I used to suspect small businesses who insisted on cash-in-hand when the only alternative was a cheque of tax-dodging, but many of them are now happy with electronic forms of payment. The real problem with cheques for small businesses was that they take time to clear, which can be problematic for cashflow. And cheques can bounce. And the person has to use some of their business hours to trek to the bank - that this is a nuisance is manifested in the time some of the cheques I do still write take to clear.