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Sometimes you need to cash a check when your bank is closed. Or maybe you don’t have a physical bank location and don’t want to wait for the mobile deposit to make your money available.
Check cashing services cash your check depending on what type of check it is and how much it is. And since many of these types of places are open 24/7, you can cash that tax refund or veteran’s check at 2am on a Sunday morning if you like.
Here’s what you need to know before you go.
Check Cashing Requirements
Generally, you will need to bring some form of ID, such as a A driver’s license, passport, alien resident ID, military ID, tribal or reservation ID, or government-issued ID. You must also bring the check and your social security or tax identification number.
Most locations only cash certain types of checks that they can verify immediately, such as government checks, bank or cashier’s checks, or money orders. Some locations cash personal checks, but they may hold the money for several days before paying it out to you, just to make sure the check clears.
Make sure you know how much you will be paying in fees. In some cases, the amount of the check determines the fee; in others it is the nature of the review. That $1,200 tax refund check can cost even less than a $100 personal check simply because there’s less risk of it bouncing back. So when you’re looking for pricing, make sure you’re looking at the pricing specifically for the check you’re about to cash.
Places where you can cash checks after hours
Here are some places to go if you need to cash a check outside of business hours.
Payomatic
Payomatic is a chain of check cashing stores in New York City. There are 129 stores in all five boroughs, but only some of them are open 24 hours a day.
If you bring a valid ID to a Payomatic location, you can cash a paycheck, government check – including tax refunds, insurance check, union cheque, money order and more. Payomatic does not cash personal checks.
Payomatic charges 2.27% of the check amount. So a $100 check would cost $2.27. If you have a $2,000 tax refund, you’ll pay $45.40 to collect it.
PLS 24 hours
PLS has locations in 12 states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. Many, but not all, locations are open 24 hours a day. PLS cashes paychecks, government checks, business checks and more – even if they’re out of state. They will also cash personal checks.
The fee for cashing a paycheck, benefit check, or money order for less than $1,000 is 1% of the check amount plus $1. So a $100 check would cost you $2 to cash. For checks for $1,000 or other types of checks such as personal checks, the amount will vary depending on the type and amount of the check.
PLS also offers free money orders, bill payment service for utility bills and other bills, Western Union wire transfers, and direct deposits. For direct deposit, your employer pays PLS and you can go there and collect your money in cash.
Fast cash
Speedy Cash cashes benefit checks, cashier’s checks, cashier’s checks, paychecks, student loan checks, unemployment checks, personal checks and more. Some checks have to be held before they give you cash. Therefore, you may have to wait for your money if it is not a government or paycheck.
Speedy Cash has locations in 14 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas. Some of their locations are open 24 hours a day, but not all.
At Speedy Cash, you pay 2% to 2.50% of the check amount to cash a paycheck or government check, with a $2 minimum fee. Other types of checks may incur higher fees.
In addition to check cashing services, Speedy Cash locations may offer payday loans, installment loans, home loans, personal lines of credit, money orders, and MoneyGram transfers.
Municipal Financial Services Center
The Community Financial Service Center has 200 locations nationwide offering check cashing, money transfers, electronic bill payments, prepaid debit cards, currency exchange, ATMs and more. Many locations are open 24 hours a day.
CFSC cashes paychecks, government checks – including tax refunds, payroll checks, checks made out to your business, and a few other types of checks. The fee they charge depends on the type of check and the state you are in.
Walmart
Check cashing services are available at most Walmart stores. If the store is open 24 hours a day, check cashing service is also available 24 hours a day. Walmart cashes pre-stamped checks, paychecks, government checks, cashier’s checks, double-decker personal checks, and more.
Walmart charges a maximum fee of $4 for cashing checks up to $1,000 and a maximum fee of $8 for checks over $1,000.
You can also deposit money into your debit card at a Walmart location—either at a cash register, MoneyCenter, or customer service center. You can deposit money if your debit card is issued by one of over 15,000 financial institutions in the US. There is a $3.74 fee for deposits up to $1,000. The minimum deposit is $20.
Walmart also offers prepaid debit cards, money transfers from MoneyGram, Western Union, and Walmart2Walmart, and more.
Kroger
Kroger Money Services offers check cashing at over 2,000 stores, as well as bill payment, debit card cashing, money orders, prepaid cards and more.
Fees for cashing checks at Kroger vary by location and the denomination of the check, but most stores will allow you to cash a $100 check for $4.00 if you have a Kroger loyalty card. If you don’t, it will cost you $4.50. A check for $2,500 can be cashed with a Kroger card for $7.00 or without a Kroger card for $7.50. There is a $5,000 limit on checks.
Frequently asked questions about cashing checks after hours
- How do I get cash with a check?
- There are many check cashing services that will cash a check, but not every place will cash every type of check, at least not immediately. If you have a personal check made out to you, you may need to do a little digging to find out who will cash it. And once that’s the case, you might end up paying more than you would for a government check.
- Can I cash a check at an ATM?
- When you deposit a check at an ATM, the bank will usually “hold” the money for a few days before you can access it. They do this to ensure the check hasn’t bounced. So if you need money right away, you need to have at least the amount of the check in your account to be able to cash it at an ATM. What you are actually doing is depositing the check and withdrawing cash from the funds that were already in the account.
- Where can I cash an unbanked check?
- You can cash an unbanked check at check-cashing companies like Payomatic, PLS 24/7, Speedy Cash, CSFC, or at stores like Walmart or Kroger. You may be able to cash a check at the bank it was drawn on even if you don’t have an account there.
Information is correct as of August 22, 2022.
Editor’s note: This content is not provided by any of the organizations discussed in this article. Any opinion, analysis, review, rating, or recommendation expressed in this article is solely that of the author and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
