Personal cheques are bank-issued paper slips that allow convenient deposit and withdrawal of funds from your account. In most cases, the cashing services impose a fee and banks offer this service only to their customers. However, you can also cash the personal cheques in a variety of other ways by simply providing some identification proof. Today we are going to take a look at the places where you can cash personal cheques in a hassle-free manner.
Local Bank & Credit Union –
Your bank or the credit union is undoubtedly the best place for cashing personal cheques as they guarantee higher cashing limits. Account-holders can enjoy this service for free as the cheque’s total amount gets credited to their account without any extra charge. Credit unions are a better bet for people facing difficulty in maintaining the minimum balance as you can keep the account active by depositing just $5.
Issuing Bank: If you are not registered with any financial institution, then you can go to the issuing bank to cash the cheque. The name of the issuing bank is printed at the bottom portion of the cheque. You need to bring the cheque along with a government-issued photo ID to the bank for verifying your identity and cashing the cheque.
Non-customers might be charged with any of the following cashing fees at the issuing bank:
$0 for cheques under $50
$7-$10 for cheques over $50
$7 for each cheque irrespective of the amount
10% of the cheque
Walmart
This grocery mammoth has chains in every nook and corner of America making it a more accessible choice compared to your issuing bank. The cheque cashing service of Walmart imposes fewer fees compared to most banks. However, the cheques need to be under $200 and you should carry appropriate government IDs for validating the transaction. The fee imposed by Walmart for this service is usually either or less than $6. Other than personal cheques, Walmart also cashes tax cheques, payroll cheques, government cheques, cashier’s cheques, insurance settlement cheques, etc. You can either avail of a Walmart Moneycard or the actual cash amount from the personal cheque.
Endorse a Friend
If your friend or family has a checking account, you can seek their assistance to cash the cheque. It can be endorsed by simply signing your name at the back of the cheque and writing “Pay to the order of (new payee)” underneath your signature. Now your friend shall have to visit the nearest bank branch to cash the cheque and provide you with the funds. Often you might be required to verify your identity by accompanying a third party. It is advisable to confirm with the bank whether they will honor the cheque as bank policies vary widely.
7-Eleven
Transact by 7-Eleven is a great place for cashing cheques if you are facing difficulty in qualifying for a bank account. The cheques can be directly loaded to your 7-Eleven prepaid MasterCard on downloading the Transact app. You will simply have to upload a picture of the cheque in the application and the money gets added automatically after 48 hours. For faster cash you can pay the greater among 2% of the cheque amount or $5 and experience expediated mobile cheque cashing. The reloadable card can be used after clearing the cheque at any place accepting MasterCard. The 7-Eleven stores also support cheque cashing through their Vcom cheque cashing kiosk. This automated touch-screen kiosk can cater to a variety of tasks ranging from bill payment to cheque cashing.
Prepaid Debit Cards
If you don’t have an immediate requirement of cash, then you can opt for a prepaid card account. This is the best option for the unbanked segment of Americans who can enjoy free or low-cost cheque cashing services by getting a prepaid debit card. Though they levy activity fees and transaction fees, using prepaid debit cards wisely can lead to massive savings.
Travel Centers
You are bound to come across numerous travel centers on your next road trip. Some examples of the biggest travel center chains are TravelCenters of America and Pilot Flying J. Though they mostly cash personal cheques, it is always advisable to call ahead for confirmation.
Grocery Stores
Various grocery stores cash money orders and cheques. However, the policies vary from one store to another making it imperative to enquire about the same before visiting. In most cases, you will require enrolling in a loyalty program for cashing your cheques at the grocery store. Otherwise, you will have to pay a fee of 2% of the cheque amount or $6 per cheque. Safeway, Kmart, Publix, and Albertson’s are four grocery stores that cash personal cheques. A government-issued ID will also be required for the transaction.
Cheque Cashing Apps
Tech-savvy people can bank on the wings of the internet to cash their cheques using applications like Green Dot, NetSpend, PayPal, or IngoMoney. Here personal cheques can be cashed even when you are not a bank customer.
Cheque Cashing Stores
A cheque-cashing facility can serve your purpose if the above-mentioned ways don’t work out. This is particularly helpful in cashing cheques that would otherwise be rejected by banks and financial institutions. However, the cheque cashing stores charge a steep fee for the services provided. The fees vary between 2.5-3% depending on your state which is why you should use it only as the last resort. Some popular cheque-cashing stores are Money Mart, Ace Cash Express, etc. They also accept money orders, insurance cheques, and business cheques other than personal cheques. Though the cheque-cashing stores are not affiliated with banks, they have gained massive popularity for offering services like payday loans and title loans.
The legitimacy of cheques needs to be warranted before encashment as fake cheque scams are constantly on the rise in America. You can scan the cheque for mistakes like a missing bank logo, spelling errors, wrong ZIP code, etc. If the routing numbers seem fake, then you can clarify your doubts by calling up the bank. Cheques printed on flimsy paper run a higher chance of being fake. The real ones have perforated or at least one rounded edge. Cheques having smooth edges signify they were printed rather than torn from the checkbook. Signatures that resemble being photocopied rather than written manually with a pen indicate a forgery.