Cashier’s Check Near Me: 30 Places To Getting a Cashier’s Check Nearby
A cashier’s check is a check that’s guaranteed by a bank instead of your personal account balance. Since the bank guarantees the funds, people commonly use cashier’s checks for large transactions like paying a security deposit for a new apartment, buying a car or making a down payment on a house.
If you’ve been searching for, “Where to get a cashier’s check near me,” follow this guide to find 30 institutions that offer them and learn other details you should know before getting one.
Where Can I Get a Cashier’s Check?
If you have a checking account or savings account, you can get a cashier’s check at a local branch from a major bank or credit union. You may also request a cashier’s check online if your bank allows. If you don’t have an account at a financial institution, you might still be able to get a cashier’s check by opening a new account with the necessary funds and paying a cashier’s check fee.
Note that cashier’s checks are only available from financial institutions, unlike money orders, which you can purchase at gas stations, convenience stores and post offices.
How To Get a Cashier’s Check
You typically need to have an existing account with the institution where you wish to purchase a cashier’s check. You also need the following:
Personal identification: Driver’s license or passport and bank account number or ATM card
Payment: Sufficient funds in your existing account at the financial institution or funds to open a new account
Check recipient information: The person or company the bank should make the check payable to
Money for the fee: Payment for the cashier’s check fee as set by your bank
Memo information: Optional, just as with a personal check
Which Banks Will Give Me a Cashier’s Check?
Here are 30 banks and credit unions that offer cashier’s checks as well as the fee each institution charges for this service:
Chase Bank: $0 fee for Premier Plus and Sapphire Checking accounts, $10 for Total Checking and student checking accounts
Bank of America: $15 fee
Citi®: $10 fee; for more details, see website for details for Citi Priority and Citigold account holders
Wells Fargo: $10 fee
U.S. Bank: $10 fee
Truist Bank: $10 fee
PNC Bank: $10 to $15
Capital One: $10 fee
TD Bank: $8 fee
Ally Bank: $0
Axos Bank: $0
BBVA: $10 fee
Citizens Bank & Trust: Fee of 1% of the amount ($5 minimum, $12 maximum)
HSBC: $0 fee
Fifth Third Bank: $10 fee
Fidelity: $5 fee
KeyBank: $8 fee
Union Bank: $3 fee
USAA: $10 fee
Woodforest National Bank: $0 or $10 fee, depending on account type
Alliant Credit Union: $0 fee
Navy Federal Credit Union: $5 fee
BECU: $5 fee
PenFed Credit Union: $0 fee
Tucson Federal Credit Union: $3 fee
Chartway Federal Credit Union: $0 fee
Regions Bank: $0 fee
Santander Bank: $10 fee
Huntington Bank: $6 fee
Comerica Bank: $10 fee
Where Can I Get a Cashier’s Check Besides Banks and Credit Unions?
You can only get a cashier’s check from a financial institution such as a bank or credit union. If you don’t want to use a bank or credit union, then you need to look into alternative ways to provide your recipient with guaranteed funds. That could mean buying a money order or transferring the recipient’s funds through an app like Zelle.
How To Get a Cashier’s Check Without a Bank Account
Not all banks require you to have a deposit account to issue a cashier’s check. For example, Huntington Bank will issue cashier’s checks to non-account holders as long as they have insurance, a safe deposit box or a credit card with the bank.
If you don’t have a bank account and don’t want to open one, call different banks and credit unions in your area to see if any will issue a cashier’s check to non-account holders. If you find one, be prepared to pay for the cashier’s check with cash.
Alternatives to a Cashier’s Check
If you are unable to obtain a cashier’s check, here are some alternative forms of payment to consider.
Certified Checks
A certified check is a personal check that’s certified by your bank and drawn on your personal funds. During the certification process, the bank verifies the check, your signature and the availability of funds, which makes it a more secure form of payment than a regular personal check. There may be a fee for certified checks, depending on the bank you use.
Money Orders
Money orders are similar to cashier’s checks in that they’re written by the issuer and are guaranteed. However, they are more widely available and cheaper.
You can find money orders at the post office, grocery store, convenience store and other places like Western Union and Walmart. Money orders typically cost between $2 to $3 but can only be issued for up to $1,000.
Wire Transfers
Wire transfers are a way to move money quickly, either nationally or internationally. You can make a wire transfer using your bank or a service like Western Union. Within the U.S., funds may be available within a few hours or one business day. However, be prepared to pay a fee of $15 to $50.
Money Transfer Apps
Apps like Apple, PayPal, Zelle and Venmo are ways to make digital payments — sometimes instantly. Fees can occur, however, so be sure to check before sending a large amount. Additionally, money transfer apps do have limits on how much you can transfer, so if you’re planning to make a large payment, verify the limit first.
Cashier’s Check Scams
The Federal Trade Commission has issued many warnings to consumers about cashier’s check scams. Here are three common types of scams:
Overpayment scam: Someone buys something from you online and then “accidentally” overpays for it with a cashier’s check and asks you to refund the difference.
Secret shopper scam: You are “hired” to evaluate the customer service at a money transfer service and given a cashier’s check. You are told to deposit the check at your bank, withdraw the amount in cash, and send it to a person in a foreign city. By the time the forgery is discovered, the money is long gone.
Pay for prize scam: An official-looking notice comes in the mail, saying you won a fabulous prize but must pay taxes, shipping and handling, or processing fees. You might also receive a cashier’s check to deposit with instructions to wire a portion of the money back.
As a general rule of thumb, you should typically only need a cashier’s check when you want to make a large purchase and the recipient requires this form of guaranteed payment. If anyone asks you for a cashier’s check unexpectedly, that’s a warning sign that you may be the target of a scam.
What If You Lose a Cashier’s Check?
Cashier’s checks come out of your account immediately after issuance. This means you go on to lose the check, you’ve essentially lost that amount of cash from your bank account.
However, there is a solution. Banks will often issue a new check without pulling the same amount of funds from your account if you first purchase an insurance policy called an indemnity bond. This protects the bank.
If anyone finds the lost check and presents it for payment, you’ll be on the hook for its total balance and the total balance of the reissued cashier’s check. This is why it’s important to watch over cashier’s checks carefully to avoid the issues that can arise when you lose them.
Final Take: Where To Get a Cashier’s Check Near You
The best place to get a cashier’s check in your area is at your local bank or credit union branch where you already have an active checking, savings account. If that’s not an option, consider calling banks in your area to see if any will sell you a cashier’s check for cash or some other type of collateral.
Looking for more ways to grow your money? You might also want to look at banks that offer great CD rates.
FAQ
Where do you get a cashier's check from?
You can get a cashier's check from a bank or credit union that you have an existing account with. A minority of institutions will print cashier's checks for non-account-holders but may require that you have a credit card, safety box or insurance policy with the bank.
How much do cashier's checks cost?
Cashier's checks tend to cost between $5 and $10. However, some institutions offer them for lower prices or for free as a perk to their members.
Does Walmart make cashier's checks?
No, Walmart is not a bank or credit union, so it doesn't issue cashier's checks. However, Walmart MoneyCenters can help you send funds in other ways, such as through money orders and money transfers. Some branches also have Western Union locations inside their money centers.
Do banks still offer cashier's checks?
Yes, most banks and credit unions offer cashier's checks. The fees and policies around these can vary from institution to institution.
Which bank will give me a cashier's check?
The vast majority of banks and credit unions offer cashier's checks, but you typically need to go through the institution where you have an account to get one. If you don't have a bank account, you may still be able to get a cashier's check at places that accept other forms of collateral, such as credit cards, safety deposit boxes and insurance policies.
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Melanie Grafil and Kellan Jansen contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Cashier’s Check Near Me: 30 Places To Getting a Cashier’s Check Nearby
