How to Cash a Check

Cashing a check

Whether you got a check for your birthday or it's your first paycheck at a new job, you're about to be in the money. First, however, you have to cash your check. It's not hard, provided you have a picture ID and possibly a bank account to help you out--particularly if it's a personal check.

Things You'll Need

• Personal check or paycheck
• Photo ID
• Bank account in your name (optional)

Instructions

1. Find a place that will cash a check. If it's a paycheck or a business check, you can go to any of the many places that offer a check-cashing service. Grocery stores will often take those types of checks as well. Many of those places, however, will not take a personal check. If you have a personal check you need cashed, call around before you leave home to make sure that the place you intend to go to takes personal checks.

2. Go to the place you intend to cash your check. Right before you turn over your check to be cashed, turn the check over to the back. There will be a line across the back of the check. Sign on that line. By doing this, you are acknowledging that you are the person the check is written to.

3. Hand over the check and your driver's license or picture ID to the person cashing your check. The person is trying to verify that the person the check is written to and you are the same person. They may also ask you for other information including your Social Security number or phone number. Those are all the steps you have to take with most checks provided you have a picture ID and that it is a business check. If you don't have a picture ID or the check is personal and the regular check-cashing place won't cash it, you may have options.

4. Call the check-cashing place and ask what you can bring in instead of an ID. It may be willing to take such identifiers as a Social Security card or utility bill.

5. Cash a personal check at the bank the check was drawn from. Since the person belongs to that bank, they will usually not refuse the check. If that bank is not in your area, you should be able to cash it at your bank. As a last resort, if you cannot figure out another way to cash your check, get a family member to help out and go to their bank. The bank might allow you to sign the check over to that person and they can cash it for you.

Tips & Warnings

• If you endorse your check before turing it over to whomever is going to cash it and end up losing it, you could be in trouble. If someone finds the check, you have just made it much easier for them to cash it themselves or deposit it in their bank account and get away with it.

• If you have difficulty with the process of cashing a check, get a picture ID, bank account or both in the near future to make it a much easier process.

• If you go to a place that specializes in cashing checks, be aware that they charge a fee for their services in the amount of 5 to 10 percent of your check. Grocery stores aren't as bad, but many of them will require that you make a purchase. Avoid those places if you want full cash value for your check. The best place to get your check cashed is at the bank or credit union where you belong.

References

• Bank Midwest

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish