Personal Check Vs. Certified Check Vs. Cashier’s Check (2024)

Today, only about 1 in 12 noncash transactions involves a paper check. Yet even as the check’s share of transaction volume continues to decline, you may still need to send or receive one to complete a purchase or sale. If you’re unclear about the various types of checks and how they work, here’s what you need to know about personal checks, cashier’s checks and certified checks.

What Is a Personal Check?

Personal checks are slips of paper issued by your bank that feature the bank’s routing number and your account number. Checks are essentially written instructions ordering another bank or financial institution to pay a specified amount from the check writer’s account to the payee—the person or business named on the check. Sometimes a check may not name a specific person, in which case anyone who presents the check for payment can receive the money.

Most checking accounts from traditional brick-and-mortar banks let you purchase personal checks you can use to make payments—some checking accounts even provide free checks to account holders.

How to Write a Personal Check

Although checks are declining as a way to pay, you may face several situations that require payment via personal check. Here are some things to keep in mind if you are called upon to write a traditional paper check.

• Write in blue or black ink.
• Write the current date on the date line in month-day-year format.
• Add the payee’s name next to “Pay to the order of.”
• Write the numeric value of the check in the box with a dollar sign (e.g., “19.99).
• Spell out the value on the “Dollar amount” line, with cents expressed as a fraction (e.g., “Nineteen dollars and 99/100”).
• Sign your name on the “Signature” line.
• Add a note to the payee on the “Memo” line in the lower left.

Where Can I Cash a Personal Check?

If you have a personal check you want to exchange for cash immediately, the best place to go is a branch operated by the bank named on the check.

If the check was written by one of the bank’s account holders, the account has sufficient funds to cover the check and you can identify yourself as the payee named on the check, the bank or credit union will likely cash it on the spot. However, you may be charged a fee if you don’t have an account with the bank.

You can also visit your own bank to cash a personal check, but you might be unable to cash checks for more than $200. Some supermarkets and retail chains, including Walmart, offer check-cashing services, but you’ll face steep fees if you choose this route. If you don’t need the cash right away, deposit the check into your account, and it should clear within three to five business days.

What Is a Cashier’s Check?

A cashier’s check is a check that draws from the bank’s funds rather than the individual account holder’s. It’s a form of payment that guarantees the recipient there is enough money to cover the check. However, the person requesting the cashier’s check must first provide the bank with enough money to cover the check’s value.

Cashier’s checks offer payees the benefit of being paid reliably and immediately. This is why they are often used in major transactions, like purchasing a vehicle or home.

How to Get a Cashier’s Check

The only way to get a cashier’s check is through a bank or credit union, and you typically have to be a customer to get one. Some online banks let you order a cashier’s check from your phone or computer, but traditional banks may require you to visit a branch. If you’re going in person, here’s the general process:

• Bring the cash to fund the cashier’s check to your bank or credit union or have enough money in your account.
• Provide a government-issued photo ID and all the information needed to fill out the check, including the payee’s name.
• After you supply the money and the payee’s name, the bank will print the check.
• Review the check’s details, and retain the receipt so you can track its status.

Some banks charge a fee of up to $15 for a cashier’s check. Others provide cashier’s checks as a free service to checking account customers.

What Is a Certified Check?

A certified check is like a personal check in that the funds are drawn from the signatory’s checking account. But with certified checks, the bank first verifies that the account holder has enough money in their account to cover the check. Due to this extra step, these checks are much less convenient for an account holder and generally unnecessary for everyday purchases.

You’ll likely need a certified check for a large transaction, such as making a down payment on a home, or to buy something from a stranger you met online. The certification process protects the seller from a bounced check in these situations.

Where to Get a Certified Check

The only place to get a certified check is a brick-and-mortar bank or credit union, and you must have an account at the institution. Online-only banks don’t provide certified checks, and even some traditional financial institutions issue only cashier’s checks. Before visiting your bank or credit union, call to see if it offers certified checks.

How Do I Get a Certified Check?

If your bank or credit union offers certified checks, head to a branch with a government-issued ID and the correct spelling of the payee’s name. Also, know the exact dollar value you want to assign the check, and be sure you have that much money in your bank account. (Note that you can’t get a certified check with cash unless you first deposit it into your checking account.)

Once at the bank, a teller will typically verify your account is active and in good standing and confirm you have the authority to write a check. You’ll need to present a government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license, then fill out the check in front of the teller, who will check your account balance to see if the necessary funds are available. If the money is available, it’ll be earmarked for the check, and you’ll be unable to spend it. Finally, the teller will stamp the check to show it is certified.

After paying the fee, if any, you’ll get a receipt. Hang onto it at least until the check clears. For major transactions, such as purchasing a car or home, you may want to file the receipt with your other papers related to the deal.

Beware Certified and Cashier’s Check Fraud

Although certified checks and cashier’s checks offer some additional security to both the check writer and the recipient, they aren’t foolproof. According to the Federal Trade Commission, several fraudulent check schemes rely on the fact that it can take banks weeks to detect a fraudulent check.

By law, banks must make the funds from official bank checks (including cashier’s and certified checks) available within one business day after those checks are deposited. This means a seller who accepts a fraudulent check will not only lose the items they handed over in exchange for the check, but they may also be on the hook for any money spent from the fraudulent funds.

Fraudsters often provide a certified or cashier’s check for more than a sale price, then ask the seller to send back the difference. But even if a potential buyer is offering you a certified or cashier’s check for the correct amount, it’s always a smart idea to make sure the check is good before completing the transaction.

Call the bank that issued the check—and don’t just call the phone number listed on the check, because that may also be fraudulent. Look up the bank’s phone number yourself, and ask the bank to verify the check number and the account holder’s name or check requester (if it’s a cashier’s check).

Bottom Line

Each of the three types of checks offers a mix of convenience, economy, reliability and security. Knowing the benefits and drawbacks of the various paper payment types can help you find the right payment method when needed and understand what to look for when you’re the recipient. If you’re hunting for a new bank that offers personal checks, cashier’s checks and certified checks, start by comparing the best checking accounts available today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)