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Original poster

Cheque given to child with no bank account

54 replies

LoveIndubitably · 03/12/2024 18:56

I have primary age DC and they don't have their own bank accounts. (I have a savings account for them in my name). A relative has kindly sent a cheque as a gift to one of them, in the DC's name. Is there any way of paying this in without opening an account for them? (I suspect not but thought it worth asking!)

There aren't any bank branches local to us any more as they've all closed down within the last couple of years.

OP posts:

Pineapplewaves · 03/12/2024 20:23

Ask them to write another cheque in your name, you pay it into your bank account and give DC the cash. This is what I do with DM who still insists on giving cheques as Christmas presents.

mumda · 03/12/2024 20:33

LoveIndubitably · 03/12/2024 19:25

The kids are only young and don't need their own bank account for any practical reasons, and I'm in two minds as to whether it's sensible to put (eventually) thousands into an account they can get full access to at 18.

There is not enough in 'my' savings for them at the moment to make tax-free savings have any effect, so not had to think about it yet.

Why can't you speak to the relative and explain the child doesn't have an account???
I can do that but don't want to put them out if there's an easier option.

Yes they do need a bank account.

Someone's given a cheque with their name on.

Get them all bank accounts and put a few quid in when you can.

DreamW3aver · 03/12/2024 20:35

HumphreysCorner · 03/12/2024 19:33

You can pay it in on your phone banking app.

Does the app not check who the payee is? That doesn't sound very secure

Interested in this thread?

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General money

RancidOldHag · 03/12/2024 20:37

LoveIndubitably · 03/12/2024 19:06

That's an option - thanks! Was hoping someone would say if I brought their /my passports into the Post Office I could cash it in my own account or something

This absolutely cannot happen.

The money is being given to your DC, and cannot legally be taken by you and put in to one of your accounts. That you say it's for your DC carries no weight - that account is yours.

You can open accounts in their name, with you as operating adult until they are old enough.

Oblomov24 · 03/12/2024 20:47

Eh?
Your opposition to a child having a savings account in their own name seems odd. I've had savings accounts for ds1&2 since birth. Then their own debit account from aged 12. All with nationwide, our bank.

Rollercoaster1920 · 03/12/2024 20:47

For ease open in a bank you already bank with. I didn't initially do had to go to different branches to pay in. A real faff.

These days it's all about different apps and I opened an account with my bank quite simply because they verified my identity. But the 11+ child account is not in my internet banking app, the child has their own on their phone. This is HSBC.

Can anyone say where a bank app recognises a parent to child structure so allowing parental control of paying in cheques? I think Halifax might from my experience of the website allowing a parent to see the child (under 11) account, but I've not tried the app yet for cheque payment.

dementedpixie · 03/12/2024 20:47

The cheque is likely to have a preprinted crossing that means it can only be paid into an account in the name that the cheque is made out to. You cant cash cheques from other people like in the olden days.

Open a savings account for them. They can't get a current account until age 11 anyway.

MollyButton · 03/12/2024 20:49

Open an account for them in their names, they often get a much better interest rate and I don't think they can access it until 13.

dementedpixie · 03/12/2024 20:50

Mmarfa · 03/12/2024 19:34

You can just cash the cheque. Just as the money would be deposited into an account, a bank branch will give you cash. Should also be able to do it at the post office. Take their passport as ID.

Do open accounts for them at some stage though, kids can usually access better interest rates, good for them to learn about saving and spending and starts towards their financial history.

No you can't if its a crossed cheque. Most have it printed on these days.

Elphamouche · 03/12/2024 20:57

We aren’t opening an account for DD for us to regularly save in either for the exact same reasons. We don’t want her to have automatic access at 16-18. It’s for a house deposit/big purchase so will be given to her when appropriate.

I would ask for the cheque to be put into my name. DD’s savings are in my name.

HoppityBun · 03/12/2024 21:00

Elphamouche · 03/12/2024 20:57

I would ask for the cheque to be put into my name. DD’s savings are in my name.

She could still have a savings account in her own name. She doesn’t need to know you’re saving separately for her and it’s true that children’s accounts get better interest rates.

DeliciousApples · 03/12/2024 21:05

Don't know why you're so resistant to opening an account. You'll have to do it as some point so just start now!?

Unless of course you're actually planning to 'borrow' the money fir the kids Christmas presents or something which would explain the desperation to find a way to get access to the money...

No offence if that's not the case. It just seems weird you're not up for opening accounts and we don't know what the problem is, apart from it'll maybe be a bit further to travel to do this than you'd have liked.

Aria999 · 03/12/2024 21:10

You could ask the bank.

We are in the USA so probably different but they were fine with me paying a cheque for DS into my account.

I can't even recall now if I had to do anything special or if I just paid it in.

DreamTheMoors · 03/12/2024 21:11

This is off-topic but my great-aunt told me that in 1941, she was worried that one bank was going to fold so she took her money out and walked across the street with it and put it in different bank account. The banks were kitty-corner from one another.
She said that was the most money she ever held in her entire life and that she was very nervous carrying that sort of money around.
It was $500.
Adjusting for 2047.37% inflation, that would be $10,737 in 2024 money.
She’d saved for years as she was a teacher and never married and lived at home.
And that bank she was worried about? It didn’t fold, but it’s in the news all the time for its shady business practices. It should fold.

Elphamouche · 03/12/2024 21:12

HoppityBun · 03/12/2024 21:00

She could still have a savings account in her own name. She doesn’t need to know you’re saving separately for her and it’s true that children’s accounts get better interest rates.

Show quote history

I haven’t found one that doesn’t automatically contact her at 16-18. If there is one I’ll look into it definitely!

Wherehavetheyallgone · 03/12/2024 21:13

We had this with all my DC. They didn't have accounts of their own until age 11-12. We have a stash of uncashed cheques from one set of grandparents. We tried explaining and suggesting book tokens instead, but they just kept writing cheques every birthday and Christmas.

None of them huge amounts, but a few hundred pounds between the DC over the years. Obviously far too old to cash them now ( I think 6 months is the limit), but as they're not ours, we feel obliged to keep the guilt-inducing yellowing pile in a drawer!

Onlyvisiting · 03/12/2024 21:19

Honestly, personal experience says if you just pay it into your account it will probably go- they don't check cheques properly any more. Especially if you have the same surname.
My experience was with a club bank account, I had been signing cheques for years, went in to sign paperwork to add a new signatory and that I wasn't even a signatory because they still only had the old committee listed. When I queried why I could sign cheques then they said that for small amounts like ours (under 500) they didn't get checked.......

If you have a banking app that let's you pay in via the app? Then I'd give it a go, at least you'll still have the cheque then so nothing to lose.

And then obviously give your DC cash!

EmmyPankhurst · 03/12/2024 21:22

FGS open your child a bank account. They are going to get money to save from relatives.

You can keep this money separate from any you save from them on their behalf but you need somewhere to put cash gifts.

Wolfpa · 03/12/2024 21:26

realistically if you don’t pay it in with a person the bank isn’t going to check the name of the cheque against the name on the account but it is a good idea for you to get your children their own accounts to teach them money skills for the future. How old are they?

research shows that children should start learning about money with their own accounts from 7 years old.

morellamalessdrama · 04/12/2024 06:58

We didn't have savings in our children's names either. It wasn't an issue as any Christmas money was either given in cash or transferred to our account and we withdrew it for them.

We had savings accounts for them in our name as we didn't want them having access to thousands of pounds at 16 or 18. The savings were for them to spend on something sensible like helping university costs or a house deposit.

They are both now teens and have bank accounts that they use day to day.

Heatherbell1978 · 04/12/2024 07:04

The only thing you can do with a cheque is put it in a bank account. Most child savings accounts are opened when the child is under 2 (I used to work in this area). No child 'needs' an account until they're older - my 10 year old doesn't 'use' his - but you should open them and start a savings habit. This is the perfect opportunity.

sashh · 04/12/2024 07:27

There are places that can cash it for you but they will charge. Porn brokers might and 'cash shops' will.

I live in an area where lot of people don't have bank accounts.

cashshop.co.uk/cheque-cashing/in/bilston

Kpo58 · 04/12/2024 07:51

Check with the post office before opening an account. I think that they only will put money into bank accounts and not building society accounts. You don't want to open a nationwide account for them, to only find that it's unusable at the post office.

Monkeybutt1 · 04/12/2024 07:53

I get you don't want them to have access to a huge lump sum at 16 but as they get older they will need access to some money. My son is 12 he has savings in our name that we pay into for House deposit when he's older that we don't want him to automatically get access to. But he then has a kids saver that birthday money went into, this was then linked to his current account and he can move money from his savings into his current account when he wants to buy things. He buys stuff from gift shops on days out, a souvenir when we go away etc. Having access to his money has taught him a lot about budgeting and the value of money. He saves now of his own accord and sets himself savings targets. I feel better when he is out and he just has a bank card rather than cash, if he loses his bank card he can go straight on his phone and freeze it. If he loses cash it's gone.

CRbear · 04/12/2024 07:53

You can transfer cheques to others by writing something specific on the back of it- pretty sure it includes the word bequeath or something haha.

i won’t be opening children’s bank accounts for savings I’ve made for them in their names- I don’t want them having unfettered access to the money when they’re old enough.

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