Does Walmart Cash Personal Checks?

On a typical weekend, the list of errands to run can be pretty long. Get groceries, run the kids to practice, cash some checks. While I was grabbing groceries the other day, I noticed a Money Center at my local Walmart and wondered, does Walmart cash personal checks?

The good news is – yes, Walmart does offer check cashing services, as long as they are pre-printed checks. That’s one less stop to make and more free time for fun stuff this weekend. There are some limitations to the types of checks, the amounts, and other criteria to cash your check with Walmart. For the most part, they can accommodate most checks. So let’s dive into the specifics of their check cashing policies.

How do I cash a personal check at Walmart?

You have two options when it comes to cashing checks at Walmart, neither of which is in the checkout lane.

Option 1: The Customer Service Desk

Option 2: A Walmart MoneyCenter (find a location here)

Walmart Money Service Centers are similar to a bank and are located in some grocery stores, and do offer some financial services. If you choose this option, you can do everything you do at a regular bank: open an account, deposit or withdraw cash, cash checks, and pay bills. 

Note: You do not have to have an account at a Walmart Money Service Center to cash a check.

To cash your pre-printed paper check, you’ll need to sign the back and have a valid ID card or passport. The employee will then run the check through an electronic verification process to avoid fraud, and once approved, you will receive your cash. 

There is a small fee associated with cashing a check at Walmart, which I’ll cover below.

What type of check will Walmart accept?

Walmart will accept most checks, as long as they are pre-printed. The handwritten birthday check you got from Aunt Sally? It can only be cashed here if it’s less than $200. Otherwise, you have to take it to a bank or elsewhere.

Walmart will cash the following types of checks:

• Payroll checks
• Government checks
• Tax refunds
• Cashier’s check
• Insurance settlement checks
• 401(k)
• Retirement distribution checks
• All Pre-Printed Checks
• MoneyGram Money Orders (only if originally purchased at a Walmart store)
• Two-Party Personal Checks (if under $200)

What checks won’t Walmart cash?

There are several instances in which Walmart will not cash your checks, including:

• Walmart will not cash a handwritten personal check over $200
• Any checks that do not pass the Walmart check cashing verification
• Any checks written from an account with insufficient funds
• Any checks greater than $5,000 (unless it’s tax season, then they accept checks that up to $7,500 January through April)
• If they are suspect that the check is fraudulent
• Any post-dated checks or checks older than 180 days
• Starter checks
• Checks with more than one payee
• MoneyGram money orders that Walmart did not issue
• Any other brand of money orders
• Savings bond checks
• EFS checks
• Comdata checks
• Personal checks made out to cash

If you’re still not sure if Walmart will cash your personal check, you can always ask an employee at the Customer Service desk or Money Service Center to take a look, or look at their additional information online.

What are the fees when cashing your check at Walmart?

There is a check cashing fee associated with cashing personal checks at Walmart, depending on the check amount.

For pre-printed checks:

These are the checks you’ll get from the government (like a tax refund), your employer, or a rebate. For checks up to $1,000, you’ll pay a $4 fee. Between $1,000 and $5,000, you’ll pay an $8 fee. If you are cashing a check up to $7,500 between January and April, you’ll have to stop at the service desk and ask what the fees will be. They are not currently published, but an educated guess tells us it’ll be over $8.

For two-party personal checks:

These are the handwritten checks you get for your birthday from sweet Aunt Sally and are under $200. For these, you’ll pay a fee of $6 or less, depending on the state you’re cashing it in.

Additional optional fee: Walmart MoneyCard

If you choose to have your money deposited onto a Walmart MoneyCard, there is an additional fee of $3 to set the card up if you decide to pick the card up in-store rather than ordering it online. However, after you pay the initial setup fee, you’ll be able to load money onto the card for free during future deposits.

Which states does Walmart allow check cashing?

What are the cash limits on the checks?

For pre-printed checks, you’re looking at a limit of $7,500 from January through April. May through December, the most you can cash a check for is $5,000. They make the extra allowance at the beginning of the year to compensate for tax refund checks.

What are the payout options?

There are two options when you cash a check at Walmart. You can choose to receive your money in cash, or you can load your money onto a Walmart MoneyCard.

The Walmart MoneyCard then has two additional options, one of which include a $3 set up fee:

1. You can apply for one in-store, get approved, and use it that day. With this option, you will have to pay a $3 setup fee that is one time only. After that, you can load money onto the card multiple times without any other service fees.
2. You can go to WalmartMoneyCard.com and request one, which will be mailed to you. Once you receive it, you can take it to the store with your check and load the money onto it. You can avoid the $3 fee if you choose this option, though it does take a bit of planning and waiting.

The Walmart MoneyCard also has other benefits, such as cash advances, setting up direct deposit with your employer, and even receiving your funds up to two days earlier.

There’s also a cashback feature, which pays you:

• 3% of your purchase price back when used at Walmart.com
• 2% at a Walmart-branded gas station (or operated by Murphy USA),
• 1% back when you use the card at Walmart or Sam’s Club

This card is issued by Green Dot Bank and can allow you to send funds to another Walmart MoneyCard or Paypal.

While I’d still opt for cash, it’s good to know there is another option if money doesn’t work well for you.

Where else can I cash a personal check without a bank account?

If you live in a state where Walmart doesn’t cash personal checks and need to do so, try one of these alternatives of who cashes personal checks:

1. Your local financial institution or credit unions.
2. The issuing bank (you can see which bank issues the check here).
3. Gas stations, travel centers, or convenience stores, like 7-Eleven or Pilot Flying J.
4. A Local grocery store, like Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Albertson’s, WinCo, WinnDixie, or Giant Eagle.
5. A few retail stores, like Kmart.
6. Have a very, very trusted friend who is an account holder at a local bank cash the check by signing it over to them.
7. Use a check-cashing app, such as Ingo Money, PayPal, Netspend, or Green Dot.
8. Ask your employer.
9. Check cashing stores (please don’t do this though, the fees are insane, and it should only be a last-ditch effort).

Now that you know the answer to does Walmart cash personal checks, learn more about the parts of a check. Or, learn more about CIT Bank to open a checking account and deposit your checks online there! Or, find out more about depositing checks with Cash App.