Know this place? Does this place accept personal cheques?

Kumaarsantosh · July 7, 2025, 8:10am

Hello Fellow LGs,

Recently I have observed a new question under ‘Know this place?’ in Google Maps for the payment mode.

The most frequent questions asked about payment mode for a place on Google Maps^[1] are:

Does this place accept credit cards?

Does this place accept debit cards?

Is this place cash-only?

Does this place accept mobile payments via NFC?

Does this place accept Sodexo meal vouchers?

In addition to the above asked questions, now the new question asked about payment through personal cheques as:

‘Does this place accept personal cheques?’.

Some examples taken from the different places are depicted below:

Answering this question will help enable users who are not using any digital mode of payment or do not carry cash. This also helps decide beforehand about the acceptance of payment mode and keep the Google Maps up to date.

How to find and answer simple yes/no questions to help others on Google Maps, read this.

Did you know this earlier or have you observed this prompt before? Please share your experience with the screenshot in the comment box below.

Keep building a well-informed community stronger together.

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy!

JAI HO!!!

My Posts (selected ones) on How-tos in reverse Chronological order

map-editing

in India ↩︎

KetanChhaniyara · July 7, 2025, 9:31am

Dear @Kumaarsantosh,

Thanks for sharing this great update! It’s really insightful to learn that Maps has now added “Does this place accept personal cheques?” to the “Know this place?” questions. Highlighting these new prompts - like credit card, debit card, cash, NFC and now personal cheques - helps drive awareness about the evolving Q&A feature on Google Maps. They should also include the option for UPI. The most widely used interface in India and few other countries as well.

Your examples clearly show how this new option appears in real places. It’s awesome to see someone spotlighting how answering these yes/no queries ahead of time can save users hassle, especially those relying on non‑digital payment methods.

Your post underscores exactly how community contributions keep Maps accurate and inclusive. Kudos for keeping the Local Guides community well-informed!

TusharSuradkar · July 7, 2025, 10:55am

This is new to me as a feature on Google Maps @Kumaarsantosh, and also, I am amused why a business would accept a personal cheque

curatorofmemory · July 7, 2025, 11:07am

@Kumaarsantosh . Like a true coach and trainer, you are taking this initiative to train us all to be good reviewers. Thank u so much

NareshDarji · July 7, 2025, 2:24pm

I noticed that too! @Kumaarsantosh
But I don’t think it is helpful for small outlets, am I right?
Thanks for bringing it up!

tony_b · July 7, 2025, 7:56pm

Yes @Kumaarsantosh I’ve seen this quite often in the last few days. I’m happy because it creates a new opportunity to answer questions on all the places I’ve answered on before.

This is almost an obsolete mode of payment now @TusharSuradkar, but I still have a cheque book. Very rarely used now, but there are a few places here that WILL NOT install a debit or credit card machine due to the associated bank charges. Surprisingly, they take cheque or cash.

tony_b · July 8, 2025, 12:50am

Here are three other recent new ones:

First time I’ve ever seen the gluten-free one was just a few minutes ago, and the booster seat one was yesterday I think.
I appreciate the option to choose “dog-friendly area outside”, as I always answer a definite NO to the question about allowing pets inside.

Kumaarsantosh · July 8, 2025, 5:04am

Very well put forward the need of question related to UPI payment option @KetanChhaniyara. Now a days all Local Businesses use this mode of payment and this will immensely help the users to know about such payment option available for these businesses. This also helps the Local Business owners once LGs keep on answering to help others for such question (when implemented). For India, it is more prudent.

I am humbly accepting your words of appreciation. This is a rare quality which very few of us possess in this materialistic world. You are unique. Thank You!

Kumaarsantosh · July 8, 2025, 5:12am

Thank you @TusharSuradkar for sharing the perspective.

They do accept personal cheques in order to retain their customers and give them an ease to pay through alternate mode of payment. There are still people who do not believe fully in digital payment mode and they carry cheque books.

Even when I go for any household items AMC with the respective agency, I prefer to pay by Cheque. I think this will remain there until Banking system completely removes this mode^[1] of payment.

Thus, I feel, such inclusion of question broaden the perspective of payment methods which not only helps the users/customers but also to the business owners to get new business and retain their existing customers.

pay by cheque ↩︎

Kumaarsantosh · July 8, 2025, 5:17am

Being a dedicated user of Google Maps and its features, I just try to simplify and present it on Connect whenever I come across any new change/feature to the best of my ability.

Thank you @curatorofmemory for appreciating it. This is the best ROI of my effort and time.

Kumaarsantosh · July 8, 2025, 5:23am

You caught it right dear @NareshDarji. Look at the examples I have shared above, none of them fall into small outlet category.

Such question is more relevant to mid-size or large businesses. I feel that this is more useful for even service industry.

Having said so, this is still an useful info for the businesses as we are still into a transition phase and world is not completely digitized yet.

curatorofmemory · July 8, 2025, 6:06am

@Kumaarsantosh . Looking forward to more of such enlightening posts

Kumaarsantosh · July 8, 2025, 6:12am

Though we are discussing about questions asked related to Payment methods in this post but glad that you brought up these additional questions @tony_b.

I do not know about your country but in India these questions were there for a quite while now.

However, what I have found as new inclusion in the questions are for:

Does this place have a private space for nursing mothers?

Is this place good for watching sport?

Ssiddharth2000 · July 8, 2025, 6:40am

I’m hearing about this feature for the first time @Kumaarsantosh Will surely keep an eye out for this the next time I answer Yes/No questions on Maps. However, I’m curious to know how useful this question would be for the businesses. Small businesses would find it difficult to accept Personal Cheques. And now UPI mode is the most sought after mode of payment in India and many other countries. We should find a way to include this question as well.
Thank you for sharing @Kumaarsantosh

Kumaarsantosh · July 8, 2025, 7:03am

Thanks @Ssiddharth2000 for your candid views.

Please see my response here and here

Please see my response here.

Ssiddharth2000 · July 8, 2025, 7:12am

Thank you coach @Kumaarsantosh

tony_b · July 8, 2025, 10:53am

Yes, @Kumaarsantosh I’ve seen those last two recently as well. I suppose we can’t cover all in one post.

Getting back to payment methods, I’ve been seeing the NFC question and never knew what it was until I did a Google search a few days ago. But I’ve never heard of the UPI one that @Ssiddharth2000 and @KetanChhaniyara mentioned.

The only difficulty is fraud. Otherwise, cheques are deposited at the bank along with the day’s cash. Interestingly enough, I’ve been to little places with signs saying No Personal Cheques, and they still took mine because they thought they could trust me. But I very rarely need to take advantage of this “privilege” anymore now.

TravellerG · July 8, 2025, 11:33am

Hello dear @Kumaarsantosh
To be frank with you, I have seen many such questions, some of which are irrelevant in our country…
Your post is very informative and helpful for many.
Best wishes

Kumaarsantosh · July 8, 2025, 11:40am

Respect your perspective @TravellerG.

KetanChhaniyara · July 8, 2025, 2:18pm

Dear @tony_b ,

I would like to kindly request you to search for UPI (Unified Payment Interface) developed by India. I won’t say more words about it, you may just check the rate of its adoption and the number of transactions done through it.

Rest is history.