How to cash cheque without bank account

Fortunately, when you receive your check, you won't be stuck with a worthless piece of paper. There are several ways you can turn it into cash that you can actually use, but some of them carry a fee. Here are a few you can look into.

Table of Contents Show

1. Visit the issuing bank
2. Go to certain retailers
3. Try a payday lender
4. Consider a prepaid card account
5. Endorse it to a friend
Where to Cash a Check Without a Bank Account
Cashing at the Check-Issuing Bank
Cashing at a Retailer
Check-Cashing Stores
Deposit to a Prepaid Debit Card
Cash With Select Apps
How to Cash a Large Check Without a Bank Account
What to Consider Before Cashing a Check Without a Bank Account
You May Be on the Hook for a Fee
You'll Need Some Form of ID
Personal Checks Are Harder to Cash
Seek the Lowest-Cost Option

1. Visit the issuing bank

This won't help with your stimulus check, but you can always visit the issuing bank, assuming there's a branch near you. If you need to cash a paycheck or a check you received from someone else, many branches will readily cash it, even if you don't bank with them. This is because they can verify that the account the check is drawn from has the necessary funds. But some banks don't allow this and some may charge a fee for doing so. The bank may ask for a government-issued ID before it cashes the check to verify that you are the person it's addressed to.

Most checks should list the issuing bank, but if you don't see it, you can always try looking the bank up by its routing number online. This is the first number written on the bottom of the check. Once you know the bank, you can find the branch nearest you. If it's an online bank, you may be out of luck as not all of them have branches.

2. Go to certain retailers

Some big box and grocery store chains enable you to cash your checks, including payroll checks and government checks, at their stores. There's a small fee and you can only cash up to a certain amount, which varies by store. But it's usually a few thousand dollars, so unless you need to cash a five-figure sum, you should be fine.

Do some research online or inquire at the store to see if cashing checks is an option, and if so, what the store charges for doing so. You can compare these to the cost of cashing a check at the issuing bank or at a payday lender, discussed below, but retailers usually offer a pretty fair price.

3. Try a payday lender

Payday lenders are used to taking people's checks and doling out cash without asking too many questions and they'll most likely cash your check for you if you take it there. But this is unlikely to be your most affordable option.

Payday lenders are notorious for charging high fees and they're no different when it comes to cashing checks. You might walk away with less cash than you would if you went to a retailer or the issuing bank, so use this as a last resort.

4. Consider a prepaid card account

Some banks enable you to cash your checks at their ATMs and load the money onto a prepaid debit card that you can use to make purchases. This is an option worth considering if you don't want to worry about waiting in line at a bank branch or a retailer every time you need to cash a check.

But like the other options listed here, it's not without fees. These accounts usually carry a monthly service fee and that could eat into your profits even more than a per-check fee if you're not getting checks that often.

5. Endorse it to a friend

If you have a friend or family member that has a bank account, you could endorse the check over to them by writing on the back of it that you would like the money deposited into that person's account. Then, your friend can deposit the funds and give you your cash.

This option might get you out of paying a fee, but you're putting a lot of faith in the person you're handing the check over to. Once the money's in their account, it's mostly on the honor system for them to give your money back to you. You willfully signed the check over to them, so banks aren't going to be much help if your friend doesn't pass the money on to you.

At least one of these options should appeal to you, but if they all sound too complicated, consider opening a free checking account with a nearby branch. That way you won't have to jump through as many hoops the next time you need to cash a check.

Roughly 7.1 million American households are without a bank account, according to the FDIC, and you may have had trouble cashing a check if you belong to one of them. Cashing a check without a bank account is possible, but you may have to pay a fee to do it. In some cases, you may even have to do some extra legwork to make it happen.

Where to Cash a Check Without a Bank Account

If you're looking to cash a check but don't have a checking or savings account of your own, here are your top options.

Cashing at the Check-Issuing Bank

If you take the check to a branch of the bank that issued the check, the bank teller can check the account it's drawn from to ensure the funds are available. The name of the bank should be listed on the check.

It's important to note that not all banks do this, and some may charge a fee. Also, if the check is issued by a bank with no branches in your area, you'll need to pursue other avenues. If there are branches of the bank near you and they provide this service free of charge, this is your best option.

Cashing at a Retailer

Several retailers offer check-cashing services through their customer service departments. It's important to shop around, though, since cashing a check this way will cost you a fee that can vary by retailer.

This can be a convenient option, especially if the issuing bank doesn't have a physical branch nearby. But you might not be able to find a retailer that will help you if it's a larger check.

Check-Cashing Stores

A check-cashing store is another convenient way to get access to your funds, but it can also be the most expensive one. Many of these stores charge a percentage of the check, which can range from 1% to 4%. Some may even charge a flat fee on top of that rate. As a result, consider these stores as a last resort.

Check-cashing stores may also provide other services, including payday loans, title loans and more.

Deposit to a Prepaid Debit Card

Prepaid debit cards typically allow you to load funds via mobile check deposit. Prepaid debit cards are relatively easy to get approved for, even if you can't open a checking account.

That said, many prepaid cards have up to a 10-day waiting period before you can access your check funds. If you want the money faster, you may have to pay a fee of up to 5%, which can be expensive.

Cash With Select Apps

Apps like Ingo Money allow you to deposit your check into an account of your choosing, which can be a prepaid debit card, PayPal account or bank account. However, the same drawback applies as with prepaid cards. You have to wait 10 days to get access to your funds unless you pay a fee of up to 5% of the check amount for rapid access.

How to Cash a Large Check Without a Bank Account

For most checks, you shouldn't have any problems using one of the options mentioned above. With large checks, however, the process can be a little more complicated.

For example, Kmart only cashes payroll and government checks up to $2,000, and Walmart will go as high as $5,000—though it does increase that limit to $7,500 from January through April, likely to accommodate tax refunds. Personal checks can be cashed up to $500 at Kmart and $200 at Walmart.

If you have a check that's larger than that, work with the issuing bank or deposit it into your prepaid card account, or even your PayPal account via an app like Ingo Money.

What to Consider Before Cashing a Check Without a Bank Account

Getting a bank account of your own is one of the best things you can do to help with cashing checks. But if you're having a hard time qualifying for one, here are some things to think about when deciding where to go.

You May Be on the Hook for a Fee

In most cases, cashing a check using a retailer or check-cashing store will result in a fee, and some issuing banks may charge something as well. To limit how much you spend on check-cashing fees, research your options to find the one that charges the least.

You'll Need Some Form of ID

Any institution that offers check-cashing services will require at least one form of identification. They do this to ensure that you are the person who should rightfully receive the check's funds.

In some cases, you may be required to provide two forms of identification—especially if you're trying to cash a large check.

Personal Checks Are Harder to Cash

If you're looking to cash a personal check, you'll have fewer options than with a payroll, government or other form of preprinted check. Many check-cashing stores, for instance, won't cash personal checks at all, and retailers tend to have low limits of just a few hundred dollars.

Start with the issuing bank, if possible. Another option is to ask the person who gave the check to instead give you cash, a money order or a cashier's check.

Seek the Lowest-Cost Option

It can be convenient to cash checks with retailers and check-cashing stores, but whether or not you do it regularly, it's worth taking a little extra time to find the lowest-cost option. In most cases, that's going to be getting a bank account of your own.

If you're having trouble getting approved for a bank account because of some poor marks on your ChexSystems report, which tracks your history of usage with past bank accounts, some banks and credit unions offer what's called second-chance banking. These accounts can come with some limitations but can help you get the services you need while you rebuild your banking history.