[Nik Naym]

There is another angle here: the poster is talking about a PAYCHECK. Depending on the state laws, there may be someone breaking the law here, but not necessarily the bank. Or maybe the bank.

In at least one state, at least long ago when I had to worry about such things, NY state has a law about paychecks. (Or did)

An employer must pay an employee in CASH, or a check that is readily converted to cash. In other words, if the employee is paid with a check and the bank it is drawn on refuses to cash it to the employee at face value, the employer is in deep shnit. They could potentially find themselves being required to pay employees in CASH.

IANAL. I could be full of crap now, as times do change.

However it seems absurd that a bank charges the payee to cash a check drawn on that bank. The way I see it, if a bank has a policy of not cashing checks DRAWN ON THAT BANK, then the banks checks are of questionable value and ergo: the bank is of questionable value. I agree with what another post here said...use a credit union.

[maui_hawaii]

Credit Union won't help you in this regard. But I guess it depends on the Credit Union. The vast majority have the same check cashing requirements as a bank does for any non account holder.

BTW It doesn't matter if its a paycheck or not. No one is breaking the law. The bank has the right to charge a fee for the use of their services and to not cash a check for someone if they have reason to not want to.

If the bank says 'we don't cash checks for non account holders' then thats the policy of the bank. You might not like that bank, but thats how it goes.

If they have that policy, paycheck or not, go to your bank and deposit the item.

They might have a million bucks in their account, but the bank can still refuse to cash a check off of it for a non account holder.