I literally used a paper check last month for my new apartment's deposit. It's still fairly common for some transactions in France. Last I heard, faxing was still a thing in corporate Germany.
> I literally used a paper check last month for my new apartment's deposit.
That's interesting to hear. I didn't know that was still common; this article from 5 years ago suggests Europe doesn't use checks any more, and that's my experience as well.
> The love affair with checks may be strictly American — countries in Europe, like Poland, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands stopped issuing checks over the last two decades
Many of the electronic services charge fees which paper checks don't. There's a reason people do this, it's not "love" or lack of knowledge or legacy. It's a big incentive on large transfers (like rent) to avoid a percentage fee.
Direct bank transfers in many European countries I've transferred to is free and easy and the way everything (including rent) is typically done when a check might be used elsewhere. Same in other countries I've lived in in Asia. In the U.S. bank transfers may not be free, though.
