As the leading grocery store chain in the US, Kroger offers a variety of services to its customers. Naturally, you get the normal experience you’d find in a grocery store; the ability to do all your food shopping for the upcoming week. But, at the same time, Kroger offers financial services in the form of check cashing.
A lot of people are unaware of this, but you can actually cash your checks in participating Kroger stores. This is beneficial as it means you can do your grocery shopping, and then cash in any checks at the same time. Therefore, you don’t have to go out of your way to find a bank, particularly if your nearest branch is quite far away.
Throughout this post, we will explain everything there is to know about Kroger and its check-cashing services. Read on to find out more:
Kroger Check Cashing Services
First thing’s first, all Kroger grocery stores let you cash your checks. So, if there’s one near you, then head down there, and you can use this service. However, it’s important to note that Kroger also owns a lot of other grocery stores as well. These stores also provide the same check-cashing services, so don’t be dismayed if there’s no Kroger near you. The best thing to do is head to their Money Services website and search for the nearest Kroger/Kroger-owned store in your area.
What checks can you cash with this service?
Moving onto the main check cashing service, and the big question revolves around the different types of checks you can cash in. Unfortunately, Kroger does not allow you to cash in all the checks you might own. However, they do allow you to cash in a fair few different ones:
Checks you can cash in at your nearest Kroger include:
- Government checks – basically any checks you receive from the government or government-funded programs. Examples of this are welfare checks, social security checks, and disability checks.
- Payroll checks – if your employer sends you a paycheck in the mail for you to either deposit or cash in, then you can cash it at a Kroger.
- Insurance settlement checks – have you been embroiled in an insurance claim that’s gone in your favor? If so, then you can cash your settlement check and get the money in your hands right away.
- Printed business checks – these include various printed checks you may receive as the owner of a business. For example; tax rebate checks or refunds.
Checks you can’t cash at a Kroger include:
- Personal checks
- Cashier’s checks
- Starter checks
As you can see, Kroger does let you cash in a fair range of checks at their stores. Just be aware of the three that you can’t cash, to avoid you wasting time by heading to a store and being waved away.
Kroger Check Cashing Fees & Limits
As with most check-cashing services, there are certain limitations and fees to contend with. The good news is, when compared with other places that offer the same service, Kroger tends to provide fairly cheap and affordable fee rates. Not only that, but they offer you a chance to lower the fees as well. The current rates for cashing a check are as follows:
$3.50 for any check that amounts to $2000 or less.
$6 for any check that amounts to $2000.01 or more.
Now, you can reduce these fees if you’re the owner of a Kroger Plus Card. This is basically a rewards card you can use in Kroger stores. For every dollar you spend, you earn one fuel point. You can save up these points to then spend on fuel in the future. There are various other promotions that you may also be entitled to with this card. But, from a check-cashing perspective, this card will grant you the following fees:
$3 for any check that amounts to $2000 or less.
$5.50 for any check that amounts to $2000.01 or more.
Granted, the savings aren’t that dramatic, but it’s probably worth getting the card just to save a little here and there. Plus, you can earn rewards and fuel points when you make in-store purchases, so you don’t lose anything and gain a fair bit.
One key thing to understand is that there are limitations on how much money you can cash in via one check. The maximum amount is $5000 per check. After doing some research, there doesn’t appear to be a limit on the total accumulative amount you can cash in. However, it obviously depends on how much cash the store has.
Finally, these fees and limits are the general fees/limits laid out by Kroger on their websites. They don’t take into account any local or state laws. As such, we can’t guarantee that you’ll see the exact same fees. It may depend on your location, but the best thing to do is call up your local store and ask them what their specific fees and limits are. This way, you’ll avoid any nasty surprises.
Kroger Check Cashing Requirements
Kroger sets some fairly basic requirements when it comes to their check cashing service. One very important thing to note is that you don’t need a bank account to cash a check at a Kroger branded store.
In essence, there are only three things you need to have to use this service:
- A legitimate form of current ID
- Your Social Security Number
- Your Taxpayer Identification Number
While ID is essential, you don’t always need both of the two numbers. If you know your Social Security Number, then that’s good enough, and you don’t require the other one – and vice versa.
What are forms of ID accepted by Kroger?
- US driver’s license
- US state-issued photo ID
- US passport
- Military ID
- Matricula Consular ID
- Resident alien ID
Needless to say that all these forms of ID are only valid if they’re current. So, don’t expect to be granted access to check to cash if you only have an out-of-date passport as ID.
Kroger Check Cashing Hours
One of the major benefits of Kroger’s check cashing service is that they operate on much better hours than a traditional bank. Banks can close in the late afternoon/early evening every day. Not only that, but they’re rarely open 7 days per week. This limits the opportunities you have to cash checks, particularly if you can only get to your bank in the evening.
What are the check cashing hours for Kroger stores? 8 am – 9 pm, Monday – Sunday.
These are the general hours, times may vary depending on location. Again, your best bet is to simply call your local store and ask what their hours are, to see if they differ.
Can you cash checks at Kroger on Sunday?
Kroger money service centers will cash your check any day of the week as long as it is in the time frame of the service desk being open. The normal hours are from 8 A.M. to 9 So does Kroger cash checks on Sunday? Well, the answer to this question is yes they do. They will cash your check any day of the week as long as it is in the time frame of the service desk being open. The normal hours are from 8 A.M. to 9 P.M. They also will cash all kinds of checks for you such as follows: Government checks, payroll checks, printed business checks, and Western Union money orders. There will be some fees with cashing your check though. There will be a fee of $3.50 for any check that is $2000 or less and a $6 fee for any check that is $2000 up to $5000.
For more information about Kroger’s store hours, click here.
Does Kroger cash postal money orders?
Are you looking to cash your postal money order at Kroger? Well sorry, but they do not cash these kinds of money orders here. The only kind of money order that Kroger cash is Western Union money orders. They do this so that they can keep down on all of the fraud with money orders nowadays.
Does Kroger cash personal checks?
So to answer the question does Kroger cash personal checks the answer is NO. Although they may not cash personal checks, however, they do cash other types of checks. Kroger stores do offer cash-back services at the checkout. This allows you to write a check for up to $100 over your total.
Conclusion
To summarize; it is possible to cash a check at Kroger. Every Kroger grocery store offers this service, along with many of the chains they own. They offer low fees compared to many banks, and a fairly lenient limitations policy. If you want to save money on the fees, then apply for a Kroger Plus Card – it’s free, and you can earn fuel points as well. While you can’t cash in personal checks or third-party checks, you can cash in a wide variety of checks including; payroll checks, government checks, and insurance settlements. Finally, there are a few requirements needed to cash a check at your local Kroger store. A bank account isn’t required, just ensure you have a valid form of ID, and either your Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number. With much better hours than banks and fast service, Kroger’s check cashing services have become very popular.