I experienced the same thing in Mexico. I always assumed it was because you couldn't trust a check (i.e., no way to verify the account balance).

I'm still shocked my companies here in the U.S. that don't offer non-check payments. Most government agencies require cash or check (I never carry either).

I recently switched to Simple bank, which doesn't offer checks, and I've definitely hit a few snags along the way because of it.