Will front desk cash personal checks?

[LodgeMan]

This may not be the right forum but does anyone know if the front desk will cash local(FL) checks?

 

[Caskbill]

I know that if you are a member staying on points that they will cash a personal check (doesn't have to be Florida). The limit is something like $200 or so. (Per day?)

You also need a credit card. The system they use somehow uses the credit card as a backup to the check. I think it blocks out that amount on the cc until the check clears.

We've cashed checks several times over the years. Beats paying that double ATM fee we would get otherwise.

 

[Pa@okw95]

Catsbill aready answered your question. Another thing you might want to do is get a debit card from your bank, then the cash will just come out of your account and you can get your cash anywhere there are ATM's.

 

[LodgeMan]

I have a debit/ATM card, I just wanted to avoid paying the ATM fees at the resort/parks.....Thanks for your assistance, I appreciate it.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by Caskbill
I know that if you are a member staying on points that they will cash a personal check (doesn't have to be Florida). The limit is something like $200 or so. (Per day?)
You also need a credit card. The system they use somehow uses the credit card as a backup to the check. I think it blocks out that amount on the cc until the check clears.
We've cashed checks several times over the years. Beats paying that double ATM fee we would get otherwise.

Actually, Caskbill, the credit card can be charged in case the check bounces, so it secures the check for them.

And to think I never thought of doing this; I simply paid the ATM fees, d'oh! What was I thinking? Of course, I mainly use plastic wherever possible, and have only had call to hit an ATM about once per visit, so no biggie, really (still, after a few of those fees, we're talking real money).

 

[Lesley]

You know, I never thought of this either. Good idea. Thanks for the tip!

Those ATM fees end up being something like $4 each transaction....yikes!

 

[kweaver]

Or you could bank with USAA...who pays those nasty ATM fees for you (with a limit per month, of course)!!

I hardly ever carry cash anymore...and even then it is usually small amounts. DH remembers his graduation trip to WDW where his grandfather carried around $4000 in cash in some kind of contraption at the parks!

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by kweaver
Or you could bank with USAA...who pays those nasty ATM fees for you (with a limit per month, of course)!!

I hardly ever carry cash anymore...and even then it is usually small amounts. DH remembers his graduation trip to WDW where his grandfather carried around $4000 in cash in some kind of contraption at the parks!

Don't you need a military connection to use USAA?

As to ATM fees, while I agree they generally byte more than breaking down in the middle of Small World, if you think about it, $4.00 for access to your money possibly thousands of miles away from your bank, it's not all that terrible.

That being said, I grew up 'tapping MAC' when it was free anywhere, anytime, and in many places you could take out as little as $5.00/transaction. Kinda of like my little neighborhood savings and loan--where you could deposit your $1.59 into your savings account, actually earn real interest, and get a lollypop while doing it--those days are gone.

-Joe

 

[kweaver]

Originally posted by jmminarik
Don't you need a military connection to use USAA?

-Joe

Not for their banking products...they are open to everyone.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Caskbill
I know that if you are a member staying on points that they will cash a personal check (doesn't have to be Florida). The limit is something like $200 or so. (Per day?)

You also need a credit card. The system they use somehow uses the credit card as a backup to the check. I think it blocks out that amount on the cc until the check clears.

We've cashed checks several times over the years. Beats paying that double ATM fee we would get otherwise.

It is totally illegal to block the amount of a check on a credit card or to print the number of the credit card on the check. It is just another form of ID.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by pumpkinboy
Actually, Caskbill, the credit card can be charged in case the check bounces, so it secures the check for them.

And to think I never thought of doing this; I simply paid the ATM fees, d'oh! What was I thinking? Of course, I mainly use plastic wherever possible, and have only had call to hit an ATM about once per visit, so no biggie, really (still, after a few of those fees, we're talking real money).

No, they cannot do that. It is, and has been, illegal for years.

They also cannot write down the number, only the type of credit card and the expiration date.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I just use my ATM card at the grocery store and get cash back, no fee, and I seem to be running there every few days.

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

I hate carrying cash and I live by my ATM but don't like bringing it on vacation ... so a little trick I do, that some of you find helpful, is I prepay $3000 or so on my American Express card ahead of time (week or two before departing on trip) and use the American Express as a debit card throughout the trip so I don’t get charged any fees. I usually call in advance and let them know I am doing this and when you return home if there is a debit balance (never had that problem though) they will send you a check on request for the remainder or you just continue using it like cash till your reserve runs out and you have a credit balance to pay. I've only done this with American Express but do not see why you couldn’t do the same with any credit card.

 

[pmcpmc]

anything even in the Uk

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by pmcpmc
anything even in the Uk

they eat the cost of a foreign atm?

 

[DebbieB]

I have a Citizen's ATM card and they did not charge me to use the ATM in WDW. However, the bank that owns the ATM did, $2.00 per transaction (Feb 2003). I usually charge everything back to the room key but on that trip I was with friends and the room was not in my name. Since a couple of my friends were cm's, we got all our meals on one check to get the discount and paid cash. Unfortunately, I ran out!

 

[manning]

I hate carrying cash and I live by my ATM but don't like bringing it on vacation ... so a little trick I do, that some of you find helpful, is I prepay $3000 or so on my American Express card ahead of time (week or two before departing on trip) and use the American Express as a debit card throughout the trip so I don’t get charged any fees.

And if the credit card is stolen you will get your money back.

A debit card is stolen and they clean out your account it's your money and are out of luck. Maybe...........maybe ..... the bank may give back your money.

I'll stay with the credit card.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by manning
And if the credit card is stolen you will get your money back.

A debit card is stolen and they clean out your account it's your money and are out of luck. Maybe...........maybe ..... the bank may give back your money.

I'll stay with the credit card.

That depends on the bank and their program. Mine gets me my money back.

 

[Cris]

the check cashing limit is 50.00 dollars a day!!

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by BostonDisneyKid
...so a little trick I do, that some of you find helpful, is I prepay $3000 or so on my American Express card ahead of time (week or two before departing on trip) and use the American Express as a debit card throughout the trip ....

Unless one has a really low credit limit, where's the benefit in this? Charge stuff on the trip and then pay the bill when it arrives. Giving AMEX a loan doesn't make sense to me, but then again, I don't get why lots of people majorly over pay income tax and are happy when a huge refund comes in the spring.

-Joe