In a world where digital solutions abound, the convenience of online check cashing has become a game-changer for those looking to maximize savings and embrace frugal living. The Internet has paved the way for a multitude of options, allowing individuals to cash checks swiftly and effortlessly, anytime and anywhere. Whether you’re exploring various online income streams or simply looking for a hassle-free way to access your funds, the best check-cashing apps offer a seamless experience. In this guide, we’ll explore 18 of the top instant check cashing apps that can cater to your needs, providing not only convenience but also affordability and security.
Best Cash Checking Apps
- Ingo Money App
- Brink’s Money Prepaid App
- Boost Mobile Wallet
- Check Cashing store app
- Waleteros mobile banking app
- PayPal App
- Western Union Netspend Prepaid Mobile App
- Deposit2Go
- ACE Mobile Loads
- ACE Flare
- Green Dot
- Venmo App
- Lodefast check cashing app
- Guaranty Bank
- AnytimeCheck
- Bank of Internet USA
- Netspend
- Cash App
1. Ingo Money App
The Ingo Money app stands out as a leading choice for swift check cashing, enabling you to cash checks online and access your funds within minutes. With Ingo Money’s personal check cashing service, you experience no delays in depositing funds.
- How It Works: To utilize the Ingo Money app, simply snap a photo of your check and submit it through the app. Following this, you have the option to deposit the funds directly into your PayPal or bank account, with the money becoming instantly available.
- Other Facilities: Beyond check cashing, the Ingo Money app facilitates seamless credit card bill payments.
- Funds Can Be Transferred To: Bank, prepaid, credit, or debit cards, as well as PayPal to deposit funds. Moreover, the app enables you to split a check across multiple accounts, such as allocating 50% to PayPal and 50% to a prepaid card.
- Rating: 4.1 stars on Google Play Store and 4 stars on the App Store
- Fee: $5 fee for payroll or government checks amounting to $250 or less, with a 2% fee for checks exceeding $250. Additionally, a $5 fee applies to all other checks totaling $100 or less, with a 5% fee for checks surpassing $100. A preferred pricing plan is available for those who’ve cashed at least six checks in the last 90 days, offering discounted rates. Opting to receive money in 10 days incurs no fee.
2. Brink’s Money Prepaid App
The Brink’s Money Prepaid Mobile App has gained popularity as a versatile tool for sending money to family and friends with Netspend cards, along with offering convenient features like reloading your Brinks Money Prepaid Mastercard.
- How It Works: Users can add funds by loading a check, scheduling direct deposits, or transferring money from another Brink’s card or a linked bank account.
- Other Facilities: The app includes features such as sending money, reloading the Brinks Money Prepaid Mastercard, checking balances, viewing transaction history, and setting up alerts. Its encryption ensures secure money transfers, providing peace of mind for users.
- Rating: 4.2 stars on Google Play Store and 3.3 stars on the App Store
- Fee: For expedited check cashing, a 2% fee applies to government and payroll checks, while a 5% fee is charged for all other checks. While there is no fee for standard money transfers, a $4.95 fee is applicable if the transfer is processed by a Netspend customer service representative.
3. Boost Mobile Wallet
With your wallet, you have the flexibility to access your funds at your convenience and deposit checks directly onto your Boost Mobile Wallet Prepaid MasterCard.
- How It Works: You need to capture images of the front and back of the check using your mobile phone.
- Other Facilities: The app’s financial services extend to settling bills globally, particularly those exceeding 3,500 units, and you can also send money to other Boost Mobile app users.
- Fee: A monthly charge of $1.95 applies with a qualifying deposit.
4. Check Cashing store app
You can utilize the Check Cashing Store app to conveniently reload your prepaid card or directly deposit checks into your bank account. It is ideal for Florida residents with fundamental check-cashing requirements.
- How It Works: Easily upload images of the front and back of your check through the app. Upon uploading and approval of your check photo, the app sends you a notification.
- Funds Can Be Transferred To: It enables mobile check deposits, allowing you to transfer funds to a linked Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card.
- Rating: 3.2 stars on Google Play Store and 2.4 stars on the App Store
- Fee: While the fee structure is not explicitly detailed on the company website or over the phone with customer service representatives, a standard fee schedule ranging between 1% and 5% per check is anticipated.
5. Waleteros mobile banking app
The Waleteros mobile banking app offers a convenient solution for cashing checks and transferring funds to the Waleteros prepaid Visa, facilitating bill payments. This is especially beneficial for individuals with relatives in Central America, Waleteros allows cost-effective transfers to locations in Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua at the beginning of each month.
- How It Works: Upon signing up, users receive virtual cards without the need for a credit check, and there’s no fee for obtaining the card or app registration.
- Other Facilities: The app enables online check cashing, direct deposit receipt, and low-fee money transfers, offering advantages like no minimum account balances, no overdraft fees, and access to over 20,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide.
- Fee: The “pay per user plan” incurs no maintenance fees. While certain fees may apply, such as check deposit fees, card replacement fees, and PIN purchase fees, the app is ideal for those aiming to avoid monthly maintenance fees and overdrafts. While the Check Cashing Fee is 1.75%, the Money Transfer Fee is $0.75.
6. PayPal App
PayPal, a widely used money transfer app, extends its services to instant check cashing for verified account holders. Through the PayPal app, users can cash checks and have the funds deposited into their PayPal Cash Plus account in two to three working days, with a daily limit of $1,000.
- How It Works: To utilize the instant check cashing service, simply take photos of the front and back of the check and submit them via the PayPal app. After verification, users can choose between a free 10-day waiting period for funds or pay a fee for immediate access.
- Other Facilities: PayPal offers financial aid through its PayPal Credit service, allowing users to borrow up to $2,500 with a repayment period ranging from 6 months to 2 years.
- Rating: 4.2 stars on Google Play Store & 4.8 stars on App Store
- Fee: The fee structure for instant check cashing varies based on the check amount, such as a $5.99 fee for a $1,000 check. A 1% fee or a $5 flat fee for government and payroll checks with a preprinted signature. All other checks incur a 5% or $5 flat fee.
7. Western Union Netspend Prepaid Mobile App
The Western Union Netspend Prepaid Mastercard operates by providing users with sought-after features such as direct deposit, cash-back rewards, and the ability to cash checks through the mobile app. This app is particularly well-suited for sending and receiving money over long distances, offering a comprehensive solution for various financial transactions.
- Other Facilities: Additionally, users can engage in money transfers through Western Union.
- Rating: 2 stars on Google Play Store & 3.2 stars on App Store
- Fee: Cost-wise, there is a card purchase fee of up to $4.95, and transaction fees may vary based on the specific transactions conducted.
8. Deposit2Go
The Deposit2Go check-cashing app is straightforward, prioritizing user-friendly service over unnecessary frills & with a daily deposit limit of up to $10,000. Users can conveniently retrieve copies of their checks for up to 18 months for reference.
- Rating: 3.3 stars on Google Play Store & 1.8 stars on App Store
- Fee: GTE Financial members enjoy free check cashing through the app.
9. ACE Mobile Loads
This mobile application facilitates the direct transfer of funds into an ACE Elite Prepaid Debit Card from your cash.
- How It Works: You can initiate the process by clicking on the “Deposit Check Funds” icon within the ACE Elite Mobile Loads App and following the provided instructions to upload a photo of your check taken with your phone.
- Rating: 3.7 stars for the Android app
- Fee: If your check is approved, you can access your cash for free within 10 days.
10. ACE Flare
Powered by MetaBank, ACE Flare offers a range of services comparable to a traditional bank, including check cashing, ATM access, a Visa debit card, and direct deposit. However, it primarily functions as a dedicated check-cashing app. ACE utilizes First Century Bank, N.A., the same provider as Brink’s and Ingo. Additionally, with an optional ACE savings account, users can earn an impressive 6.0% APY on balances under $2,000.
- Rating: 4.2 stars on Google Play Store & 2.7 stars on App Store
- Fee: Fee-free cash withdrawals at 950 ACE locations in 23 U.S. states. No charge is levied for standard check cashing. However, there is a 2% – 5% expedited check cashing fee.
11. Green Dot
Green Dot expedites the availability of your paychecks and government benefit checks by up to two days. With no minimum balance requirement, the app allows online check cashing and provides an optional overdraft protection of up to $200.
- Rating: 9 stars on Google Play Store & 3.5 stars on App Store
- Fee: Free access to funds in 10 days; accessing funds within minutes incurs a fee of 2% or 5%, with a minimum fee of $5.
12. Venmo App
Venmo, a well-known peer-to-peer (P2P) money transfer app, extends its services to instant check cashing. Unlike PayPal, however, Venmo requires verification before offering instant check cashing.
- How It Works: To utilize Venmo’s check cashing feature, applicants must either apply for a Venmo Debit Card or set up Direct Deposit. Once these steps are completed, checks can be cashed instantly through the Venmo app. The process involves capturing photos of the check’s front and back, submitting them through the app, and awaiting verification. Once verified, funds are promptly deposited into the Venmo account.
- Rating: 4.2 stars on Google Play Store & 4.9 stars on App Store
- Fee: 1% fee for payroll and government checks (5% fee for all other checks). The minimum fee is $5 per check. No fee is levied for the 10-day approval option.
13. Lodefast check cashing app
The Lodefast check cashing app provides a mobile solution for cashing checks and transferring money to your bank account conveniently from anywhere. Currently, Lodefast is exclusively available for Florida residents, with plans to expand to California, as stated on their website.
- Funds Can Be Transferred To: A linked bank account, debit card, any prepaid debit card, or the Akimbo Card.
- Fee: Offering a 10-day free option, the app charges a processing fee ranging from 3% to 5% for each cash-checking transaction.
14. Guaranty Bank
Guaranty Bank & Trust provides the convenience of online check cashing services, offering the option to cash various types of checks, including payroll checks, tax refunds, government-issued checks, travelers’ checks, insurance checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks. This service is available to both account holders and non-account holders, with a maximum check value of $5,000.
- Rating: 4.3 stars on Google Play Store & 4.9 stars on App Store
- Fee: For account holders, a fee of 1.5% of the check amount is applied, while non-account holders are charged 2.5%. Personal checks from non-account holders incur a fee of 3.5%, and account holders are charged 3% for personal checks.
15. AnytimeCheck
AnytimeCheck simplifies the process of sending and receiving check payments through its app and platform, offering a centralized solution for all your check transactions.
- Rating: 3.4 stars on Google Play Store
- Fee: The app’s pricing structure is based on the type of check you need to cash, with varying costs and fees.
- Basic Plan (20 checks): $1.75 per check
- Pro Plan (50 checks): $1.50 per check
- Premium Plan (150 checks): $1.25 per check
16. Bank of Internet USA
This application allows you to utilize the online check cashing service and conveniently deposit the funds into your checking or savings account. It can be accessed on both the App Store and Google Play Store.
- How It Works: Upon downloading the app, simply upload images of the front and back of your check to either a money market or a bank account.
- Fee: The use of this service is free, but you must open an account with the bank before gaining access to this feature.
17. Netspend
Netspend, a widely utilized provider of prepaid debit cards and financial services for individuals without traditional bank accounts, serves approximately 70 million people in the United States. Their Instant Check Cashing service allows users to cash checks online without a bank account.
- How It Works: To utilize this service, users must create a Netspend account, load funds onto their Netspend card, and deposit checks by capturing photos through the Netspend mobile app, resulting in instant deposits.
- Rating: 4.7 stars on Google Play Store & 2.7 stars on App Store
- Fee: The Instant Check Cashing service incurs a fee, which varies based on the check amount.
- 1% or $5 fee for payroll or government checks (whichever is greater)
- 4% or $5 fee for all other checks (whichever is greater)
- Up to 50% discount on FDA-approved pharmaceuticals
18. Cash App
Cash App, a widely used peer-to-peer payment service, offers the convenience of mobile check deposits.
- How It Works: Users can deposit checks into their Cash App accounts by capturing photos of the front and back of the check through the mobile app. The app swiftly scans and verifies the check’s authenticity, depositing the money within minutes.
- Rating: 4.6 stars on Google Play Store & 4.8 stars on App Store
- Fee: Cash App charges a fee for mobile check deposits, the amount of which varies based on the check’s value.
Final Thoughts:
Check cashing apps are gaining popularity in the digital age for quick, online check processing with minimal verification. While these apps offer speedy services, it’s essential to be wary of associated fees. Whether you’re unbanked, prefer prepaid cards, or seek convenience, these apps provide tailored solutions. However, frequent check deposits or expedited services may incur fees, so stay mindful of the costs. Embrace the efficiency, but stay informed about the financial landscape of check cashing apps.