How to Cash a Check Without a Bank Account: 6 Ways to go About It (2024)

6 Ways to Cash a Check Without a Bank Account

Let’s look at some common ways you can go about cashing a check if you don’t have a savings account or checking account.

Cash It at the Issuing Bank

In other words, you can walk into a branch of the bank that’s preprinted on the check. This is only available for banks with brick-and-mortar locations.

To get your check cashed, you’ll be asked to show a government-issued ID, which is required for the bank to proceed. Before cashing the check, you’ll need to endorse it by providing your signature on the endorsem*nt box on the back of the check.

Expect to pay a fee—either a flat fee or a percentage of the check. Fees will likely vary based on the bank but might hover around $7 per check or 1% of the check amount.

Cash It at a Major Retailer or Grocery Store

Some major grocery store chains and discount retailers offer the option to cash a check at one of their locations. For instance, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons and Publix all have check-cashing capabilities.

Walmart lets you cash personal checks, paychecks, government checks, cashier’s checks, retirement distribution checks and insurance settlement checks. If your check is under $1,000, there’s up to a $4 fee. For anything over $1,000, you’ll pay up to an $8 fee. The max you can cash is $5,000, but it’s extended to $7,500 between January and April to accommodate tax refunds. Note that Walmart recently extended its check-cashing services to personal checks; doing so incurs up to a $6 fee with a limit of $200.

Load It Onto a Prepaid Debit Card

Another option for folks who don’t have bank accounts is to load your funds onto a prepaid debit card. When you load your money onto a prepaid debit card, you can use the card just like you would a standard debit card—online or in stores.

If you decide on this option, you can set up a direct deposit. That way, the money is automatically loaded onto your prepaid card. Another way is to load funds with a mobile check deposit via any associated app or deposit your check at an ATM, which loads the money onto your card. Available methods will depend on the card issuer.

Prepaid debit cards do come with some perks. For instance, registered cards’ funds are FDIC insured. Plus, depending on the card, there might be fraud protection and ways to freeze your card should it get into the wrong hands.

As you might expect, you’ll need to pay fees to load a prepaid debit card with funds from a check. Common fees include:

• Purchase price of a card
• Monthly fee
• Cash reloads fee
• Transaction fees
• ATM withdrawals fees
• Inactivity fees

Sign Over the Check to a Trusted Friend or Relative

Another way to get your check cashed is to sign it over to a relative, close friend or other person you can trust. Then, they can take it to their bank to get it cashed.

Before going this route, you’ll want to make sure their bank allows for this. A fee might be involved, so look up the details before handing over your check.

Cash It Through an Online Platform

If you don’t have a bank account, you can cash your check through an online payment platform like Cash App or PayPal. Note, this feature might not be available to all users, and the online platform may have additional eligibility requirements or limits.

To cash a check through an online platform, you’ll take a photo of both the front and back of your check. You’ll want to make sure the check is properly endorsed, and note that the check is intended for mobile deposit by checking the box on the back. After cashing, the money will sit in your account.

Cash It at a Check-Cashing Outlet

While it’s a relatively simple, straightforward way to cash your check, check cashing outlets can also be a more expensive route to take. To cash your check at one of these outlets, you’ll need to provide a government-issued ID. Once your check gets cashed, you can leave with the cash in hand.

According to the Financial Service Centers of America (FISCA), the professional trade association that represents these centers, there are over 13,000 centers across the U.S. and over 350 million transactions in a given year. Further, 35 million Americans visit these outlets annually.

Most of these centers also offer payday loans and other convenient (but costly and somewhat predatory) offerings. As for fees, expect to pay anywhere from 1% to 12% of the value of the check. So, if you have a $2,000 check, a 12% fee means $240 out of your pocket.

How To Cash a Check Without a Bank Account

Here are steps to take when cashing a check without a bank account.

Step 1. Decide on Your Preferred Method

Your preferred way of cashing a check without a bank account depends on a few factors: What’s most convenient, what’s the best fit for your needs and lifestyle and the fees you’ll be subject to. For instance, if you have a trusted family member that you can sign the check to so they can cash it, that might be the best route for you.

Step 2. Note the Requirements and Fees

To ensure things go without a hitch, look up the specific requirements that make you eligible to cash a check without a bank account. For example, a bank or online platform might have slightly different eligibility criteria compared to an online platform like PayPal or Cash App.

So you don’t get blindsided by a costly transaction, check the fees as well. When you don’t have a bank account to cash checks, it can get expensive.

Step 3. Have a Government-Issued ID on Hand or Create an Account

For some options, you typically need to come with a government-issued ID (and it doesn’t hurt to have at least two forms of ID as a backup). This includes:

• Driver’s licenses
• Tribal IDs
• Military IDs
• State-issued IDs
• Passports

For check cashing via online platforms, you might need to set up an account beforehand either online or via the platform’s mobile app.

Step 4. Endorse the Check

No matter which method you decide on, endorsing a check does two things: It verifies you’re indeed the proper recipient of the funds, and it gives the bank authorization to complete the transaction.

If you’re cashing a check through a mobile app, you typically need to add the phrase “for mobile deposit only” along with the name of the bank or online payment platform you’re cashing the check through.