If you don’t have a bank account, the most reliable place to get a cashier’s check is a local credit union or community bank. These smaller institutions will often sell one to a non-customer for a fee of roughly $10 to $15, provided you pay in cash and bring valid identification. The biggest national banks generally won’t help: Chase and Wells Fargo limit cashier’s checks to their own account holders, and Bank of America no longer issues them to non-clients at all. Call ahead before you drive over, because policies vary from one branch to the next.
Credit Unions and Community Banks Are Your Best Bet
Smaller institutions tend to have more flexibility than the national chains. Many credit unions will issue a cashier’s check to someone who isn’t a member, usually at a slightly higher fee than the member price. Some credit unions are organized around a specific employer, church, or geographic community, but that doesn’t always mean the door is closed to outsiders for a one-off purchase. A phone call to the branch is worth more than any general rule; ask directly whether they sell cashier’s checks to non-members and what the fee is.
Community banks work the same way. Bring cash for the full amount plus the fee, because a bank that doesn’t know you won’t accept a personal check or an outside debit card to fund the purchase.
Try the Payee’s Bank
If you’re paying someone who banks at a specific institution, that bank may issue the check even though you’re not a customer. A car seller who banks at a particular credit union, for example, gives that credit union a reason to help the deal close. You’ll still need to show ID and provide the information the bank requires, but the incentive is on your side.
Why the Big National Banks Usually Say No
When a bank issues a cashier’s check, it draws on its own funds and guarantees payment. That guarantee is what makes the instrument attractive to sellers, and it’s also why banks are cautious about who they’ll sell one to. Chase pulls the funds directly from a customer’s checking balance, so no account means no check. Wells Fargo limits the service to its checking and savings customers. Bank of America has stopped serving non-clients entirely.
Federal anti-money-laundering law adds to the caution. Under 31 U.S.C. § 5318, banks must maintain procedures to verify customer identities and guard against illicit finance.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 31 USC 5318 – Compliance, Exemptions, and Summons Authority A walk-in stranger is harder to verify than an existing account holder, and compliance failures can carry civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, or more for willful violations.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 31 USC 5321 – Civil Penalties Many large banks have decided the risk isn’t worth it.
What to Bring to the Counter
Walk in prepared. Missing paperwork is the most common reason a non-customer transaction stalls or gets refused.
- A current government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or military ID. The bank will examine it to confirm your name and address.
- Cash for the full check amount plus the service fee. Non-customer purchases are almost always cash-only.
- The payee’s exact legal name. A misspelling can make the check unusable, and fixing it means canceling and reissuing. For a business, use the full registered entity name.
- Your Social Security number. Federal regulation requires it for any non-customer cash purchase of $3,000 or more, and many banks ask for it below that threshold as a matter of internal policy.
If two people will be named on the check, confirm the conjunction in advance. A check made out to “Pat and Chris Doe” generally needs both signatures to be cashed or deposited, while “Pat or Chris Doe” can be endorsed by either one alone.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Do Both My Spouse and I Have to Sign the Back of a Check Made Out to Us?
Extra Rules Kick In at $3,000 and $10,000
Federal regulations require any bank selling a cashier’s check for $3,000 or more in cash to a non-account-holder to collect and retain your name, address, Social Security number (or alien identification number), date of birth, the date of purchase, and the serial number and dollar amount of the check. The bank must also verify your identity by examining an acceptable ID.4eCFR. 31 CFR 1010.415 – Purchases of Bank Checks and Drafts, Cashier’s Checks, Money Orders and Traveler’s Checks These rules run from $3,000 up to $10,000.
Above $10,000 in cash, the bank must also file a Currency Transaction Report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.5eCFR. 31 CFR 1010.311 – Filing Obligations for Reports of Transactions in Currency You don’t file anything yourself, but expect additional questions and a slower transaction. The teller may also screen your name against federal sanctions and prohibited-party lists before printing the check.6FFIEC BSA/AML Manual. BSA/AML Manual Office of Foreign Assets Control
Once the Check Is Printed, It’s Final
Before you leave the window, check the printed payee name and dollar amount carefully. A mistake caught at the counter is fixed in seconds. A mistake caught later means canceling and reissuing, with fees and delays attached.
You should also understand that a cashier’s check cannot be stopped once it leaves the bank. Because the bank has already committed its own funds to back the check, the purchaser has no right to reverse the transaction. The issuer is obligated to pay the holder according to the check’s terms.7Legal Information Institute (LII) / Cornell Law School. UCC 3-412 – Obligation of Issuer of Note or Cashier’s Check That finality is exactly why sellers ask for cashier’s checks, and it’s also why you should only hand one over when you’re certain about the deal.
Keep the receipt. It carries the tracking number you’ll need if the check is ever lost.
If No Bank Will Help: Use a Money Order
When no local institution will sell you a cashier’s check, or when the amount is small enough that you don’t strictly need one, a money order is the most accessible substitute. You don’t need a bank account, and they’re sold at thousands of locations.
Post Office Money Orders
Any post office sells money orders for up to $1,000 each, payable in cash or by debit card. The fee is $2.55 for amounts up to $500 and $3.60 for amounts from $500.01 to $1,000.8USPS. Sending Money Orders For larger sums, you can buy multiple money orders, though the recipient may find that awkward compared to a single instrument.
Retail Money Orders
Grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores sell MoneyGram or Western Union money orders, generally up to $1,000 each. Fees at retailers often run lower than at the post office, typically $0.70 to $3 depending on the store and amount. Walmart sells MoneyGram money orders up to $1,000 for around $1. Pay in cash or with a debit card at the customer service counter.
When a Money Order Won’t Be Enough
Money orders have a practical ceiling of $1,000 per instrument. For a home down payment, a used-vehicle purchase, or any large closing, the payee may specifically require a cashier’s check or wire transfer. If that’s your situation and no bank will sell you a cashier’s check as a non-customer, opening a basic checking account, including a low-fee or second-chance account, is usually the fastest way to get one.