30 years ago? They were common enough 15 years ago in white collar jobs. But low-wage workers that often have less stable employment often still get paper checks. And like payday loans and monthly rates at cheap motels, check cashing is an expensive product used primarily by people without much income: real personal loans and leases require credit, and you can't deposit a $300 paycheck at a bank where you're $120 in the hole for overdraft fees and you're $400 short on your share of the rent. People in the middle-class and up generally use banks, even if they need to cash a check. Unless the check originated at the bank you're in, they only give you a certain amount upfront and make you take the rest from your checking account until it clears. That's only an option if you have enough in your account to cover the difference.