Has anyone ever heard of some paying with a cashier's check?  Seems odd to me.

Never heard of it, though it is just as good as cash....

How about pre-paid gift cards for stores (Macy's, Target, etc) or a VISA gift card - good anywhere? Those can be anonymous, very portable, less obvious,  fewer "laundering" issues, etc.

What are the cons to using something like those for payment?

I would think that the obvious would be that it has a zero balance? What do you think? You can't count the cash on a card like you can a fistfull of 20's

Why would a lady want one? You can't pay your rent, your utilities, your car payment or buy groceries at Target...
Cash is very portable and tends to bring a big smile to every girl's face as soon as they see it. Big smiles make for much better appointments.

In my experience, producing cash (either of pocket. or on deposit) is required when purchasing a cashier's check.  Why introduce an extra step, with your signature?!?

As for gift cards, they make great gifts!!!  I've given more than one provider a Starbucks Gift Card, with the instruction to treat your friends to a round on me.  I would NEVER consider giving the lady in question a Starbucks card equaling her
hourly rate.

Hope you newbies learn something,

jazz32

Yes - you'd need to have an established trust with a hobbyist to make that an option. With the few visits I've had so far with providers, none of them have opened the envelope or counted the contents while I was there.

a friend of mine who accepted one as a $500 payment-- it was clearly marked as to its value AND the guy had a receipt for its purchase.

The catch-- she didn't look closely enough at the receipt. It was for a different card.

The one he gave her had a $7 balance.

Couldn't you just call and check the balance though? That's how most of those cards work. I think they are a good idea. Only if the card balance can be cashed out in cash, after a small purchase. Say gum.

Agreed - cash is definitely more portable. A VISA gift card could be used at any store for any reason.

It could be an option at the discretion of a provider on an individual basis per hobbyist, based on trust.

With regard to Target gift cards, all of the Target stores in my area sells groceries - this must not be that case in all areas of the country yet, so that's not a good option everywhere - depends on the region.

Not cool. So I guess a deed for Florida swampland as a form of payment wouldn't fly very far, either?

Cash it must remain then, until there is more honor in the world...

In this age of laser printert the number of forged cashiers checks is staggering. If you deposit a forged check into your own account it could take weeks before you find out that you were duped. If you spend the money in the meantime the bank will require repayment or they can and will prosecute you even though you were the victim. Again, let me repeat, unless you know the person well do not ever accept a cashiers check as payment.

Ga makes an excellent point. I know someone that was duped with fake travelers checks last year and had to come up with $1500 cash to make good on the bad ones.  Even after she made good the bank still closed her account. Not worth the aggravation.  Stick with cash.