FAQs About Using A Check Cashing Service

Posted on: 14 October 2022

If you do not have a bank account or are in an area where your bank does not have any branches, you may be struggling to find a way to cash a check. Luckily, check cashing services exist specifically for people in this situation. These services will cash a check for almost any customer, and they tend to be easy to use. Here are a few questions you might have before using a check cashing service for the first time. 

Where do you find a check cashing service?

Check cashing services tend to be found in smaller neighborhoods where there are not a lot of banks. You may also find a check cashing service inside a grocery store, mall, or larger shopping center—they tend to exist as kiosks in these stores. There are some online check cashing services, but if you can manage to find a physical one, it's usually more straightforward, especially if you're using a check cashing service for the first time.

What do you need to cash the check? 

In most cases, you just need the check and some sort of photo ID to prove that you're the person the check is written out to. A driver's license will work. Some people use their passports, school IDs, and non-driver ID cards.

Do you have to pay the check cashing service a fee?

Yes. Most check cashing services charge you a specific percentage of the value of the check you cash. This ranges from service to service. So, it's often worth shopping around a bit before choosing a check cashing business, especially if you're cashing a larger check. If one service charges 2% and another charges 4%, for example, you'll probably prefer using the one with the smaller fee.

Will you be given cash?

In most cases, yes, the check cashing service will give you cash when they cash your check. However, some services are switching to using pre-paid cards, which are a bit like debit cards loaded with a certain amount. If you use the same check cashing service again and again, this allows them to just load the total amount on your pre-paid card each time you come in with a check.

Hopefully, this article has shed some light on check cashing services and how to use them. After you do this once or twice, you should be a lot more familiar with the entire process.    

Share