How to Cash a Check Without a Bank

There are millions of Americans without a bank account for various reasons. But that doesn’t mean they are excluded from using financial services, including cashing a check. 

Whether it’s a government, payroll, or personal check, here’s how to cash a check without a bank account and what you should take into consideration before choosing the best route for your money.

Can I Cash a Check Without a Bank Account? 

The short answer is yes – but you will have to go through a few hoops to get the cash into your hands.

Besides finding the right place that will allow you to cash a check without an account, it’s also important to factor in the potential fees you will have to pay to do so. These fees are likely to differ between the various institutions. 

Why Might a Person Want to Cash a Check Without a Bank Account?

One of the big reasons someone might not have a bank account is a failed background check, which is required for a bank account.

Another reason could be a negative financial history. This includes anything from bounced checks to large overdrafts that haven’t been paid back. 

This however doesn’t mean this accountless person can’t use their payroll or government stimulus checks. There are still ways of how to cash a check without a bank account. 

5 Ways to Cash a Check Without a Bank Account

There’s more than one way to get your money from a check without a bank account. It’s important to research each option to find the right fit for your situation.

Let’s look at the 5 most common ways how to cash a check without a bank account.

1. Visit the Issuing Bank

One of the easiest routes is to go straight to the bank that the check is issued from. 

Any other bank would have to take some time to confirm the payer’s account has enough funds to make the payment. But if you go straight to the account holder’s bank they can instantly check whether there are enough funds to issue the payment.

You can check which bank to go to by looking at the check. If the name of the bank isn’t discernible from the check, you can look up its routing number online. The routing number is the first number found on the bottom of the check. 

However, not all banks are willing to cash a check without a bank account. It could also come with additional fees, and if it’s an online bank with no branches you might have to try a different route to get your money. Always check the bank’s check policies beforehand. But barring any fees and lack of branches this remains the easiest option.

2. Go to Certain Retailers

Can’t find a branch near you? Another option to cash the check is to head to a grocery store or big-box retailer that offers money services to its clients through their customer service departments. This is an especially useful route for cashing payroll and government checks. 

This route however is guaranteed to come with a fee. The fee will differ between retailers. Do your research regarding fees (which at times could even be cheaper than banks) and opt for the cheapest option. 

Retailers might have a limit on the size of the check payment. This is another consideration that needs to be included in your research. 

Some stores that offer this check cashing service include Kmart, Walmart, and Kroger.

3. Find a Payday Lender

Need the cash quickly and don’t mind paying extra fees? Taking your check to a payday lender like a check-cashing store can get you your money fast with few processing delays. However, this tends to be the most expensive option.

Instead of a flat fee that would be the norm at retailers and banks, payday lenders can easily charge you a percentage of the check’s amount – sometimes up to 4%! They could even charge a flat fee on top of that. Experts advise this should only be used as a last resort when other options aren’t available. 

4. Get a Prepaid Card Account

If you’re not that keen on having so much cash on you, you can opt for a Prepaid Card Account that doesn’t require a bank account. 

With this card, you can cash your check at the issuing bank’s ATM – if they allow it. This option is also useful for avoiding potential queues at banks and retailers. 

It doesn’t come without fees though. Prepaid Card Accounts normally come with a monthly fee and could become quite expensive if you don’t cash checks that often. This option would work better if you receive payroll checks consistently.

5. Endorse it to a Friend or Family Member

The best way to avoid the fees that come with the other options is to sign your check over to a trusted friend or family member with a bank account. The money can then be deposited into that account and they can draw the cash for you.

This route is very much dependent on how much you trust this person, as there’s no way to legally force them to hand over the money to you once it’s in their account. Essentially you signed the money over to them, so there will be no recourse for you with the bank if they refuse to give what’s due to you. 

How to Cash a Large Check Without a Bank Account

As mentioned before, certain check-cashers and retailers will have a limit on how large the check’s amount can be. Generally, anything above $7,500 might become difficult to cash.

If this is the case with your check, you will have to stick to trying to cash the check at the issuing bank. Depending on the amount, you might have to wait a bit to get your cash and will have to pay a fee.

What to Consider When Cashing a Check if You Don’t Have a Bank Account

If possible, the best way to deal with check payments is to have a bank account that will provide you with the tools for better finance management. 

But if having a bank account is still outside of your reach, there are some things to keep in mind when you cash a check without a bank account: 

• Identification – While you might not necessarily need a bank account, some form of identification will still be required when cashing the check, regardless of where you go. What might differ is the type of identification required, and in some cases, you might require two forms of identification. Acceptable forms of identification can include a driver’s license, state-issued ID, U.S. passport, or Green Card. 

• Additional fees – More than likely you’ll have to think about the extra fees when considering how much you’ll take home. Research is key and always start with the issuing bank of the check when considering your options, while cash-checking stores should be your last resort. 

• Personal checks – Outside of a payroll or government check, personal checks will have fewer options to cash without a bank account. Check-cashing stores generally don’t accept personal checks, and retailers tend to have low limits on them. If you don’t come right with the bank and it’s a large amount, ask the payer to rather pay with a prepaid option like a cashier’s check or money order.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how to cash a check without a bank account. 

Whether you opt to cash your check at the bank, a retailer or sign it over to a friend, remember the best option normally tends to be the cheapest option.

But if possible, try to get a bank account set up instead to better protect your money and make it easier to cash future check payments.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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