You might get stuck about whether the money you get in the form of check can be transferred as check or not. But the truth is, any payment that you receive by check can be easily cashed by you- even if you have or do not have a bank account. While cashing your checks might seem to be an arduous task for you right now, a good long-term solution for this is to get a checking account under your name which can be at a brick-and-mortar bank or even a bank that provides stong online checking accounts. However, it does not mean that you need to necessarily hold a bank account; you can do it without that too.
We have provided you with a process about how you can get your check cashed with the least amounts of fees charged on it:
Cashing a Check
Look for a place that will accept the check: If you are an account holder of either a bank or credit union, you need to visit your financial institution’s ATM or branch. If in case you do not have a bank account, you should go to the bank that is mentioned in the check or to a well-known, reliable retailer.
Endorse the check: Before you get your check cashed, you need to put your signature and name on the back, on the line with the X.
Have your ID or debit card ready: If you already have a bank account, you can easily deposit the received check into your account and later withdraw the amount in the form of cash once the check clears. The check can be deposited at an ATM or any of the branch of the bank with the help of your debit card. In some cases, a teller may ask for your identification proof like state issued driver’s license or any other form of Government ID.
If you are not a bank account holder, you will definitely be asked for your ID by the bank teller or retail clerk. After verifying your identity proof, you will receive your cashed amount.
How much does the process costs?
In the case where you have a bank account, the banks let their customer deposit their check and get cash for free but it usually takes a bit long time to get access to the entire check amount and does not happen immediately. But if you do not have a bank account or you wish to get your check cashed immediately, majority of the retailers charge some amount of fee for the cashing a check service that is provided by them. To know more about how the cost varies and what it depend on,
Generally, banks let customers deposit or cash checks for free, but you might not get access to the full check amount immediately. If you don’t have a bank account or need cash without delay, major retailers provide the service for a fee.
Where to get a check cashed?
The bank or credit union that is mentioned on the check:
You can get your check cashed at the financial institution/bank that is mentioned on the check by the person or company who gave it to you. However, if you are not a customer of the mentioned bank, it is not compulsory for the banks/credit unions to cash your check. Thus, for doing so they might charge a certain amount of service fee that will be deducted from your final cashed amount. This charge can either be a flat amount for example $10 for any check or sometimes a certain percentage of the check amount, for example (2% of the check amount).
Major retailers and grocery stores:
There are several retail chains that provide check-cashing services to get you check cashed immediately after depositing. This may usually cost under $10 per check. To give it an example, Walmart charges a fee amount of $4 for cashing checks that are upto $1,000 and for amount larger than this, a fee of $8 is charged. Another cheaper option to go for is Kmart which charges an amount of $1 or even less for a check upto a fixed amount.
Retailer that can load cash onto prepaid debit cards:
When we talk about prepaid debit cards, they basically let you deposit your check in the bank and then it gets added to your card’s total balance from which cash can be later withdrawn. For doing so, you can deposit the check by either using your card’s mobile application or by visiting a retailer/check-cashing store around you that is a part of the network and provides cashing a check services, for example Walmart, Kmart, etc. After that, you can easily withdraw the cash amount directly at the retailer’s location or at a nearby ATM.
In terms of fees, you can be charged on two basis: one to deposit your check onto your card and another to get the cashed amount. For prepaid costs, they might cost around $5 and adding to it, it usually has a monthly service fee that is around $5.
Where to avoid cashing a check?
Payday lending store:
In cases where individuals do not have their own bank account, it might sometimes become a tough job to be able to find a store that would not charge a heavy amount of service fee for cashing your check. There are several stores that might charge you way too much amount of fees for the process and one such example for the same is the Payday Lending Stores which usually charge up to a hefty amount of 10% from the total amount given on the check. To understand it better, you can say that for an amount of $100, $10 is charged as service fee.
The best long-term solution: get a checking account
The best option to go for cashing your check is to have your own bank account or credit union that can easily help you with your received checks. While you do not immediately get access to the check amount on the day it is deposited, it may usually take up to 2-3 working days for your amount to be transferred into your account which can later be withdrawn to get it cashed. This type of easy, convenient and free process makes checking accounts worthwhile.
After understanding about the entire process and essentials about cashing a check, it depends on you to be able to make the right choice that best fits your necessities and working style. While there are numerous process available in the market that can get your check amount cashed easily, not all can be believed. Some might turn out to be a fraud while some may work great. You need to do your research and background digging before you finally come to a conclusion. Thus, the process of cashing a check is easy, quick and affordable which in turn can be used in a positive sense to make the procedure easy to understand and practice.
