques had been declining for a number of years. Only 3,975 payments had been made by cheque over the 2020 calendar year, compared to just over 11,000 in 2015.

She acknowledged removing the option to pay by cheque would be a challenge for some residents, but wanted to reassure the community that Council would try to make the transition as simple as possible.

“We chose 30 April as the final date for paying cheques because New Zealand’s largest bank, ANZ, is ceasing to issue or accept cheques from 31 May 2021. We didn’t want to add any confusion around timeframes for paying by cheque,” she said.

“We will be thorough in how we communicate this change to ensure all suppliers, ratepayers and customers are informed and are aware of the other payment options. Our frontline team and outreach librarians will also be available to assist customers one-on-one.”

Davies said many customers are choosing to pay online via the payment gateway system, or by setting up direct debits. Council also takes payments via internet banking, credit card, EFTPOS and cash.

New Zealand banks have been phasing out cheques for some time. By the end of August 2021, no major banks in New Zealand will be issuing or accepting cheques, with Council’s main bank, ASB, exiting cheques on 27 August 2021.