Tesco and M&S are to stop accepting cheques from customers at their tills.
Tesco will cease accepting them from February 25, while M&S makes the move on March 1. Cheques have already been phased out at Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, plus other large high-street retailers.
Tesco and M&S said the move would speed up service at the checkout and cut fraud. However, the move is not expected to be popular with everyone, particularly elderly shoppers.
Ron Delnevo, managing director of Bank Machine, the UK's biggest ATM machine provider, described the move as "a threat to freedom of choice in the UK".
Personalised cheques have been in use since 1810.