Paying for a car by check

[ez]

We may be buying a used car this weekend. Will dealerships take a personal check for full amount even if banks are closed, is their a way to verify that the money is actually in my account? i forget how that works. or I could also put on credit card temporarily, is that an option they would accept? Thanks!!

 

[mnrose]

I've paid for new cars via check, but I've not been able to take possession of the car until the check cleared the bank.

 

[sam_gordon]

I can speak only toward deposits (unfortunately we still had to take loans on our vehicles)...

One dealership we went to would only accept $2K I think on credit or debit card.
Another dealership accepted our check for a deposit (+ the trade in).

These were both Toyota dealerships (not "side of the road" dealerships). That might make a difference.

Both vehicles we drove off the lot that day.

 

[Hisgirl]

I just bought a car with a check and it was on the north side of 30K. They didn't blink an eye and had no way of knowing if the money was there.

 

[POOHsie]

When we sold our house to relocate to another state, we stopped at the local car dealer for a better car. Our home sale proceeds were in the bank, and the dealer allowed us to use our debit card for payment. But the transaction wouldn't go higher than $5k. They told us we could write a check for the balance. The salesman disappeared with the check and the card, and I presume he called the bank to verify funds for the $18k sale. We left the dealership in the "new" car. Quick and easy.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

The dealership that I used required a cashiers check. They would only take a personal check up to 2k and credit card up to 3k. The total sales price was 38k and change.

 

[Jdbsfw]

My sister wrote a check for 12k for a down payment after hours, she went home with the car and no questions were asked

 

[Dizlvr]

The Toyota and Nissan dealers here required cashier's checks for our cars.

 

[LilyWDW]

I wrote a personal check for about $27k on my car (fully paid for). There were no issues with the dealership.

 

[Lilliputian]

We've paid with a regular check on a Saturday but not a national holiday. They called the 800 number for the bank to verify that we had the amount in the account. I don't know if they can do that on a holiday. We've also paid a little over $7K on an American Express for a car, so it was over what some people are reporting.

If the banks are open tomorrow, then the best way to handle it would be to get a combination of certified check and cash. For example, if you're planning to spend between $7-8K on a car, get a check for $7,000 and $1,000 cash.

 

[low-key]

If there taking checks Im getting a Mercedes

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I bought my last car with a check it was new so about $37k. I can't remember exactly how but they basically did a read only access on my bank account so they could verify the amount was available.

 

[tvguy]

I wrote a personal check for about $27k on my car (fully paid for). There were no issues with the dealership.

Same here. But every dealership I've ever dealt with required you to fill out and qualify for a loan in case your check bounces or financing you have arranged falls through.

 

[Pamlur]

I have never had to fill out a loan application, and have paid for several cars with checks over the years.

 

[jdb in AZ]

A cashier's check would simplify things. We recently paid for a new car with personal checks and $5000 on a credit card (so we could get the rewards points), but the dealership still wanted us to fill out loan paperwork just in case. If we had known, we would've just paid via cashier's check.

 

[littlejimmy]

yes. go for it and dont think twice. you buying a ferrari orwhat?

 

[codimouse]

We may be buying a used car this weekend. Will dealerships take a personal check for full amount even if banks are closed, is their a way to verify that the money is actually in my account? i forget how that works. or I could also put on credit card temporarily, is that an option they would accept? Thanks!!

I purchased a car via check on a Saturday last year from a major dealership. I took the car home the same day. I just had to get proof of insurance which wasnt hard to do.
And I didnt fill out loan paperwork.

 

[ez]

I am definitely not filling out paperwork for a loan if I intend to pay by check, hope they dont even ask me that!! Thanks for your help everyone!!

 

[mamamary]

We just bought a used car. Put $3,0000 on a credit card, gave them our trade in and paid the remainder with a personal check. No problems.

 

[cvjw]

We purchased 3 new cars with personal checks in the last couple of years. Each check was over $30,000. No dealership ever questioned our check, nor did we fill our a loan application. I am sure that the dealership checks your credit before the purchase, so they know if you are good for the money