Outlined below are some frequently asked questions and answers about who we are and the services we offer. If you have any further questions please contact a representative at your local National Cash Advance center.
Payday Advances
Q. What is a Payday Advance?
A. Many people find themselves short of money before payday. A payday advance is a simple way to solve this problem by drawing out some of your wages before your pay is actually due. You just write us a cheque for the amount of the advance plus the fee, you receive the amount of the advance and we will not submit your cheque until your pay is due. It’s a good way to avoid going overdrawn or taking out long term loans when you are looking for quick cash. A payday advance is a short term financial management tool that provides a sensible alternative to costly bounced cheques, late payment charges and tarnished credit ratings.
Q. What do I need to bring with me to get an advance?
A. Please bring the following to prove your identity; who you are and where you live:
- 2 forms of photographic ID with proof of address (Passport or driving licence for instance),
- 2 recent payslips
- 2 recent bank statements,
- cheque book
- cheque guarantee card
Q. How do I use a payday advance?
It’s your cash to do with as you please!! Lots of people use a payday advance to cover unexpected expenses, or bridge a short-term cash crunch between paydays, without incurring revolving debt.
Q: How often can I use this service?
A: Since a payday advance is a short-term solution to an immediate need, it’s not intended for repeated use to take you from payday to payday.
When an immediate need arises, we’re here to help. However, it should not be seen as a long-term solution for ongoing budget management.
Q: How much money can I receive in advance?
A: The maximum payday advance available is £600. The amount advanced to you is dependent on your current income. As part of your financial solution, we advance no more than you have the ability to repay.
Q: How much are the fees for a payday advance?
A: We aim to offer you the best service at the most competitive fee possible. Please contact a representative at your local National Cash Advance centre for information on fees.
Q: Does National Cash Advance check my credit rating before advancing me money?
A: No, we do not obtain a complete credit report. We do, however, subscribe to a risk assessment service. It tells us if customers are current in their payments to other businesses like ours and whether our customers have payday advances outstanding with other companies.
Q: Since getting a payday advance is such a simple process, why is there so much information in the Customer Agreement?
A: The Agreement you read and sign prior to receiving a payday advance is a contract between you and National Cash Advance. It outlines the terms of the payday advance, including the cost expressed both as a cash amount and how we calculate an annual percentage rate (APR). National Cash Advance wants you to have all the information needed to make an informed financial decision.
Q: What happens if I don’t have the funds necessary to repay on my due date?
A: Obviously, no one wants this to happen. If you ever have issues with your ability to repay, please contact us and we will do everything possible to help you repay the advance in a way that is agreeable to both of us.
We are always committed to collecting past due accounts in a professional, fair and lawful manner. If we deposit your cheque and it is returned by your local bank due to insufficient funds, you will be charged a return cheque charge. You will be responsible for payment in full of your account, including the returned cheque charge. Our centre will contact you to collect the amount due. If necessary and appropriate, your account may be turned over to a collection agency.
Q: If my account becomes overdue, will I face criminal prosecution?
A: No. National Cash Advance does not pursue criminal actions against our customers. If it becomes necessary, however, we will seek civil remedies to collect past due accounts.
Q: What can I do if I’m ever dissatisfied with the service received from National Cash Advance?
A: We have a reputation for providing friendly and professional customer service. We welcome the opportunity to address your concerns. In the unlikely event you have a dispute we can’t work out together, our Agreement provides that you should take the issue up with our national trade association who will arbitrate in such matters. Should this not be resolved, the matter can be taken up with the Financial Ombudsman service, but only after the BCCA have reviewed the case.
Cheque Cashing
Q. What types of cheques can I cash?
A. We cash many different types of cheques so long as the cheques are made out to you and are from a business, for example: wage cheques, insurance cheques, loans.
Q. Can I write a cheque from my own account and cash it?
A. Up to the value of your cheque guarantee card.
Q. Why is this service so important?
A Following the introduction of the 1992 Cheque Act, millions of UK citizens and non-nationals without bank accounts – and many with accounts – have found it extremely difficult to cash a third-party (rather than personal) cheque.
Q. How much will the service cost me?
A. A clearly stated fee is charged for cheque cashing. This fee is usually less than the ‘special presentation fee’ charged by most high street banks. We aim to charge the lowest rates – made up of a small handling fee plus a percentage of the value of the cheque you have cashed. Please contact a representative at your local National Cash Advance centre for information on fees.
Q. What do I need to bring with me?
A. Please bring the following to prove your identity; who you are and where you live:
- 2 forms of photographic ID with proof of address (Passport or driving licence for instance).
- If you have any documentation that shows why you have received the cheque please also bring that with you (for example payslip, letter from insurance company).
Q. What is the maximum amount of cheque you will cash?
A. We will consider any amount but the final amount depends on the cheque and who has written it.
Q. Who are National Cash Advance?
A. National Cash Advance are the UK division of Advance America, the USA’s leading payday advance company, with approximately 3,000 centres in 37 states, employing nearly 7,000 people. The company was founded in 1997 and since then has helped millions of people manage their short term financial needs.