Consumers wanting to buy goods by mail order may be unable to pay by cheque because the seller will be unwilling to accept a payment that carries a levy of nearly 25%.

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Those who pay by cash and cheque every quarter will see prices rise by 1.4%.

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The firm has opened branches in shopping malls and attracted new customers by offering cheque-cashing, pay-day advances and pre-paid credit cards.

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He was then contacted by the sender of the cheque and asked if he could pay back the additional money as it had been a mistake.

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