What Store Gives the Most Cash Back on Debit Cards, Checks, etc? Solved

Short Answer

Getting cash back at the register allows you to skip a trip to the bank or ATM and instead get the cash you need while checking out at your favorite store. While some stores only allow small cash-back amounts, such as $10 or $20, others like Albertsons, Food Lion, Kroger, Safeway, and Walmart give up to $100 or more. For the list of stores that give the most cash back at the register, see below.

How Do I Get Cash Back?

User-friendly point-of-sale systems and card readers provide a simple way for you to get cash back at the register while paying for your purchase. Most stores do not have a minimum purchase amount, so you could buy any single item — even one costing less than $1 — and still receive cash back.

You can receive cash back when paying with a debit card, and in some cases, you can also get cash back when paying with a credit card or personal check.

Stores may or may not charge a fee for getting cash back at the register; it’s often a convenience they provide their customers at no charge. However, some stores do charge a small cash-back fee (usually $1 to $4). Most of the stores listed below do not charge a fee.

Cash Back With a Debit Card

To get cash back with a debit card, pay for your purchase as usual by inserting or swiping your card through the card reader and entering your personal identification number (PIN). The card reader may ask you if you want your purchase to be processed as debit or credit. If you choose credit, you will unlikely be able to get cash back.

The card reader will then ask if you want cash back. Once you select “yes,” the reader will then prompt you to choose an amount listed on the screen or enter a custom amount. When the transaction is approved, you will be charged for the total amount of the purchase, plus the cash withdrawal amount. The cashier will hand you your cash back, along with your receipt.

Cash Back With a Credit Card

While credit cards usually don’t allow for cash back, one exception is the Discover card. The Discover Cash Over feature lets you get up to $120 cash back in a 24-hour period, with no additional cash withdrawal fees. Note that while Discover sets a limit of $120, the amount you can withdraw will also depend on the store’s cash-back policy — if you visit a store that allows less than $120 cash back, you will not be able to exceed the store’s limit.

Our article has the list of stores that take Discover. We also have more information on Discover’s cash back program in our research on getting cash back from a credit card.

Cash Back With a Personal Check

Some stores allow you to get cash back using a personal check. With this process, you simply write the check for the amount of your purchase, plus the amount of cash back you want. For example, if your purchase total is $3.72 and you want $20 cash back, you can make out a check for $23.72, and the cashier will give you the $20.

Stores That Give the Most Cash Back ($100+)

Many grocery stores, retail stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies offer cash back at the register, but some types of stores tend to have higher cash back limits than others. In our research, we found that grocery stores and large retail/department stores typically give the most cash back.

Below is the list of stores that offer the most cash back at the register, ordered starting with the stores offering the highest amounts of cash back and the most payment options. We verified this information by contacting customer service representatives for each store.

1. Kroger

Note: While Kroger has a high cash-back limit, it charges fees of $0.50 to $3.50 for cash-back transactions. Find out more in our detailed article on Kroger’s cash-back policy.

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card and Discover credit
Cash-back limit: $300 at the register and self-checkout
Find a Kroger

2. Shoppers Food Warehouse

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card
Cash-back limit: $300 at the register and $100 at self-checkout
Find a Shoppers Food Warehouse

3. Save Mart Supermarkets / S-Mart

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card
Cash-back limit: $200 to $300 (varies by location)
Find a Save Mart

4. Ralphs

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card and Discover credit
Cash-back limit: $200
Find a Ralphs

5. Safeway

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card and Discover credit
Cash-back limit: $200
Find a Safeway

See more in our article about Safeway’s cash-back policy.

6. Albertsons

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card and Discover credit
Cash-back limit: $100 to $300 (varies by store)
Find an Albertsons

7. Food Lion

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card and personal check
Cash-back limit: $200 for debit cards and $50 for checks
Find a Food Lion

8. Vons

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card, personal check, and Discover credit
Cash-back limit: $200 for debit cards and $25 for personal checks
Find a Vons

9. ShopRite

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card and Discover credit
Cash-back limit: $200
Find a ShopRite

10. Walmart

Accepted payment methods for cash back: Debit card, Discover credit, and personal check
Cash-back limit: $100 for debit cards at the register ($60 for self-checkout); $60 for Discover credit; $20 for personal checks
Find a Walmart

Find out more in our article about Walmart’s cash-back policy.