We pay for stuff by check all the time; as a Canadian business with vendors in the US, it tends to be the most convenient and inexpensive way to make payments of significant size. Our bank in the US has a feature where it will mail a check to anyone in the US from your account, free of charge (aside from the funds being sent, obviously). Certainly seems bizarre that sending a physical piece of paper through the mail is free whereas moving some bits around is expensive, but that's how it is!
Most bank accounts in the U.S. have this feature, it’s called “online bill pay.” They do actually pay larger companies (utilities, mortgage, corporate landlords, etc.) via ACH transfer. But for any biller not so set up, they just mail a paper check.
