Internet's first get-out-of-debt community - 199,000 members

#1 04-21-2007, 04:12 AM

How can someone cash a personal check made out to them without an open checking account?

Morningstar · #2 04-21-2007, 04:32 AM

Go to the bank it was drawn from.
Go to a grocery store (this is getting rare, though).
Go to a check cashing/payday loan storefront location.

You'll need to provide ID, and there may be some sort of fee involved, too. The bank may charge a single amount, a check cashing business may charge a percentage of the check.

spanisheyes · #3 04-21-2007, 10:13 AM

Your best bet is to go to the bank the check was drawn from. They will ask for two types of IDs and they will ask for your thumb print that is all!

scooter · #4 04-21-2007, 01:58 PM

Wouldn't go to a payloan place unless it was your last resort. First, if they'll cash it, they'll probably charge 10% of the check, that is, if they will cash it. When I worked at Cashland in 1999, for a personal check we had to call the person that wrote the check to verify that they indeed had written the check to the person trying to cash it. Then we had to call the bank the check was drawn on to make sure there were funds available. If you couldn't verify either of the above, wouldn't cash it.

I recently tried to cash a payroll check at Cashland. They had to call the bank it was drawn on to verify funds and then told me the funds weren't available so they wouldn't cash it. I've worked for this company for a year and never had a problem. Found out I could go to Wal-Mart and cash it for $3.00 so that's what I do now, but think they only cash payroll checks.

2nband · #5 04-21-2007, 07:57 PM

Most places I am aware of, except banks, will only cash payroll checks and they do charge a fee. Your best bet may to go to the bank and cash it there. They usually ask for a picture ID and a credit card. but usually a debit card will do with your picture ID.

goudah2424 · #6 04-23-2007, 07:24 AM

Why don't you just open a checking account? That way you don't have to pay the fees to cash a check. If you are on chexsystems or telecheck there are still banks that will open accounts for you.

There is a state by state list of banks here.

scooter · #7 04-24-2007, 02:15 PM

A couple other questions on this topic:

If you have a check that is drawn on a bank you owe money to and are in ChexSystems, will they cash it?

Can you put on the back: Pay to the order of .... and sign it over to someone else?

Thanks!

goudah2424 · #8 04-24-2007, 02:21 PM

You could sign it over to someone, but as long as you do not have an account at that bank still (which you wouldn't) they wouldn't even know you owed them money.

When you take a check into the bank that it is written on to cash it, they make sure the funds are available in the account the check is drawn on. They do ask for ID, but they don't run your name through anything, so unless you knew the teller, they wouldn't know you owed the bank any money. They would only know you are on chexsystems if you ask to open an account and they run you.

#9 12-20-2007, 08:32 AM

i have a personal check made to me for $900.00 and i only have i form of i.d. and i dont have a bank account how can i cash it .also is there a way to verify funds without going to the bank itself,to check if funds are available on a check written to me?

puddlejmpr · #10 12-20-2007, 09:14 AM

You could call the bank and tell them that you have a check and you just want to make sure the funds are available. They will ask how much the check is for and then they will just say yes or no. Most places will not cash a 2 party check only a payroll check. So you will either have to sign it ouver to someone that does have a checking account so they can cash it for you or you can go to the bank it was written from and cash it there like the others said. But there are also check cashing places around now, but you will have to pay a % of the check for the fee to have them cash it for you, so lets say they charge 10-15% it can cost you from $90-$135 to cash a check there.

#11 08-03-2008, 11:35 AM

I am on chexsystems and am in need of cashing my payroll check. The bank on which it is written is out of state so I cannot go to that bank to cash it. Who will cash this payroll check for me?

alias1958 · #12 08-03-2008, 11:42 AM

Someone in an earlier post in this thread said that Wal-Mart will cash payroll checks for a $3 fee.

#13 05-23-2009, 01:15 PM

I have ID

#14 05-26-2009, 03:14 PM

Woodforest bank, which is in some Wal-Mart stores, will cash checks for non-account holders. According to their literature, they charge 1% with a $5.00 minimum for this service. I haven't tried it personally, but it looks like a good option.