10 Best Places to Cash Checks (No High Fees!)

Do you know there are ways and places to cash out a check? Cashing out a cheque without a bank account can be difficult and annoying.

It is clear that most financial transaction takes place online, including sending and receiving money. To be able to carry out a transaction you need to have a bank account.

When you have a bank account, cashing a check is super easy. You can drop by the bank or use an ATM. With some banks, you can even use their app to take a quick picture of the check and deposit it from your phone.

Fortunately, there are places to cash a check, without you going to the bank and these articles will guide you on how to go about it.

Places to Cash a Check

There are various places to cash a check, even if you don’t have a bank account. A checking account makes it convenient and easy for you to manage your money, but some people do not have an account all they do is rely on alternative financial services, which are payday lenders and check cashing companies.

Here are the places to cash a check.

1. Issuing Bank

If you are among the people who don’t have an account or you are out of town, and you have a check to cash, issuing bank is the perfect place to go.

You can take the check to the bank of the check writer. Also, it’s up to the bank to determine whether honor your request for cashing a check, and you may be charged a minimal fee or pay no fee. 

By visiting the issuing bank, the teller can look up the availability of funds immediately. As long as funds are available, they can cash the check and deduct any fee from the cash you receive.

If the check does not have an address listed below the name, locate any local branch to visit and cash your check. You will be required these items to get funds at the issuing bank: The check and any government-issued photo ID(Driver’s License).

2. Walmart

Walmart is a well-known and accessible check-cashing place. Most people live close to Walmart because it has a lot of branches in the US.

 Before you can cash out your check, you will need to pay a fee to cash your check. The fee depends on the amount of the check.

Walmart charges a fee of $4 for a check under $1,000 and $8 for a check above the $1000-$5000 limit. This is right in line with the fees most major banks charge. It is also one of the best places to Places to Cash a Check

Walmart provides banking assistance, which includes checking cashing services, bill pay, money orders, checks to print, and prepaid debit cards.

Also, there are different types of checks you can cash at Walmart which are:

• Payroll checks
• Pre-printed checks
• Cashier’s checks
• Government checks
• Tax checks
• MoneyGram money order
• Insurance checks
• Retirement distribution checks
• Personal checks (daily limit of $200)

There are limits on how much you can cash at Walmart. For personal checks, the fee is $6 and the limit is $200, and for all other checks, it’s $5,000, though Walmart has raised it to $7,500 from January to April to account for tax refund season.

All you need to do is to come along with the check and a valid ID to cash your check.

3. A Local Bank or Credit Union

A local bank or credit union is the best place to cash a check, especially when you have an account with them, then it becomes easier to cash the cash.

They can cash personal checks, payroll checks, cashier’s checks, and government-issued checks. Most financial institutions offer checks to cash for free and you can also deposit your fund first and then withdraw later.

You can be able to scan the check and deposit the fun in your account if the institution has a mobile app.

If you don’t have a bank account and want to open one, there are benefits to choosing either a bank or credit union. Federal law does not require banks or credit unions to cash checks for people who are not their customers. However, the bank may agree to cash out your check but you will be charged.

4. Grocery Store

The grocery store is one of the most convenient places to cash out a check. Although, a grocery store will require you to make a minimum purchase.

The local grocery store may offer check-cashing services whether you have a bank account or not. If you’d like to cash a check at your grocery store, you can ask the customer service desk whether that’s an option.

Here are the grocery stores that still cash Paper checks:

• Albertson ($1000 Limit)
• Hy-vee
• Publix
• Safeway
• Winn Dixie
• Kroger

Each grocery store charges a different fee, but a form of government ID is been required. You can cash these checks at a grocery store: Personal checks, Cashier’s checks, Payroll checks, MoneyGram money orders, Pre-printed checks, and Government checks.

You can go to the customer service center of the grocery store to ask them questions if you are confused about what to do.

5. Gas Station

A gas station is known to be a better place to cash out checks, but because of the high rate of fraud most gas stations stopped cashing checks to people. it is always difficult for them to track down the person that came to cash a fake check.

However Pilot Flying J and TravelCenter of America you won’t find them everywhere, but if you can find anyone close to you, they are definitely a go-to place.

Nevertheless 7- Eleven still cash checks for people. It is basically a touch-screen station where you can cash checks, pay bills, and handle other financial tasks.

It can be easy to cash your check if you download Transact by 7-Eleven app, all you have to do is to take a picture of the check, upload it and wait for 48 hours for the balance to be deposited onto your 7-Eleven prepaid card.

You could then use your prepaid debit card to make purchases or withdraw cash at an ATM. In terms of fees, you can either pay per transaction or enroll in a monthly plan for $5.

6. Your Employer

In most cases, it’s possible for your employer to cash out the check for you. But there are specific rules and regulations on check cashing, so most employers avoid offering this service. However, some do. There is no daily limit to the dollar amount on the checks that an employer can cash as long as they are payroll checks.

Also, employers can cash non-payroll checks as long as you don’t exceed $1,000 per day. Anything above that you will be subject to banking regulations as an official “check casher.” There is no harm to ask them to help cash out your check for you.

7. Sign the Check Over to a Friend or Family Member

If you don’t have a bank account the best way to cash a check is to sign it over to a trusted friend or family member who has an account.

There are simple steps to follow before endorsing the check which are:

• Verify if their bank accepts third party check
• Sign the back of the check
• Write “Pay to the order of” your friend or family member’s name
• Sign underneath

You should accompany your friend to the bank in case the teller requires your ID or has questions about the check. Your friend must have a government ID and they may charge a fee to cash the check.

8. The Bank listed on the Check

If you’re trying to cash a check without a bank account, the easiest place to go is the bank listed on the check you’re trying to cash.

To find this information, simply look above the memo line in the bottom left corner. Call a local branch to find out its check cashing policy. You can easily verify the availability of funds by checking the account balance of the person who wrote you the check.

Some banks will even give the account owner a phone call on the spot as a security measure to ensure there is no fraud taking place.

Banks charge fees now before they give you cash, mostly if you don’t have an account with them, make sure you go with a government-issued photo ID.

9. Paypal

Paypal offers a check cashing service through their mobile app. All you have to do is to take a picture of the front and back of the check and send it to PayPal, then Paypal reviews it and, if it is approved, you can credits the amount to your PayPal Balance account, for a lesser fee.

This is a fast and convenient way to cash checks if you have been using PayPal to make payments online. You can only withdraw $1000 per day. The standard fee is 1% for government and payroll checks with a pre-printed signature, and 5% for all other checks, with a minimum fee of $5 per check. 

10. Kroger Money Service

Money service offers instant cash checking to people who can’t wait for their money. If you live near Kroger, you could use money services to cash a check because it is highly convenient. Types of checks you can cash out at Kroger are:

• Tax refund checks
• Payroll checks
• Government checks
• Business checks
• Insurance settlement checks
• Child support checks

The fees that money services charge differs by store and it depends on the type and amount of the check that you’re cashing. They often have special promotions allowing you to save your money.

Types of Checks that are difficult to cash

You may not be able to cash certain types of checks, depending on where you go. But, many retailers will be willing to cash payroll checks, government checks, and tax refund checks.

Here is the list of checks that are difficult to cash:

• Insurance checks
• Counter checks
• Rapid refund tax checks
• Non-U.S. Traveller’s checks
• Credit card checks
• Handwritten payroll checks
• Post-dated or predated checks
• Starts checks

How Long Does it Take to Cash a Check?

Actually, checks are valid for six months. But it can take two business days for a check to clear but can vary. If you attempt to cash a check that’s written out to you after six months has passed, the bank may not honor it.

It’s advisable to cash a check as soon as you receive it to ensure that the check remains valid and that the person who wrote it has funds available in their account to honor it.

What Do You Need to Cash a Check?

Wherever you plan to cash a check, there are things that you’ll need. Therefore, you’ll need to have these:

• The itself signed by you and the check writer
• A government-issued photo ID ( Driver’s License)
• Money to pay for the check cashing fee

However, if you don’t have an appropriate ID, you can sign the check over to someone else. This is called a third-party check, and it allows the person to whom you sign over the check to cash it on your behalf. But you must be present with the person at the bank.

Bottom Line

If you have a bank account it makes life easier for you and it helps you manage your money. But if you don’t have an account it becomes hassles when you need to cash a check, write a check to pay bills or other expenses.

But you can use any of the options stated in this article to get your money easily and fast.

Moreover, it’s important to work towards opening a bank account. Having a checking account or credit union is the safest, most convenient, and fastest way to cash checks and other financial needs.

FAQ

Reference

• gobankingrates
• millennialmoney
• nerdwallet.com

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