# Would you cash a check for a penny? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2022, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571 "2022-02-16T01:40:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/61 "2025-11-05T16:18:07Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I think that total was various coins, not just pennies. Back when I was lots younger and used to explore different neighborhoods, I’d pick up any coins I saw. I never totaled it all up, but there were days when my pockets jingled rather loudly. I found a nickle just the other day. And I have found stray quarters at Aldi - go figure! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/62 "2025-11-05T16:43:34Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > You found _4500_ pennies in one year? I find that highly improbable. That’s at least 12 per day, every single day. As @hajario said, it was not just pennies. In fact, there were probably fewer pennies than other coins. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I found a nickle just the other day. And I have found stray quarters at Aldi - go figure! Once I found $80 (4 twenties) when I was walking at lunchtime at work. This was in an area where they had eminent-domained a bunch of houses for the 105 fwy which then went unbuilt for decades. I was in this area of abandoned houses, who was I going to turn it in to? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/63 "2025-11-06T03:29:08Z")
Sort of related to this thread, this week I received an e-mail that said “You have received a Virtual Prepaid Mastercard in the amount of $33.87 as your Facebook Consumer Privacy Settlement payment.” I went through the process to get the prepaid card, an easy process. But I was issued a card with a balance of $33.86. Not $33.87. So I will be contacting the Settlement Administrator to request the balance of the funds due to me. I’ll post an update if I ever hear back from them. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/64 "2025-11-06T04:13:52Z")
I have an 11 cent check from something medical I over paid for. I have it framed. I think it’s hilarious they charged my insurance umpteen dollars for a procedure worth a fraction of the actual cost but they felt like they could refund 11 cents, to me. Crazy. But 1 cent is even nuttier. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/65 "2025-11-06T04:54:29Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > You know pretty much every bank nowadays has an app that allows you to deposit a check by taking a picture of it with your phone, right? Which means you actually get to keep the check after you’ve deposited it (I assume they must have some security to prevent you from taking the same check down the the bank and depositing it a second time). > > So I would deposit my penny first, and then frame the check. I never do banking by phone but I would definitely go the bank and cash it because if it gets ignored something will be messed up somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/66 "2025-11-06T05:20:36Z")
It would cost them a lot more if a lawyer figured othat they had a class action for ten years of stolen micropayments stolen to a total of millions of dolly. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/67 "2025-11-06T22:44:15Z")
I never got around to cashing a tax refund check for $1.02. A year later it expired so, they sent me another one. This went on for about 15 years. The story to tell was worth the dollar. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/68 "2025-11-07T00:50:31Z")
My dad owned one share of stock in the company he worked for. Four times a year he’d get a check for 24 cents. I worked at the bank where he had an account so he’d give them to me to deposit. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/69 "2025-11-07T03:36:21Z")
not to highjack, but didn’t CompuServe used to send out postcard sized bills for 1 or 2 cents way back when? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/70 "2025-11-08T13:51:45Z")
I got some sort of back pay or rebate or something from work for like 57 cents. They got a bit peeved at me because I didn’t deposit it. Screwed up their books. Anyway, I got a request from the finance department asking me to please cash it, with the note “Don’t spend it all in one place” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/71 "2025-11-08T20:26:20Z")
Nope, in fact i am sitting on a Ten $ check- which I will deposit. When you deposit a check it shows some of your bank info, only a tiny risk, but why for just a penny, or any sum less than a dollar. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2025, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/72 "2025-11-09T00:34:02Z")
The first time I filed my income tax I got a check from the IRS for $1.01. And yes, I cashed it - adjusted for inflation it would be equal to about $5.00 now. A couple years ago, I paid a doctor’s bill and a few months later received a letter that said they had overcharged me. The check that came with the letter was for the munificent sum of 76 cents. I held on to the check for a over a month until I had to go into my bank on some other business and cashed it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2025, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/73 "2025-11-09T01:16:40Z")
That sort of thing is an example of when mobile check deposit is useful. Take photos of the front and back of the check in the bank app and the bank processes and deposits the check. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/74 "2025-11-12T13:58:34Z")
For a penny (or other small amount)? Nah, I’m not even expending that amount of effort. Straight into the bin it goes. I’m not exactly sure what my amount would be before I bothered cashing it. Maybe somewhere around three or four bucks I would at least pay attention. I did get a settlement of $4.01 from Facebook the other day, but that was Venmo’ed. Probably would have cashed that if it was in paper form, but it’s also just as likely I would have stuffed it in a drawer and forgotten about it for years. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/75 "2025-11-12T14:18:10Z")
It’s trivial to deposit a check with your smartphone now. I wouldn’t schlep to the bank over a sub $2 check but I can deposit it while I’m sitting on the couch watching tv. In the old days I might save it until I went to the bank anyway but that could be several months now. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/76 "2025-11-12T20:56:59Z")
Amusingly enough, I just tried to cash a check for $0.01. It failed! Short version - my wife and I are slowly phasing out our Wells Fargo accounts (we’ll keep one just in case we need a near-universal account elsewhere in the nation) and moving to a Credit Union her family and she have done business with for decades (and none of our accounts are particularly large ☹ ). So one closed account just sent us a check for $0.01 for some interest earned that hadn’t yet been applied. So I had some other checks to deposit at the CU and due to it being closed on Veterans Day (yesterday) I had to do it via the drive through atm. And apparently, the print on the check was so small, it only saw it as $0.00. So I took the check back home. We were cashing it more to spite Wells Fargo than for the value. Now I’ll have to decide if we trash it or see if we get another check to justify the (short) trip to the CU and deposit in person. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/77 "2025-11-12T21:11:36Z")
In my experience if the ATM or mobile deposit system makes an error on the check amount, I can correct it manually. (I assume that triggers review by a person.) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/78 "2025-11-12T21:14:20Z")
I would not even cash a check for 1 dollar. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/79 "2025-11-12T21:23:18Z")
I suspect you’re right, or it would tell you to come inside. But probably because it was a holiday, no such option was given. Again, not worried about it, just that it was so appropriate to the thread! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571/80 "2025-11-12T21:27:45Z")
I’ve never heard of an ATM that has different instructions on holidays. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-cash-a-check-for-a-penny/959571.md?page=5)