Does Kohl‘s Accept Checks in 2024? Everything You Need To Know

Personal checks used to be one of the most common ways to pay at stores across America. But in 2024, many major retailers no longer accept checks as an in-store payment option. So what‘s the deal with Kohl‘s check policy today?

I‘ll cover everything you need to know about paying with checks at Kohl‘s stores, from why retailers are moving away from accepting checks to specifics on how you can still use checks to pay your Kohl‘s credit card. My goal is to provide helpful background and clear guidance to Kohl‘s shoppers confused by changing payment methods.

Kohl‘s Check Policy Over Time

First, let‘s look at the evolution of Kohl‘s policy on accepting check payments:

• For many years, Kohl‘s did accept personal checks as payment for purchases
• But around 2018, Kohl‘s stopped accepting checks for direct purchases both in-stores and online
• They cited high processing costs and risks of bad checks as reasons for this policy shift
• However, Kohl‘s still allows checks for Kohl‘s credit card payments

So while you can no longer whip out a checkbook to pay for clothes or household items at Kohl‘s, checks aren‘t completely useless for Kohl‘s customers.

The Decline of Check Usage

Kohl‘s decision reflects larger shifts happening nationally:

• Check usage has dropped around 50% since 2000
• In 2019, only 14% of in-store purchases were made by check
• By 2024, that number is expected to fall under 10%

The reasons behind this trend include:

• Growing popularity of debit/credit cards and mobile payments
• Retailers facing high check processing fees from banks
• Increased risks that checks bounce due to insufficient funds

For retailers watching costs, the cons of accepting checks simply started outweighing the pros. And with so many consumers now using cards or phones to pay, eliminating checks avoids frustrating shoppers who don‘t carry them.

Paying Your Kohl‘s Card with a Check

However, Kohl‘s credit card holders do have one area where they can still take advantage of checks:

To pay your monthly Kohl‘s credit card bill by check, simply:

1. Have your Kohl‘s card statement handy
2. Write a check for all or part of the Current Balance amount shown
3. Record your Kohl‘s account number in check memo line
4. Mail check to payment address printed on your statement

You can also bring your check to any Kohl‘s store and pay at the Customer Service desk.

While not as convenient as swiping a card, this option helps customers without other payment methods available pay their Kohl‘s bill responsibly each month.

How Kohl‘s Compares to Other Retailers

Kohl‘s policy puts them line with most major retailers in 2024. Here‘s a breakdown of key players:

Among clothing retailers, Kohl‘s approach matches competitors like Macy‘s while allowing more flexibility than stores like Costco that prohibit checks altogether.

The Future of Payments

Looking ahead, mobile and contactless payments will likely continue growing while checks decline further. And Kohl‘s will need to decide whether to adopt cutting-edge options like:

• Apple Pay/Google Pay
• Buy now, pay later financing through Affirm/Afterpay/Klarna
• Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin

But for now, credit/debit cards and store charge cards still rule the world of retail payments. So Kohl‘s policy sticks to the status quo of card dominance while slowly phasing out checks.

The Bottom Line

Hopefully this breakdown gave you a clearer sense of Kohl‘s current policy on accepting checks in 2024. While you can no longer use a check to buy items directly, paying Kohl‘s credit card bills by checks remains an option for customers who prefer that method.

And as checks fade nationwide, having alternative payment choices becomes crucial for retailers to meet customer needs. Balancing costs, security, and convenience will always be key in this ever-changing world of payments technology!

Let me know if you have any other questions about using checks or credit at Kohl‘s stores.