Does Walmart Cash Checks? Walmart Check Cashing Fees and Guide

Walmart Check Cashing Fees and Guide for 2020

Does Walmart cash checks?  Yes, it does!  Did you know that 90% of Americans live within 15 minutes of a Walmart store. It’s very likely you will drive by a Walmart before you pass your bank, or the bank that issued the check you need to cash.  If you buy your groceries at Walmart or shop there, you can cash your check while shopping or picking up groceries.

Does Walmart Cash Checks?

You don’t have to have a checking or savings account to cash a check at Walmart. Simply drop by your local store and get cash immediately.  Gather appropriate documents before you go, and make sure you’re prepared to pay the minimal cashing fees. Be consistent and cash checks at Walmart in the future to develop a stronger financial profile.  You can save yourself a trip to the bank with in-store check cashing at Walmart Money Centers located within the stores:

“If you find yourself in a bind and you need to get cash quick, save yourself the hassle of trying to get to your bank before it closes, standing in a long line at a check cashing store or trying to find an ATM on your way home. While you’re doing your shopping in Walmart, cash your check here as well. Not only do you get your cash immediately, you can also save money doing it. Saving you money is what we do best, and our low prices, every day, on everything is just one of the many examples of how we do this. Allowing you to cash your check hassle-free and for a low fee is another.” Source: https://www.walmart.com/

Walmart does not accept any personal or handwritten checks. These include checks written to you by friends, family members, or other individuals.  But, if you do have a handwritten check that you want to cash, you can head over to a nearby K-Mart to do so. Currently, K-Mart lets you to cash checks with values up to and including $500 for a fee as low as $1.00.  However, with Walmart you can cash most common types of checks, including:

• Pre–printed checks;
• Payroll checks;
• Government checks;
• Tax checks;
• Cashiers’ checks;
• Insurance settlement checks;
• 401(k), retirement disbursement checks.

Generally, if the check is pre-printed by a financial institution, it’s very likely it can be cashed at Walmart. However, some restrictions apply to personal checks. Walmart does not cash personal checks, but it may cash two-party personal checks up to a limit of $200.

How to Cash a Check at Walmart 

You don’t need to make a purchase.  No registration is required, and you don’t need to have a bank account to cash a check at Walmart. All you need to do to cash a check is provide your check along with a valid form of ID. You may also be asked to provide your social security number when cashing a check.

You will need a government-issued form of photo identification. This could be a passport or driver’s license.  They may also require your social security number. If you want to be prepared, just bring along your social security card.  In general, make sure your check is free of smudges, tears, or wrinkles. Any damage to the check itself may make it difficult for the Walmart printer to read it.

All you need to do is present your endorsed check to the cashier at one of the checkout lanes.  Then, show valid identification and pay the required fee. There’s no need to register to cash checks or to have either a Walmart store credit card or Walmart MasterCard. Once you have completed these simple steps, you should have your money in a matter of moments.

Does Walmart Cash Money Orders? 

Yes, you can cash a money order at Walmart.  However, they are limited specifically to MoneyGram money orders that were originally purchased at Walmart. Walmart won’t cash money orders that were issued from a different business or financial institution.

Walmart Check Cashing Fees and Restrictions 

To cash an approved check, Walmart check cashing fees are as follows:

• $4 for checks up to $1,000;
• $8 for checks above $1,000;
• Cash advances on a Bank Card incurs a $3.74 transaction fee and a limit of $1,000 per day;
• Two-party checks carry a maximum charge of $6 and a cashing limit of $200;
• Maximum limit for check cashing is $5,000 May-December
• Maximum limit is raised to $7,500 from January to April to accomodate tax refunds.

It is difficult to compare the cost of cashing a check at Walmart with the fees charged to non-customers by a bank.  It can be cheaper, but it depends on the particular bank in question. Some banks cash checks for free, some cash them for $7-10, and some are free up to $50 with a percentage fee after that.

For amounts under $50, it might be wiser to use a bank service.  It’s likely to be free even if you don’t hold an account. For larger amounts, Walmart could be cheaper than non-member bank service charges.

Even if you have a bank account, Walmart’s hours make it a good option to cash a check, especially in an emergency.  Their hours of service are much more compatible with off-time from a 9-5 work schedule.

Cashed Check Payment Methods

There are two ways to receive funds from a cashed check at Walmart:

• Cash
• Topping-up a Walmart MoneyCard

When you choose to load the funds onto a Walmart MoneyCard, the typical reload fee is waived.  The Walmart MoneyCard option is a decent choice.  Especially if you already shop at Walmart and use the prepaid Walmart card regularly for convenience.

What Is a Walmart MoneyCard? How Do You Load It With a Cashed Check?

If you want to cash a check at Walmart but don’t want to carry around cash afterward, you have the option of loading the cash onto a Walmart MoneyCard. The Walmart MoneyCard is a prepaid Visa debit card that can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. You might prefer the MoneyCard because it can be safer than carrying around a lot of cash. Unlike a regular debit card, you can only spend what you’ve loaded onto the card.  That’s a nice safety feature so there’s no chance of incurring an overdraft fee.

Here’s what you should know about the Walmart MoneyCard:

• Requirements: Walmart will ask you for your (1) name, (2) address, (3) date of birth, (4) Social Security number, and (5) other information that will help identify you. You may be asked to show a valid form of ID. Generally, you must be at least 18, but minors age 16-17 years old can get the card with parental permission.
• There is no credit check
• You do not need a bank account
• Fees:
  • Issuance fee: $1 if purchased in-store. You can avoid this fee if you request a card online from the Walmart MoneyCard site.
  • Reload fee: $3 to $5.95. The reload fee will be waived if you sign up for direct deposit or you load your cashed check directly onto the card. Note that you will still have to pay any check cashing fees
  • Monthly maintenance fee: $5
• How to reload: The MoneyCard can be reloaded with:
  • Cash at a Walmart checkout lane
  • Checks, either in-store with any of the types of checks listed above or through a photo uploaded to the Walmart MoneyCard app (personal checks can be loaded through this method)
  • Direct Deposit
  • Bank transfers
  • Tax refunds
  • Walmart check cashing

Walmart Check Cashing Hours 

The usual store hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, but exact times may vary a little by store.

You can cash a check at Walmart during any hours that the store is open. You can use the store finder to check your local store hours. Depending on the location, you may be able to cash checks at a checkout lane, customer service desk, or money center. Check if the store has a money center that operates under different hours than the main store.

What is the Walmart Money Center? 

The Walmart Money Center is an in-store and online alternative to a bank. You can choose from prepaid debit cards, credit cards, money transfers and cash services. All Walmart stores offer these services, even if they don’t have a designated center.  You can choose to use a Walmart Money Center because you don’t have a bank account.  But, you might want to consider having both. Many bank accounts have no monthly fees and provide the same services.  This includes check cashing and some money transfers, without fees. Also, many bank services are available on your phone.  With both financial services available to you, you can pick and choose which individual service is cheaper and which location is more convenient.

Walmart Money Centers are not full-service banks. They offer check cashing services, bill payments, outgoing wires, and reloadable debit cards. There are no checking accounts or savings accounts. Walmart abandoned earlier plans to become a full-service bank. But, by not becoming a certified bank, Walmart is able to offer certain financial services without being held to the same regulations as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, or your local bank branch.

What Check Authorization Service Does Walmart Use?

In order to cash a check at Walmart, the cashier will have to verify that your check is valid. At most locations, the check will be processed electronically through TeleCheck, a check acceptance company. A small number of locations use Certegy, which is a similar check authorizing service to TeleCheck. Walmart uses a scanning machine to read the checks it cashes.  So, be sure your check is free of wrinkles, tears, or smudges near the numbers on the bottom of the check.  If the scanner can’t read all the numbers, the check will be denied.

TeleCheck and Certegy both use the information that is printed on your check.  This includes the routing number, bank account number, and the amount of the transaction.  With your identification, the service will either approve or deny your check. The decision is based on the information in the verification system and how your check compares to all the checks that have passed through the system. This means that your check can be denied if the system does not know you.  You will need to cash enough checks for the verification system — either TeleCheck or Certegy — to build a proper file on your identity.

TeleCheck

If TeleCheck denies your check, there is nothing Walmart can do at that time.  But, you’ll be given a receipt that lists TeleCheck’s contact information, which you can contact for further assistance.  TeleCheck says you can increase your chances of having your check approved in the future by providing:

1. The record number provided on you decline receipt
2. Your driver’s license number and the state where it was issued
3. The banking numbers printed along the bottom of your check
4. Your Social Security number, if you were referred by a financial institution

Certegy

If Certegy declines your check, there’s also nothing that Walmart can do to override the decision. You can request a free copy of the file that Certegy has on you either once a year or within 60 days of the date your check was declined. If you find that any information in the file is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to dispute it with Certegy. You can request your file from Certegy either by phone, fax, or mail.

Are Walmart Money Center Services Worth it? 

Many of its money services are relatively cheap and don’t require that you have a bank account to use them, but they’re limited. Since Walmart isn’t a bank, it partners with various financial institutions, including banks and licensed money transfer companies, to offer its selection of services.  Full-service bank accounts, in contrast, often give free services such as paper checks and access to branches and ATMs. And since Walmart is a retailer above all else, visiting the store to do your banking might turn into an impulse shopping trip if you’re not careful.

If you’re just looking for a place to cash a check at an odd hour, don’t feel like running to the bank, or don’t have a bank account, you can cash most types of checks at Walmart.

With Walmart’s check cashing process, you can have your money in a few minutes. If you don’t want to carry around your cash, you might want to look into getting a Walmart MoneyCard, which lets you load the funds from your check directly onto the card. As long as you remember to bring a valid ID with you and only try to cash an approved check, your check cashing experience at Walmart should be hassle-free.

Walmart Check-Cashing Advantages

Walmart MoneyCenter check-cashing services have several advantages:

• Affordable flat fees that won’t exceed $6
• Available at over 4,000 store locations in the United States
• Convenient Walmart check-cashing hours
• No pre-registration required
• Multiple types of ID accepted

Among the 4,000 U.S. store locations, some are open 24 hours a day, making Walmart check-cashing hours convenient for virtually everyone. Customers do not have to register to cash checks at Walmart. You simply go through any checkout line to conduct the transaction. Approved identification at Walmart includes driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, and military, tribal, and state IDs as appropriate identification to cash checks.

Walmart Check-Cashing Disadvantages

Walmart check-cashing services have some disadvantages, too. If you’re asking where to cash a personal check, Walmart is not the answer. According to Walmart check-cashing policy, you cannot cash a personal check or other checks that are not preprinted, nor can you cash a check for over $5,000. However, if you have a check that falls within the Walmart MoneyCenter guidelines and limitations, your local Walmart store is a convenient, low-cost option for cashing it.

If you find yourself at Walmart with a pocket full of cash, you will have to exercise self-control. Cashing your paycheck at Walmart might tempt you to spend that money on impulse purchases. This could be an unwise decision if you are already struggling to save money or to keep up with your bills.