Where Can You Cash Starter Checks? 25 Options Detailed

Looking for a place where you can cash starter checks? It may be difficult. You can find many places that cash checks, but if you have a starter check that needs cashing, you’ll find that there aren’t as many options. We’ve called around to several dozen stores to find locations for you to be able to cash a starter check, along with the fees you will incur. Here’s what we found.

What Is a Starter Check?

Starter checks are usually given to you when you open up a new bank account; they allow you to write checks before your printed checks arrive in the mail. Starter checks have the bank’s routing number printed along the bottom of the check just like a normal check, and depending on the bank, they may have an account number printed as well. However, the account holder’s name and personal information are generally left off.

Many stores are skeptical of starter checks because they show that the user does not have an established account history.  Also, starter checks have frequently played a role in scams where bad checks were written or where counterfeit checks were designed to look like starter checks.

You may have some difficulty even paying for items with a starter check, let alone trying to cash a starter check. But we’ve found places that will cash a starter check for you. Regardless of where you go to cash a starter check, expect to need at least a government-issued photo ID to be able to confirm your identity before cashing the starter check.

If your check isn’t a starter check, see our article, Check Cashing Place near Me? 70 Places Listed: Kmart, Kroger, etc.

Places Where You Can Cash a Starter Check

Banks and Credit Unions

Where can you cash starter checks? Your first option for cheaper starter check cashing should be to either go to a bank where you currently have an account or the bank where the starter check is from. The following banks verified with us that they will allow starter check cashing only if you either have an account with the bank with funds to cover the amount of the check you are cashing or if the starter check is drawn from an account at the bank.

The fees listed below are if you don’t have an account with that bank but are cashing a starter check drawn from an account at the bank. Check cashing services are free at the banks below if you already have an account.

Bank of America

• Starter check cashing fee: Free for checks under $50. $8 for checks over $50.
• Source: Bank of America Fee Schedule and confirmed by customer service.
• Find your nearest Bank of America

BB&T

• Starter check cashing fee: Free for checks under $50. $8 for check over $50
• Source: BBT Pricing and Fees At A Glance. Confirmed with call to local branch.
• Find your nearest BB&T

BMO Harris Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: Free for checks under $50. $10 for checks over $50.
• Source: Phone call with customer service
• Find your nearest BMO Harris Bank

Bank of the West

• Starter check cashing fee: $7.50
• Source: Bank of the West Fee disclosure and customer service
• Find your nearest Bank of the West

Chase Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: $8
• Source: Customer service
• Find your nearest Chase bank
• Learn more in our article: Chase Bank Check Cashing Policies

Chartway Federal Credit Union

• Starter check cashing fee: 2% of the total check amount or $3, whichever is greater
• Source: Chartway Federal Credit Union general FAQ
• Find your nearest Chartway Federal Credit Union

Note: Chartway Federal Credit Union will not cash your check if it is made out to a business

Citibank

• Starter check cashing fee: Free for checks under $5,000
• Source: Customer service.
• Find your nearest Citibank bank

Citizens Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: $6
• Source: Citizen’s Bank fee schedule, confirmed with customer service
• Find your nearest Citizen’s Bank

Connexus Credit Union

• Starter check cashing fee: Free
• Source: Customer service
• Find your nearest Connexus Credit Union

Fifth Third Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: Free for checks under $20. For checks over $20, 1% of the check amount with a minimum fee of $4 and a maximum fee of $25.
• Source: Fifth Third Express Banking page
• Find your nearest Fifth Third Bank

Mountain America Credit Union

• Starter check cashing fee: Free
• Source: Customer service
• Find your nearest Mountain America Credit Union

Navy Federal Credit Union

• Starter check cashing fee: Free
• Source: Customer service
• Find your nearest Navy Federal Credit Union

PenFed Credit Union

• Starter check cashing fee: Free
• Source: Customer service
• Find your nearest PenFed Credit Union

PNC Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: Free
• Source: PNC Fee Schedule
• Find your nearest PNC Bank

SunTrust Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: Free for checks under $50. $7 for checks over $50.
• Source: SunTrust check cashing page and customer service.
• Find your nearest SunTrust

TD Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: $7
• Source: Online customer service chat
• Find your nearest TD Bank

US Bank

• Starter check cashing fee: $7
• Source: Customer service
• Find your nearest US Bank

Wells Fargo

• Starter check cashing fee: $7.50
• Source: Customer service.
• Find your nearest Wells Fargo
• Learn more in our article: Wells Fargo Check Cashing Policy for Non Account Holders + Holders

Check Cashing Stores

Check cashing companies are one place where you can cash a starter check. We reached out to more than a dozen check cashing stores around the country, and the customer service representatives we spoke with from the stores below were always careful to say that, while they do cash starter checks, each check must be verified in-store.

When you bring a starter check into a check cashing store, they will attempt to verify that the person or business who wrote the check is real, the money is coming from a real bank account, and that the bank account has sufficient funds. If the starter check doesn’t pass the store’s verification process, you won’t be able to cash a starter check at that location. So, while we can say that these locations detailed below are able to cash starter checks, we can’t guarantee that they’ll cash every starter check.

Check cashing companies may provide the most convenience for you to cash your starter check; however, you should know that the fees for starter check cashing at these places are likely to be high relative to banks.

ACE Cash Express

• Starter check cashing fee: Starts at 3% of check amount but vary based on location and check type
• Source: ACE Cash Express check cashing page and customer service
• Find your nearest ACE Cash Express

Advance Financial (Tennessee)

• Starter check cashing fee: 1%- 2.99% of the total check amount, minimum $3 for business starter checks. 10% of total check amount, minimum of $5 for a personal starter check
• Source: Advance Financial Check Cashing FAQ
• Find your nearest Advance Financial

Amscot

• Starter check cashing fee: Business starter checks have a fee of 4.5%, personal starter checks have a fee of 9.9%. There’s a $3 minimum fee for both check types.
• Source: Amscot’s Check Cashing Rates page and customer service
• Find your nearest Amscot

Check Into Cash

• Starter check cashing fee: Varies based on location; call or visit your nearest store to find out current fees
• Source: The check cashing page of the Check Into Cash website and customer service
• Find your nearest Check Into Cash

PLS Check Cashing (North Carolina)

• Read all about PLS Check Cashing policies

The Check Cashing Store (Florida)

• Starter check cashing fee: Starts at 3% of check amount, with a $3 minimum. Rates will vary by location and check type.
• Source: The Check Cashing Store check cashing page and customer service live chat
• Find your nearest The Check Cashing Store

Money Mart

• Starter check cashing fee: Starts at 3% of check amount, with a $3 minimum. Rates will vary by location and check type.
• Source: Money Mart check cashing page and customer service live chat
• Find your nearest Money Mart

Places Where You Can’t Cash a Starter Check

Banks

The banks below will deposit a starter check into an account but won’t cash the checks outright.

• First Midwest Bank (See First Midwest Instant Check Cashing for more info)
• Regions Bank (See Regions Bank Guide to Check Cashing Services for more info)

Check Cashing Stores

• United Check Cashing (confirmed by customer service).

Retail Stores

No grocery stores will cash starter checks. In addition, these retail stores with popular check cashing services don’t cash starter checks.

• Kmart (confirmed by customer service)
• Walmart (See our article on Walmart Check Cashing for more info; also confirmed by customer service)

In Summary

Where can you cash starter checks? Now you know. Since starter checks have been associated with so many instances of check fraud, many businesses consider cashing starter checks too risk. For this reason, if you need to cash a starter check, it is not going to be as easy as cashing other types of checks. Your best bet for cashing a starter check is to go to the bank that the starter check is from. Check cashing stores are another option but they’ll likely charge higher fees than a bank.