How to cash an Irish cheque?

limboy

Hi,

I got a check (refund) from Bus Eireann after they messed up. Very kind of them, but when I went to a BoI branch I was told I could not cash it there (as a tourist I don't have an Irish bank account).

The bank lady said cashing it in my own bank (in Holland) would be so expensive that I would hardly have anything left.

The lady also said something about cashing it at College Green, Dublin 2 (shown on the check) but I didn't really understand her.

I don't understand why it is so hard for an Irish bank to put money into my Dutch account. It's all euro zone, right? Any suggestions?

P. Breathnach

If Bus Eireann have their account in College Green, and if the cheque is not crossed, then they should give you value for it in that branch. Be sure to have ID with you.

limboy

P. Breathnach wrote: »

if the cheque is not crossed

This is my first check ever, so I am not sure what a crossed check looks like. Are you referring to the two parallel lines with the text & Co Not Negotiable? |That's on the check. So it makes no sense to go to College Green, then?

ScouseMouse

These are the guidelines from my bank.

A cheque with two lines, marked non negotiable, can be signed over to someone else, and lodged into their account.

A cheque marked with two lines, and marked a/c payee only, means it can only be lodged into an account bearing the same name as on the cheque.

As its probably a refund cheque, I would imagine its quite small. Have you got a friend who can lodge it for you and give you the cash.

You could also go into the bank, explain your problem, and maybe find a friendly cashier who may "overlook" its crossed.

P. Breathnach

superscouse wrote: »

These are the guidelines from my bank.

A cheque with two lines, marked non negotiable, can be signed over to someone else, and lodged into their account....

Correct. But not all counter staff know the rules as well as they should! The quick fix is to have somebody lodge it through a machine and give you the cash.

limboy

It doesn't say "a/c payee" so I'll give the check to a friend, though the BoI lady told me that was not possible. Maybe try another branch

P. Breathnach

limboy wrote: »

It doesn't say "a/c payee" so I'll give the check to a friend, though the BoI lady told me that was not possible. Maybe try another branch

What I said:

P. Breathnach wrote: »

But not all counter staff know the rules as well as they should!

The rest of what I said:

The quick fix is to have somebody lodge it through a machine and give you the cash.

limboy

Thanks, maybe better try the machine first...