audaxing without a cheque book?

[Nonsteeler]

I am new to the audax way of riding. I just entered my first event (dartmoor devil). I believe, I like the idea of audaxes esp. after reading this thread: What did my £25.00 get me ?. But it is all not so easy to start with. OK, there is this 'snail mail' issue. Yeah fine, we have to support royal mail. How retro cool - and a bit of a change .

But my real problems are cheques. I ditched my cheque book a couple of years ago. I was very happy with that until I wanted to pay for the dartmoor devil - I ended up sending them a tenner with royal mail. And again, if I want to become a AUK member they want a cheque. Did I miss something? Surly, there must be another way of paying (credit/debit card, paypal, bank transfer, direct debit ....)? You can do this without cheque book, right? Or am I wrong?

[Greenbank]

Postal Orders?

[vorsprung]

If you become a member of AUK some events (not all) allow entry with paypal payment

So instead of 2x SAE+cheque to organiser you fill in an online form
Instead of a printed route sheet you get a link to a PDF and print your own route sheet
Your completed brevet card is returned to you in a envelope supplied by the organiser.  There is a surcharge for this

[MattH]

And again, if I want to become a AUK member they want a cheque. Did I miss something? Surly, there must be another way of paying (credit/debit card, paypal, bank transfer, direct debit ....)? You can do this without cheque book, right? Or am I wrong?

You are wrong 
Thanks to some magic woven by Pete, you can join using Paypal.
https://www.aukweb.net/forms/newmember.php - fill it in and it will give you the option to pay online.

[Manotea]

Oooh - a shameless plug opportunity! I received my first entry for the Willy Warmer 2010, 23rd January, Chalfont St Peter (fill yer boots, RRTYers!) today, courtesy of Paypal.

[iakobski]

OK, there is this 'snail mail' issue. Yeah fine, we have to support royal mail. How retro cool - and a bit of a change .

I suddenly feel incredibly old - an envelope with a stamp is not just "Old Fashioned", now it's "Retro Cool".

Kids of today, mutter mutter.

[Gareth Rees]

Looking back through my cheque book, the only cheques that I have written since 2005 have been for audaxes.

[CommuteTooFar]

Looking back through my cheque book, the only cheques that I have written since 2005 have been for audaxes.

I find that holiday companies like to add a 2% surcharge on the credit card so I still pay the balance off with a cheque.  I still send a cheque to the CTC for the prize draws. Everything else goes on my credit card. I went four months without using cash once, left me confused at the hole in the wall when I needed to recall the PIN.

[Nonsteeler]

Greenbank, that's an idea, I haven't thought of, thanks.

vorsprung, ups, I skimmed the page and read '(...) print this blank form, fill it in by hand, and return it with the cheque made payable to Audax UK'. My mistake and luckily I was proved wrong. Thanks!

A Random One, 'retro cool' is a bleak euphemism. I see it as a strange custom of the audax world, so it is (maybe) easier to accept it for me. As I do need a computer and internet for my work this 'snail mail' concept just raises the transaction costs of the whole thing. Did someone bring that up here: What did my £25.00 get me ? - as a pro argument for sportives? Anyway, all organisations need kind of archaic traditions.... .

Gareth Rees, yep, the same here with me. I think I gave back my cheque book back in autumn 2004. Never missed it until ...

[mattc]

Plenty of non-Audax entries in my chq book:
paying physios, plumbers/tradesman, membership to clubs too small to have credit card procesing ...

Face it Nonsteeler, you're just odd

[Nonsteeler]

Plenty of non-Audax entries in my chq book (...) Face it Nonsteeler, you're just odd

Oh thank good for that! Such relief to know that my oddness comes down to my choice of payment. I always feared I have to dig deeper but now...

[iakobski]

Looking back through my cheque book, the only cheques that I have written since 2005 have been for audaxes.

I find that holiday companies like to add a 2% surcharge on the credit card so I still pay the balance off with a cheque.  I still send a cheque to the CTC for the prize draws.

I think you mean the credit card companies take 2% of all payments by credit card, and the holiday companies like to pass the 2% saving on to people like you who pay by other means.

Everything else goes on my credit card. I went four months without using cash once, left me confused at the hole on the wall when I needed to recall the PIN.

You are in effect giving 2% to 2.5% of everything you spend to the Greedy Bankers ^(TM) at the credit card companies.

[Greenbank]

You are in effect giving 2% to 2.5% of everything you spend to the Greedy Bankers ^(TM) at the credit card companies.

TANSTAAFL.

Cheques may be "free" to use but that's because the administration/running costs are covered by other income streams of the bank (such as credit cards fees).

Paypal for business use is no better than credit cards, it's generally 1.4% to 3.4% plus 20p per transaction.

[hulver]

You are in effect giving 2% to 2.5% of everything you spend to the Greedy Bankers ^(TM) at the credit card companies.

TANSTAAFL.

Cheques may be "free" to use but that's because the administration/running costs are covered by other income streams of the bank (such as credit cards fees).

Paypal for business use is no better than credit cards, it's generally 1.4% to 3.4% plus 20p per transaction.

Banks also charge business accounts to pay in cheques.

[The Seldom Killer]

I have to admit that I find the cheques aspect of audaxing a little irksome when I fall foul of it. It's not that I don't have a chequebook, its more that I have trouble remembering where I've put it.

I would like it if there were some uniform paypal payment mechanism but this is less to do with convenience and more to do with being the product of the instant gratification generation. On the other hand, using cheques does mean that I get my pre-ride faffing out of the way at least two to three weeks before hand.

[Greenbank]

You are in effect giving 2% to 2.5% of everything you spend to the Greedy Bankers ^(TM) at the credit card companies.

TANSTAAFL.

Cheques may be "free" to use but that's because the administration/running costs are covered by other income streams of the bank (such as credit cards fees).

Paypal for business use is no better than credit cards, it's generally 1.4% to 3.4% plus 20p per transaction.

Banks also charge business accounts to pay in cheques.

Sorry, yes, I meant "free" as in for personal use or the buyer.

I often use Credit Cards wherever possible. I can earn interest on the money I've spent on the credit card between purchase date and the date I pay off my credit card bill (in full, before I pay any interest). Plus I earn air miles for every £ I spend on the credit card. I couldn't care less that the retailer gets 2% to 2.5% less because I've paid by credit card. If there's a credit card surcharge then I'll avoid that by paying by debit card (but then I don't earn the extra interest or earn air miles).

[hulver]

You are in effect giving 2% to 2.5% of everything you spend to the Greedy Bankers ^(TM) at the credit card companies.

TANSTAAFL.

Cheques may be "free" to use but that's because the administration/running costs are covered by other income streams of the bank (such as credit cards fees).

Paypal for business use is no better than credit cards, it's generally 1.4% to 3.4% plus 20p per transaction.

Banks also charge business accounts to pay in cheques.

Sorry, yes, I meant "free" as in for personal use or the buyer.

Yes, there are fees for everything. If you're a business getting money, your bank will charge you. Doesn't matter if you use Cash, Cheques or Credit cards. A percentage of everything you pay to a business will end up going to a bank.

I'm sure that's why supermarkets love giving cash back at the till. It reduces the amount of cash they have to handle.

[ludwig]

Co op offer a business bank account with no charge for paying in cheques. I am with HSBC and have not paid for two years. I get the feeling that if I threaten to move to coop then they might extend it by just creating a new account

[L CC]

even though I pretend to be a proper grown up, I get my mum to do my audax cheques....
Online entry is my friend.

[Philip Whiteman]

The formula that underwrites many audaxes:


C+S2=A

Cheques+2 SAEs=Antiquated

[Greenbank]

Cheques+2 SAEs=Antiquated

Just enough to keep the brash, carbon-fibre riding members of the Instant Gratification Generation away riding Sportives.

<----- smiley indicating leg pulling.

[Philip Whiteman]

Cheques+2 SAEs=Antiquated

Just enough to keep the brash, carbon-fibre riding members of the Instant Gratification Generation away riding Sportives.

<----- smiley indicating leg pulling.

OOOOOooooo Ouch!   That hurt   Just as well I have given up sportives.

Or I could just add a plug on how wonderful the Beacon RCC's audax online entry system is!  No need for two SAEs or writing on parchment .   

[Greenbank]

Or I could just add a plug on how wonderful the Beacon RCC's audax online entry system is!  No need for two SAEs or writing on parchment .  

Interesting. Any reason why they aren't using the generic AUK online entry system?

(I entered the Upper Thames in November without having to grab a cheque book or mess with any SAEs.)

[Martin]

Oooh - a shameless plug opportunity! I received my first entry for the Willy Warmer 2010, 23rd January, Chalfont St Peter (fill yer boots, RRTYers!) today, courtesy of Paypal.

yep and I could not have done it otherwise as the cheque book usually resides in Mrs Zoom's handbag or under a pile of bills somewhere; certainly never carry it with me.

On the subject; whatever happened to the non-members' online entry? I do my own now (and fully within the rules).

The extra 50p I add for Paypal entry to my own event is of no consequence (although I get fractionally less from it) and online entries are certainly up this year compared to last year   (and I've just had an email from a postal entrant who still hasn't had her route sheet after 2 weeks; I wish this could just be e-mailed by default too)

the last non-Paypal impulse entry to an AUK ride I was able to do involved taping 2 £1 coins to a bit of card on Xmas Eve for the Poor Student (luckily I had some stamps in my wallet)

[mattc]

The formula that underwrites many audaxes:

C+S2=A

Cheques+2 SAEs=Antiquated

And bicycles? What century is this?!?

This year's RRTY winter rides will be either:
- driven, or
- 8hrs re-watching the LEL google earth fly-thru.