Liquor Stores That Cash Checks: 15 Stores to Choose From

Liquor Stores That Cash Checks

The vast majority of independent liquor stores do not offer check cashing services. Liquor license laws (and variations in such laws between cities and states) make it difficult for liquor stores to also offer any money services, including check cashing. Additionally, there are very few multi-state liquor store chains, let alone nationwide chains, because of the difficulty of dealing with wide variations in state liquor sales licenses.

In fact, 17 states are “alcohol beverage control” (ABC) states, meaning that the sale of liquor is controlled by government agencies at the wholesale level. According to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA), which represents ABC states, 13 of these states also control retail sales through government-operated liquor stores or designated agents. Eight ABC states don’t allow liquor sales in grocery stores at all. You can find more about alcohol sales in each ABC state at the NABCA website.

Stores That Sell Liquor and Cash Checks

If you want to cash a check and buy alcohol in the same trip, your best bet is one of the many grocery stores that sell liquor and also cash checks. These stores are often open on nights and weekends, and some are even open 24 hours. Keep in mind that store policies for alcohol sales, including days of the week and times of day during which alcohol can be purchased, also vary according to city and state laws. For example, some do not sell alcohol on Sundays.

Albertsons

• Check types: Personal, payroll, and government checks
• Limits: $250 for personal checks; payroll and government check cashing limits vary, as individual stores set their own limits
• Fees: None specified, though individual stores may charge fees
• Open late? Most stores are open until midnight.
• Find an Albertsons

Our article has more about Albertsons’ check cashing policy.

Food Lion

• Check types: Personal, payroll (can’t be handwritten), refund, and traveler’s checks
• Limits: Personal checks up to $50 over purchase; rebate checks; payroll and government checks up to $1,000; traveler’s checks up to $499.99
• Fees: Varies; individual stores set their own check cashing fees
• Open late? Most locations are open until 10 p.m.
• Find a Food Lion

Our article has more information about Food Lion’s check cashing policy.

Fred Meyer

• Check types: Payroll and government checks
• Limits: $5,000
• Fees: $3 for checks up to $2,000; $5 for checks over $2,000 up to $5,000
• Open late? Varies, but most stores are open until 9 p.m.
• Find a Fred Meyer

Our article has more about Fred Meyer’s check cashing policy.

Giant Eagle

Note: Giant Eagle requires you to have a Giant Eagle Advantage card in order to cash checks. Apply at the customer service desk with a valid photo ID to get your card.

• Check types: Personal, payroll, government, and traveler’s checks.
• Limits: $30 for personal checks cashed at the customer service desk; $30 for traveler’s checks (in the form of cash back with a purchase); no specified limit for payroll and government checks
• Fees: Fees vary by location (charged for payroll and government checks only, excluding child support checks)
• Open late? Most stores are open until 11 p.m.
• Find a Giant Eagle

Our article has more information about Giant Eagle’s check cashing policy.

Hannaford

• Check types: Payroll, government, and pension checks (must not be handwritten). Customers must apply in-store for check cashing privileges, and approval can take up to five business days. While Hannaford does not cash personal checks, it offers up to $100 cash back on personal check purchases at the register. You don’t have to apply for check cashing privileges to get cash back with a personal check.
• Limits: None specified
• Fees: None specified
• Open late? Most stores are open until 9 p.m.
• Find a Hannaford

King Soopers

• Check types: Government checks, payroll checks, tax refund checks, insurance checks, and corporate checks.
• Limits: Varies by store
• Fees: $3 or $5, depending on the check amount
• Open late? Many stores are open 24 hours, but a few close at midnight.
• Find a King Soopers

Our article has more about King Soopers’ check cashing policy.

Kroger

• Check types: Payroll, government, tax refund, insurance, and corporate checks
• Limits: None specified
• Fees: $3 to $5, depending on the check type and amount
• Open late? Most locations are open until 9 p.m.
• Find a Kroger

Market Basket

• Check types: Payroll only
• Limits: Not specified
• Fees: None specified
• Open late? Most locations are open until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday.
• Find a Market Basket

Meijer

• Check types: Personal, payroll, government, and traveler’s checks. To cash payroll or government checks at Meijer, customers must apply for Certegy verification with a valid photo ID. The process takes up to seven business days for approval.
• Limits: $25 for personal checks; $1,000 for payroll checks; $1,999.99 for government checks; $100 for traveler’s checks. Personal and traveler’s checks must be used for a purchase and can’t be cashed directly.
• Fees: None specified
• Open late? Varies by location, but most stores are open until 11 p.m.
• Find a Meijer

Publix

• Check types: Personal and payroll checks
• Limits: $75 once a day for personal checks; $500 once a day for payroll checks
• Fees: $3 to $6 per check; fees vary by location
• Open late? Most stores are open until 10 p.m.
• Find a Publix

Our article has more about Publix’s check cashing policy.

Safeway

• Check types: Payroll and government checks (neither type can be handwritten)
• Limits: Up to $1,499
• Fees: $2.25 for every $200 cashed
• Open late? Most are open until midnight, but some stores close at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.
• Find a Safeway

Our article has more information about Safeway’s check cashing policy.

Shaw’s

• Check types: Payroll and government checks
• Limits: $1,500
• Fees: None specified
• Open late? Most locations are open until 9 p.m.
• Find a Shaw’s

Stop & Shop

Note: You must apply for a Check Cashing card before being able to cash a check.

• Check types: Payroll, government
• Limits: Vary by location
• Fees: Vary by location
• Open late? Most stores are open until midnight, some are open 24 hours.
• Find a Stop & Shop

Vons

• Check types: Payroll and government checks (must not be handwritten)
• Limits: $1,000; subject to cash availability at each store
• Fees: $2.25 for every $100 cashed
• Open late? Most stores are open until midnight or later.
• Find a Vons

Walmart

• Check types: Payroll, government, tax, cashier’s, insurance, and 401k/retirement checks, and MoneyGram money orders purchased at Walmart. While Walmart does not cash personal checks, you can get cash back up to $20 with a purchase when you pay with a personal check.
• Limits: $5,000, though some customers have reported that certain Walmart locations won’t cash government-issued checks over $2,000. Call your local Walmart for more information on store-specific policies.
• Fees: $3 for checks up to $1,000; $6 for checks over $1,000
• Open late? Most stores are open 24 hours.
• Find a Walmart

Our article has more information about Walmart’s check cashing policy.

WinCo

• Check types: Payroll checks (can’t be handwritten)
• Limits: $1,000
• Fees: $5 for checks up to $500; $10 for checks up to $1,000
• Open late? Most stores are open 24 hours.
• Find a WinCo

Winn-Dixie

• Check types: Payroll checks (excluding handwritten checks). However, not all Winn-Dixie locations offer check cashing services, and fees and limits may vary
• Limits: $1,000; no more than two checks cashed in a 7-day period
• Fees: $5 token for checks up to $500; $10 token for checks over $500 up to $1,000. The tokens can be spent in Winn-Dixie stores: $5 tokens on purchases of $25 or more, and $10 tokens on purchases of $50 or more.
• Open late? Most locations are open until 11 p.m., but some stores close at 10 p.m. and some stay open until midnight.
• Find a Winn-Dixie

Our article has more information about Winn-Dixie’s check cashing policy.

In Summary

If you need to buy liquor and cash a check after hours, the chances are good there’s a grocery store near you where you can do just that. While most independent liquor stores don’t cash checks, there are several grocery stores that sell liquor and also offer check cashing services.

For more about check cashing after hours, see our article about where to go for late-night check cashing.