Brenna SwanstonFred Meyer is more than just a neighborhood grocery store — for countless customers, Fred Meyer is also their go-to banking center. Make a trip to Fred Meyer and you can not only get your groceries for the week, but you can also take care of your banking needs. Fred Meyer offers a variety of money services, including on-the-spot check cashing. It’s fast and relatively inexpensive to cash payroll and government checks there. Continue on for the complete Fred Meyer check cashing policy.
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What Types of Checks Does Fred Meyer Cash?
Fred Meyer will only cash the following types of checks:
- Government checks
- Payroll checks
- Tax refund checks
- Insurance checks
- Corporate checks
Fred Meyer will not cash the following types of checks:
- Cashier’s checks (related article: The List of Places That Cash Cashier’s Checks)
- Expired checks
- Personal checks (related article: The List of Places That Cash Personal Checks)
- Post-dated checks (related article: The List of Places That Cash Post-Dated Checks)
- Savings bonds checks
What Do You Need to Cash a Check at Fred Meyer?
To cash a check at Fred Meyer, you will need to provide:
- A valid Social Security number
- A current, valid, state- or federal government-issued ID card (e.g., U.S. passport, military ID, resident alien ID, driver’s license, tribal ID, or tax ID)
Bring your ID card and Social Security number to the money services/customer service center at any Fred Meyer. Most Fred Meyer money service centers are open late, but the exact hours vary depending on location. Contact your nearest Fred Meyer.
Fred Meyer uses Certegy to authorize checks before cashing them. Certegy uses its databases to analyze checks before approving or denying them. If your check is denied, you can use Cetergy’s online denied check lookup tool to find out why. Or, if you’re just curious, you can request your file from Certegy.
Check Cashing Limits and Fees
It costs $3.50 per check to cash checks up to $2,000, and $6 per check to cash checks from $2,000.01 to $5,000. You cannot cash a check larger than $5,000.
If you sign up for a free Fred Meyer Rewards Plus card, you can save $0.50 on all check cashing fees.
Find more information about fees and limits on the Fred Meyer Money Services page.
If you’re looking for similar places to cash checks, learn more in our article: Grocery Stores That Cash Checks: Personal, Payroll, Insurance, etc.
Loading Your Check onto a Fred Meyer Rewards Visa Prepaid Debit Card
When you cash a check, the customer service representative will offer to load the funds from your check onto a Fred Meyer Rewards Visa Prepaid Debit Card, a prepaid debit card that can be used just like a bank debit card anywhere Visa is accepted, even online.
This card earns you rewards points whenever you use it to make a purchase, and double rewards points for purchases at Fred Meyer. Those points pile up into rebates mailed to you every February, May, August, and November. The rewards card also saves you money on gas when filling up at a Fred Meyer Fuel Center. When you redeem at least 100 fuel points, you’ll earn $0.05 back for each gallon you pump at a Fred Meyer Fuel Center.
It costs $3 to purchase a Fred Meyer Rewards Visa Prepaid Debit Card; however, when you cash a check and load the amount onto the card, this fee is waived. You’ll be issued a temporary card the day you sign up for the card and have your first check loaded onto it; then, you’ll receive a personalized card in the mail in just 7-10 business days.
Once you have the personalized card in hand, you can continue to load the funds from your cashed checks onto it. You can also load it with anywhere from $10-$1,000 by swiping it at any of the checkout stations at Fred Meyer or visiting the customer service desk. You can also sign up for direct deposit and have your government or payroll checks deposited automatically onto the card.
In Summary
Cashing your government and payroll checks at Fred Meyer is an easy process that can save you a trip to the bank. Remember to bring an acceptable ID and be prepared to provide your social security number to complete the transaction. Consider loading your check onto a Fred Meyer Rewards Visa Prepaid Debit Card, which lets you earn you points that can be used toward rebates and free fuel at Fred Meyer Fuel Centers.
Cathy Desmet
William Lipovsky
Kait Scirri
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Erika Crawford
Lindsey Desmet
Loren Eaton
Joseph Cho
Maria R. Riegger, Esq.
If i don’t have ID but know my SS# can you still cash my check?
Hi Brittany,
You must have an ID to cash a check. There are a few alternatives you can try if you don’t have an ID. If you have a bank account, you can often use a mobile deposit app. And sometimes, you can use a non-bank mobile deposit app or load the check to a prepaid card. For details on those options and a few others, check out our article How to Cash a Check Without ID or Bank Account? How It’s Done.
I went to a Fred Meyer to cash a government check, I had valid id and my social security number. But they denied me cause they said they couldn’t prove my identity. Why did this happen??
Hi Puzzled,
It may be that Certegy denied your check, and not Fred Meyer itself. Fred Meyer verifies checks through Certegy, a check authorization company, before it will cash the check. At the store and at the time you’re there trying to cash your check, if Certegy denies your check, the Fred Meyer employee won’t know why Certegy denied the check. If you’d like to find out Certegy’s file on you and your check cashing history, you can use Certegy’s denied check look up or call them at (800) 237-3826.