If you stumbled onto this article you’re probably wondering where are all of the check cashing places near me? I went out and found 11 places that’ll happily cash your personal or business check. Some will charge you a fee and some won’t, but it’s guaranteed they’ll require a valid photo I.D. to make it happen. Whether it’s a personal check, a government check, or one from your employer, you stand a great chance of getting your check cashed today with these resources.

Scenarios When You Might Need a Check Cashed…

– No Bank Account – The most likely scenario when you need to get a check cashed is the lack of a bank account.

Maybe you’re a student and haven’t set up a bank account yet, or maybe you’ve just moved to a new area and haven’t set up an account with a local bank yet.

– Your Away From Your Bank – Another time when you need to cash a check is when you’re out-of-town and your bank doesn’t offer mobile deposits via a smartphone app.

In any case, here are 11 ways to get a check cashed when you’re in a pinch.

Walmart

Your local Walmart is a good place to start when needing to cash a check near you.

Just visit the Walmart Customer Service desk or Money Center (if available) and they can help you out.

They’ll cash personal, payroll, government, insurance settlement, 401(k), MoneyGram money orders, tax, and cashier’s check to name a few.

For checks up to $1,000 you’ll be hit with a $4 fee, anything over a $1,000 (up to $5,000) you’ll pay up to $8.

For 2-party checks you’ll pay a $6 fee and checks can’t be over $200 in value.

See Also: A Clever “Online” Hack to Save Big on Stamps at Walmart

The Bank on the Actual Check

If the issuing bank of the check has a local branch, you can visit it to get the check cashed.

They’ll be able to verify that the account has sufficient funds and most will cash the check for a small fee.

Some banks will actually call the owner of the check to verify that no fraud is taking place which is a good security measure.

Gas Stations

Many gas stations, especially those attached to a grocery store chain, will cash checks.

Others like Citgo, Chevron, Pilot Flying J, and Love’s will also cash checks for a fee.

Ask the next time you’re filling up your tank so you’ll know where to go when you have a check that needs to be cashed.

Grocery Stores

A few national grocery stores that cash checks include Kroger, Publix, Giant Eagle, Safeway/Albertsons, Winco, Ralphs, Hy-Vee, H-E-B, and Fred Meyer.

The fees vary by location but usually average between $3 – $6 depending on the amount of the check.

If you don’t have a bank account, your grocery store makes for an excellent spot to get your next check cashed.

7-Eleven

Grab a Slurpee and get a check cashed the next time you visit your local 7-Eleven.

They do it via their in-house Transact card which is essentially a prepaid MasterCard that you can cash checks onto.

Once you sign-up and get your card, you can use your smartphone to deposit checks via their Mobile Check Load feature.

See Also: Need Quarters Fast? 8 Places That Can Help

Check Cashing Stores

Stores like Check Into Cash and Ace Cash Express are national spots that you can walk into and get your check cashed for a fee.

They’ll even put some, or all, of your money on a Prepaid Visa Card so you don’t have to carry around a large amount of cash if you wish.

Use a “Check Cashing” App

– Ingo Money – Ingo is popular cash checking app that makes it easy to cash payroll checks for a 2-5% fee.

Just sign-up and link a bank account, PayPal account, or prepaid card then you can take a picture of your check with your smartphone and cash it.

– Boost Mobile Wallet – Sign-up and start depositing your paycheck, government benefits and/or tax refund and start “Mobile Check Deposit” today.

If you want the money immediately you’ll be hit by a 2-5% fee, otherwise it’s free.

– Brink’s Money Prepaid – Apply for their prepaid MasterCard and start depositing checks via their easy-to-use mobile app.

PayPal

If you have a PayPal account you can use the PayPal “Cash a Check” service via their app to cash your next check.

You just snap a picture of your check and verify the amount of the check.

If you can wait 10 days you WON’T have to pay a fee, otherwise you’ll pay a fee and the money will be made immediately.

The fee will be 1% for payroll and government checks, and 5% for all other accepted checks.

Your Bank

The most obvious place to get a check cashed is at your bank.

If you have an account with a bank in your town, you can usually cash a check for free.

Don’t endorse it until you’re at the bank in case you lose it.

Also, make sure you bring your photo I.D. or debit card to make it happen quickly.

See Also: 11 Best Places to Get Money Orders Near Me (With Prices Too)

Your Employer

If you work at a grocery store or store that handles cash, in many cases they can cash your paycheck immediately.

I had a friend when I was in high school who worked at a grocery store who would immediately cash his check at the checkout register right after he got paid every 2 weeks.

No fees.

Pretty easy way to get cash in your pocket without ever having to visit a bank or check cashing store.

Use Your Friends

A solid last option is to sign your check over to a friend who can then take it to their bank to deposit it.

On the back of the check write “Pay to the Order of FRIEND’S FULL NAME”.

Then sign it and collect your cash from them.

In most cases, your friend’s bank will accept this third party check just fine but some may require you to visit the bank with your friend and fill out a form as a fraud prevention measure.

Surprising Places That Don’t Cash Checks…

Warehouse Clubs – To my surprise, Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale will not cash personal or business checks.

It just seems like a service they would offer their members but as of this writing, they do not.

Target – I was a bit surprised to learn Target will not cash any checks in-store.

Trader Joe’s – You can buy “2 buck chuck” until your heart’s content, but you cannot cash a check.

Whole Foods – With a nickname like “Whole Paycheck” you’d think they would let you cash a check, but alas they will not.

ALDI – The discount grocery store known as ALDI will not cash checks either.

Ask the Reader: What check cashing places near you did I miss? Let me know in the comments and I’ll definitely investigate.

By Kyle James