Cheque books set to be written out by 2010

SERIOUS moves are taking place to get rid of the cheque book and to move the economy from cash to cards by 2010.

This was confirmed yesterday by the head of the country’s cheque-clearing system, Stewart MacKinnon.

The chief executive of the Irish Payment Services Organisation (IPSO), said Irish businesses and consumers will be expected to switch to electronic payment methods for large transactions once the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) project was complete.