Since 1990 the volume of cheques used in the UK has more than halved, it has been revealed.

A spokesperson for UK payments association Apacs claimed the downward trend is a "generational thing".

"Where an older person might use a cheque, [a younger person] will just do a bank transfer, where they have online banking, [because] it's easier and quicker," she explained.

Cheques not only cost more for retailers to process, but there is an increased risk of fraud, the spokesperson claimed, adding that people are more likely to carry a credit card around than a cheque book.

However, cheques still remain popular for particular kinds of payments, she continued, explaining that birthday presents and paying the window cleaner are often common uses of the payment method.

Last year, there were over 4.4 million business and personal cheques issued every day, compared to 11 million in 1990 - the peak year for cheque volumes, the association found.

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