Most of us have used personal checks at some point in our lives, but there are quite a few questions that can arise about what you can and can't do with this payment option.
Browse these questions and answers to see if you can find the solution to your problem. If you need help ordering checks, please call our customer service department at 1-888-657-9758, or email your question to sales@checkadvantage.com.
What is the Best Way to Cash Personal Checks?
The easiest place to cash personal checks is at a financial institution where you have a bank account. You don't necessarily have to go to any specific branch. Your account information will be on file at all of the locations.
It's also possible to cash checks at the bank from which the check is being drawn. Look near the bottom left of the check for the name of the bank the person who wrote you the personal check belongs to. Since you are not a member of that particular bank or credit union, they have the right to refuse service if they choose.
You will need to endorse the back of any checks you are cashing or depositing with your signature. You may also be asked to provide a picture ID to prove you are the person who endorsed the check.
What if I Don't Have a Bank Account?
If you are not a current customer of any particular financial institution, it's still possible to cash personal checks; however, you'll probably have to pay a fee.
Check Cashing stores make money by charging people who do not have bank accounts for the service of cashing checks. You'll most likely be charged a percentage of the total amount, or a flat fee per a set dollar amount. A typical flat fee would be $4 for every $100.
Some grocery stores and discount retailers like Wal-Mart also cash checks for a small processing fee. However, they may refuse to cash personal checks and will only accept business checks or payroll checks because of the risk involved with handling personal checks.
The best thing you can do to save money is open your own checking account and order checks online to avoid the mark-ups financial institutions charge you for to order checks from them.
How Can I Find My Routing and Account Number?
Your routing and account numbers are printed on every single one of your checks. They are located at the very bottom on what is called the MICR line. The routing number is usually the first set of nine numbers, the account number and accompanying symbols follow, and the current check number is the last few digits on the line.
Do I need My Driver's License Number or SSN printed on my Personal Checks?
You should never print your social security number on your personal checks!
The safest thing to do is to print as little personal information on your checks as possible. Printing your social security number or driver's license number on your checks puts you at great risk for identity theft.
You can always write additional personal information on a check if it is absolutely necessary.
At Check Advantage, you are only required to enter one line of personal information when you order checks.
Can Personal Checks Expire
Technically, personal checks do not really expire. But a bank can refuse to cash them after a certain amount of time.
In general, a check is considered to be "stale dated" after 6 months. After that, it is up to the individual bank or credit union to decide whether or not to cash the check.
Some business checks such as your paycheck or a tax refund may indicate that they will be considered void after a certain amount of time.
If you've waited a long time to cash a personal check, it would be a good idea to call the person who wrote it to let them know you are going to cash it. They may not be expecting the money to disappear from their account if they wrote the check months ago.
Blank checks will be perfectly good to use as long as the information on the MICR line is accurate.
