Long gone are the times when salaries and payments were done directly with cash. Today, majority of the payments are done by giving a check to the individual. The check is required to be deposited in the individual’s bank account in order to either withdraw cash later or save the amount in his/her account.
If the individual wishes to get the check cashed, he/she can also visit the bank under which the check is issued and after verifying his/her identity, the cash will be handed over to them. You might worry about not having a bank account under the name of the issuer’s bank, but even if that is the case – you can easily get your check cashed at that bank as all that is required is your identity proof and the check.
Check cashing refers to the process of getting your check converted into cash. This can be done by using different methods but there also are special check cashing stores that offer this service.
While the usual cashing process in the bank requires a day or two for the check to deposit and get credited to your account, the check cashing service is more easy, fast and convenient. If you visit stores that offer check cashing service, you can immediately get your cashed amount after giving your check and confirming your identity details.
While the process mentioned earlier requires you to have a bank account, the check cashing stores do not require you to have a bank account. The amount can be cashed easily without any trouble and is completely reliable and trust worthy.
While you can get your check cashed easily, it may often cost you some fees. The check cashing service is easy and quick but it usually has a service fee attached to it that is charged to the customers for providing the cashed amount within a few minutes.
You might wonder how much the service costs and the answer to that is not fixed. Different stores and businesses charge different amounts of fee for the service but the fee in all these stores is fixed and clearly mentioned when you enter the store. Thus any worry regarding possible over-charging, scam, etc is eliminated directly.
Below mentioned is a list of different ways using which you can get your check cashed even if you do not have a bank account:
- You can get your check cashed at retail and grocery stores like Walmart, Kmart, discount department stores, etc.
- You can cash your money at a check-cashing store.
- You can get you check cashed at the issuer’s bank which is the bank that is mentioned on the check i.e. the bank under which the check is written.
- You can deposit your check on a prepaid card account at an ATM.
All the above mentioned processes are easy and user-friendly but they can cost you some amount of fee and you might also have to do your research/ understand the process before actually going for it.
The fee involved in the process is affordable and worth the service that is provided in return. Usually, the check-cashing service charges a fee around 1-5% of the total check amount (checks under $1000). Thus if you get your $1000 check cashed, a fee of around $10-$20 will be charged for the process.
In all, when you look at the check cashing service, you will understand that it is a process that can turn out to be quite helpful if you are someone who does not have a bank account or you need cash on an immediate basis.
In both the cases, the check cashing service helps you by handing over cash to you in no time. But when you look at the service in long term, you will realize that you are going to spend quite some amount of your money on the service charges and it might not be as affordable in the long term as it is right now.
Thus, if you wish to save money in the long run, you can get a bank account opened under your name or otherwise look for alternative stores that offer the check cashing service at the lowest rates or with an yearly package.
