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- General
- Instore Payday Loan
- Online Payday Loan
- Sell Gold
- Money for Mobiles
- Foreign Currency
- Cheque Cashing
- Worldwide Money Transfer
General FAQ’s
Q. What are your opening hours?
Most of our stores are open Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.30pm, and Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm. However please note that some of our larger stores have extended opening hours.
Please call or visit your local store to confirm what times they are open.
Q. Can customers contact the stores by telephone?
Yes, our store staff are more than happy to deal with customer queries over the telephone. Please refer to the store locator to find the telephone number for your local store.
Q. Can customers contact the stores by mail?
All written communication should be sent to:
Customer Services Department
Cheque Centre
The Forum
Bankhead Crossway North
Edinburgh
EH11 4BP
Q. Can I contact your Collections Department?
Yes, you can contact our Collections Department between the following times: Monday and Thursday 8.30am – 8.00pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8.30am – 5.00pm, Saturday 8:30am – 12.00pm. You can phone us on 0131 442 7080 or alternatively you can email collections@chequecentre.co.uk
Instore Payday Loan FAQ’s
Q. What is a Payday Loan?
A Payday Loan is generally an advance on your salary that is to be repaid on your next pay date (typically up to 30 days). These loans are normally used to meet short term cash needs or unexpected expenses, and are not to be used as a long term financial solution. To apply, visit your local Cheque Centre store today.
Q. How do I get a Payday Loan?
Simply visit your local store and complete an application. You will need to bring a bank statement from within the last 30 days, a debit card, 2 forms of I.D. with you. If you are approved, a member of our store staff will pass your loan agreement documentation to you for approval. If you are happy with it, sign the document and return it to the member of staff. You will then be given the cash instantly.
Q. Am I eligible to apply?
In order to apply for a Payday Loan you must be 18 and have a regular income deposited directly into your bank account supported by a recent bank statement dated within the last 30 days and 2 forms of I.D. These should be one form of photographic and/or contain your original signature plus current proof of address.
Q. How much can I borrow?
You can borrow from £50-£1,000* depending on your circumstances. Representative 1081% APR. Representative example: £221.00 borrowed for 30 days. Loan fee is fixed at a rate of £25 per £100.00 borrowed. Total loan fees of £50.00 apply on £221.00 borrowed. Total loan repayment of loan fee and principal is £271.00
* First time borrowers can receive a maximum loan amount of £500.
Q. When and how do I get my money?
Once your loan has been approved and you have signed your loan agreement documentation, a member of our store staff will give you the cash instantly.
Q. How do I repay my Payday Loan?
We will debit your bank account using your debit card with the agreed amount on your payday. If you are approved for a loan and your pay date follows within the next 7 calendar days (for monthly paid customers), your loan will be due for repayment on your following pay date.
Q. What happens if I can’t repay?
Below outlines the process to follow:
- If your financial circumstances change please inform your local branch immediately
- The Branch Manager will discuss options with you including stepping down your loan
- If you are unable to repay on or before your due date you must call in to your local branch
- The Branch Manager will then discuss how we can help by setting up a repayment plan which is tailored to your current financial circumstances
- You could also refer to our Customer Advice section for further advice on your loan.
Q. Will my application for a loan be credit checked?
Yes, all new applications are credit scored to allow us to make an informed decision on each customer’s affordability.
Q. What will appear on my bank statement when my account is debited?
Cheque Centres Edinburgh will appear on your bank statement for the debited amount.
Q. Can I get a loan if I’m self employed?
Unfortunately, if you are self employed you are unable to get a Payday Loan.
Q. What if I have a complaint?
In the unlikely event that you have cause to complain about our service, please email complaints@chequecentre.co.uk with details of your complaint, alternatively you may write to us at:
Cheque Centre
Attn: Complaints Department
The Forum
Bankhead Crossway North
Edinburgh
EH11 4BP
Phone: 0131 442 7000
Upon receipt of your complaint, the first stage of the procedure is as follows:
a) We will do our best to resolve your complaint by the end of the next business day. If we can’t do this, we will send you a prompt written acknowledgement of your complaint and tell you who is dealing with it.
b) We will send you our full response within four weeks of receiving your complaint. We will include details of how, if you are dissatisfied with the way we have handled your complaint, you can go to stage 2 of the procedure by referring your complaint to the Consumer Finance Association (CFA) which is our Trade Association and acts on our behalf. Our letter will explain that you may have ultimate recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you remain dissatisfied after stage 2 referral – also that we will regard the complaint as closed if CFA does not receive a reply from you within eight weeks of our full response.
If you tell CFA that you are still dissatisfied and wish to take your complaint further, stage 2 of the procedure is as follows:
c) If a customer makes a complaint to the CFA in relation to an account or an agreement with us, the CFA shall, in the first instance, refer the complaint to one of our senior executives, for consideration. If the complaint is not resolved to the customer’s satisfaction, unless the customer wishes to refer the complaint to Financial Ombudsman Service (see below), the CFA (through an appropriate representative) shall endeavour to conciliate between the parties to restore communication between the parties where this has broken down. The CFA shall accept, for conciliation, complaints made against members and subsidiary companies of members.
d) Where your complaint relates to the provision of credit (pay day advance, cash till payday, salary stretcher etc) you have a further course of action open to you. If you are dissatisfied with the final response from CFA, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service for an independent review. CFA will enclose a leaflet from the Financial Ombudsman Service in their final response letter to assist you if you decide to pursue this further course of action. You should contact the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of receiving the final response from CFA.
Contact details:
Post: Cheque Centre, The Forum, Bankhead Crossway North, Edinburgh, EH11 4BP
Telephone: 0131 442 7000 Email: complaints@chequecentre.co.uk
Post: Consumer Finance Association, 78 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ES
Telephone: 0203 178 7408 Email: complaints@cfa-uk.co.uk
Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9SR
Telephone: 0845 080 1800, Fax: 020 7964 1001, Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Supervisory Authority
Office Of Fair Trading, Fleet Bank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London, EC4Y 8JK
Telephone: 0845 722 449
Online Payday Loan FAQ’s
Q. What is the relationship between Cheque Centre and The Loan Store?
Cheque Centre and The Loan Store are trading partners. The short term loan product promoted by Cheque Centre is processed and originated by The Loan Store which is the trading name of The Loan Store Limited.
Q. What Is An Online Short Term Loan?
An online Short Term Loan is a generally an advance on your salary that is to be repaid on your next pay date (typically 7 to 40 days). These loans are normally used to meet short term cash needs or unexpected expenses and are not to be used as a long term financial solution. You simply complete the online application process and if approved before 17:00, we will transfer money directly into your bank account the same day depending on the payment method selected. On the agreed date (normally your next pay date) we will debit the amount owed straight from your bank account.
Q. How Do I Get An Online Short Term Loan?
The entire process takes place online, with a simple application form which takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Once you’ve applied, we’ll give you a decision within just a few minutes**. Your loan agreements will then be displayed online for your electronic signature. Once you agree to the terms and conditions of your loan, press submit and the documents will be returned to us electronically. Depending on your selected payment method and if your loan was approved prior to 17:00, we normally will be able to submit funds to you the same day.
Q. Am I Eligible For A Short Term Loan?
In order to apply for an online Short Term Loan you must be over 18, have a valid bank account and debit card and have a regular verifiable monthly net income greater than £400*.
Q. How much can I borrow?
Representative 2115.69% APR. Representative example: £243.00 borrowed for 30 days. Loan fee is fixed at a rate of £29 per £100.00 borrowed. Interest Rate 348% per annum (Fixed). Total loan fees of £70.47 apply on £243.00 borrowed. Total loan repayment of loan fee and principal is £313.47 repayable in one instalment.
To find out how much you can borrow, apply for your online Short Term Loan now!
Q. When Do I Get My Money?
If your loan is approved before 17:00, you may be able to receive your money on the same working day via Faster Payment (additional charge of £5). Please note that not all banks support Faster Payments. If you chose Bankers Automated Clearing System (BACS), this could take between 2 to 5 working days for the bank to process the funds into your account. If you select CHAPS (additional charge of £12) and your loan has been approved by 13:30 we will endeavour to send your payment on the same day. If your loan is approved after this time the funds will be sent the following working day.
Please refer to your bank or the following link for further details
www.ukpayments.org.uk/sort_code_checker/
Q. How Do I Repay My Short Term Loan?
It is very simple. We debit your bank account with the information provided in your online application for the agreed amount due on your pay date.
Q. What If I Can’t Repay My Loan On The Due Date?
Just like you, we hope this doesn’t happen. But if it does you can visit the My Account section of the website to request that we extend your loan or you can contact us at the earliest opportunity. We also advise seeking credit counselling should you need additional advice on your loan.
As a responsible lender, we would like to point out that continually extending your loan may considerably increase the total cost of borrowing in comparison to the original loan amount. We will always look to work with customers whom are experiencing financial difficulties in order to find a mutually agreeable solution.
To contact us, you can call at 0800 028 6608 or email us at customerservice@ukloanstore.co.uk. We may be able to extend your loan for you. This requires that you pay the loan fee due on the original loan due date and allows you to extend your current principal balance until your next available pay date at which time you will owe the full principal loan amount plus the loan fees for the additional time of your finance at a rate of £20.00 per £100 borrowed.
It is important that you contact us immediately in order to avoid default charges. Customers that default on their loan incur a £30 default charge. If you do not contact us, we will attempt to recover any outstanding amounts from your debit card through use of Continuous Authority.
You should note that if you fail to make sufficient payment or make arrangement to clear your balance, we may transfer your account to a third party collection agency and we will take further steps to recover outstanding monies due. This may take the form of civil action. It is also important to remember that failure to pay could have a long term impact on your credit record.
What is Continuous Payment Authority?
If you do not pay the Total Amount Payable on the Repayment date, you agree that we have your authorisation to make further daily attempts to debit the total amount you have to pay (or any part of it).
If we cannot debit the whole amount we will attempt to debit varying lesser amounts as a percentage of the total amount outstanding under the agreement until the balance is repaid.
These will be attempted in the following order 85%, 65% and 35%.
Our attempts to recover funds due will never exceed the principal loan value plus the amount of the Loan Fee (together the Total Amount Repayable) as stated in your agreement plus a single £30 late fee.
You are entitled at any time to request that we stop taking payments using this payment method by informing your local branch in person or by calling us on 0800 028 6608 to tell us and to discuss alternative ways of paying.
You should not cancel your payment authority with your bank as they will not inform us of your request.
Q.Will you automatically renew my loan?
As a responsible lender, we never give any customer more than £500 as a first time loan and most first time loans are significantly lower than this. If you subsequently use us again after paying off your original loan in full, we may be able to increase your lending limit. This however is not guaranteed as all loans are subject to underwriting and indeed the amount we are prepared to offer you may reduce or we may not be able to lend you any money at that particular time.
We use data from each application you make with us in order to assess your current financial position as well as undertaking searches with Credit Reference Agencies where applicable to ensure we are not lending irresponsibly and that you can afford to take on the loan as a financial commitment.
We take the welfare of our customers extremely seriously and as a result, we will never automatically renew any loan you have with us we may need to speak with you prior to funding any subsequent loans. You should remember that short terms are unsuitable for long term use.
Q. Do You Check My Credit File?
Yes, we process a credit check as a part of our decision making process, although, you do not need a perfect credit history to be considered for a loan. The Loan Store Short Term Loans are designed to help customers with immediate cash needs.
Q. When Do I Have To Repay My Loan?
Your loan is due for repayment on your next pay date. If you are approved for a loan and your pay date follows within the next 7 calendar days, your loan will be due for repayment on your following pay date.
Q. What Will Appear On My Account Statement When My Account Is Debited?
The Loan Store Limited will appear on your bank statement for the debited amount.
Q. Can I Get A Loan If I’m Self-Employed?
Unfortunately, if you are self-employed, you are unable to get a Short Term Loan with The Loan Store.
Q. What If I Have A Complaint?
In the unlikely event that you have cause to complain about our service, please email complaints@ukloanstore.co.uk with details of your complaint, alternatively you may write to us at:
The Loan Store Limited
Attn: Complaints Department
The Forum
Bankhead Crossway North
Edinburgh
EH11 4BP
Phone: 0800 028 6608
Upon receipt of your complaint, the first stage of the procedure is as follows:
a) We will do our best to resolve your complaint by the end of the next business day. If we can’t do this, we will send you a prompt written acknowledgement of your complaint and tell you who is dealing with it.
b) We will send you our full response within four weeks of receiving your complaint. We will include details of how, if you are dissatisfied with the way we have handled your complaint, you can go to stage 2 of the procedure by referring your complaint to the Consumer Finance Association (CFA) which is our Trade Association and acts on our behalf. Our letter will explain that you may have ultimate recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you remain dissatisfied after stage 2 referral – also that we will regard the complaint as closed if CFA does not receive a reply from you within eight weeks of our full response.
If you tell CFA that you are still dissatisfied and wish to take your complaint further, stage 2 of the procedure is as follows:
c) If a customer makes a complaint to the CFA in relation to an account or an agreement with us, the CFA shall, in the first instance, refer the complaint to one of our senior executives, for consideration. If the complaint is not resolved to the customer’s satisfaction, unless the customer wishes to refer the complaint to Financial Ombudsman Service (see below), the CFA (through an appropriate representative) shall endeavour to conciliate between the parties to restore communication between the parties where this has broken down. The CFA shall accept, for conciliation, complaints made against members and subsidiary companies of members.
d) Where your complaint relates to the provision of credit (pay day advance, cash till payday, salary stretcher etc) you have a further course of action open to you. If you are dissatisfied with the final response from CFA, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service for an independent review. CFA will enclose a leaflet from the Financial Ombudsman Service in their final response letter to assist you if you decide to pursue this further course of action. You should contact the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of receiving the final response from CFA.
Contact details:
Post: The Loan Store, The Forum, Bankhead Crossway North, Edinburgh, EH11 4BP
Telephone: 0800 028 6608 Email: customerservice@ukloanstore.co.uk
Post: Consumer Finance Association, 78 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ES
Telephone: 0203 178 7408 Email: complaints@cfa-uk.co.uk
Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9SR
Telephone: 0845 080 1800, Fax: 020 7964 1001, Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Supervisory Authority
Office Of Fair Trading, Fleet Bank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London, EC4Y 8JK
Telephone: 0845 722 449
Sell Gold FAQ’s
Q. What kind of gold do you buy?
We accept all yellow gold, including damaged and broken items. Please note we do not accept gold plated items or costume jewellery.
Q. How can I find out how much my gold is worth?
Simply bring your gold in to your local Cheque Centre store where we will weigh it and give you a free valuation.
Q. Do you buy other precious metals, including silver or platinum?
No, at the moment we only buy gold.
Q. Do you buy jewellery containing stones?
While we will accept gold jewellery containing stones, the stones will not be considered in the price we offer you. All stones will be removed from the jewellery before the gold is weighed and a value is given.
Q. Do I need to bring any I.D. with me to sell my gold?
Yes, I.D. should be either one form of photographic and/or contain your original signature, plus current proof of address.
Q. What happens if I change my mind and I want my gold back?
Unfortunately, we are not able to sell your gold back to you once the transaction has been completed. Please make sure you are 100% sure before you sell your gold to us, or perhaps consider our Pawnbroking Service instead.
Q. How much gold can I sell to you?
There is no limit on the amount of gold you can sell to us.
Q. Can I sell you my gold online?
No, this service is only available in your local Cheque Centre store.
Q. Will you test my gold?
Yes, our store staff will test all gold before the sale is finalised. The chemicals used to test the gold may leave a mark on it, so please be 100% sure you want to sell your gold to us before giving it to the store staff for testing.
Q. Do I need to post my gold away?
No, the transaction is carried out instantly instore.
Q. When do I receive the money for my gold?
If you accept our price, we will give you the cash straight away.
Money for Mobiles FAQ’s
Q. How can I find out how much my mobile is worth?
Simply bring your mobile into your local Cheque Centre store and we will give you a free valuation.
Q. Do you buy mobiles that are damaged/faulty?
Yes we can offer a value for a mobile that is damaged/faulty. However, the price will be lower than if the mobile was in good working condition.
Q. What happens if my mobile is not worth anything?
If you do not want to keep the mobile, we can recycle it for you free of charge to help protect the environment.
Q. Do I need to bring any I.D. with me to sell my mobile?
Yes, I.D. should be either one form of photographic and/or contain your original signature, plus current proof of address.
Q. Do I need the box, charger or booklets to sell my mobile?
No, all we need is the handset. We do ask that the mobile is charged slightly so we can check it is working. NB. We will also accept uncharged mobiles for a reduced price.
Q. Do you need the SIM card?
No, in fact we would advise that you remove the SIM card before you sell your mobile as SIM cards can contain personal information. Please also make sure you delete any personal or private information from the mobile handset before you sell it to us.
Q. How many mobile phones can I sell?
There is no limit to the number of mobile phones you can sell to us.
Q. Can I sell my mobile online?
No, this service is only available instore.
Q. Do I need to post my mobile away?
No, the transaction is carried out instantly instore.
Q. When do I receive the money for my mobile?
If you accept our price, we will give you the cash straight away.
Foreign Currency FAQ’s
Q. Are all major currencies available?
All stores normally hold a stock of major currencies, although we cannot guarantee that every store will have stock all the time. However, if we do not have the currency you need we can order it in for you. NB. We require a 10% deposit instore to secure a future order at that day’s exchange rate.
Please contact your local Cheque Centre store for more details.
Q. Is there a minimum value for purchasing currency?
Yes, the minimum transaction value is £5.
Q. Can I order Foreign Currency online or over the phone?
Unfortunately we do not offer online or telephone ordering at the moment. Please visit your local Cheque Centre store to buy your Foreign Currency.
Q. Where can your rates be seen for both buying and selling?
Please refer to the Foreign Currency page or visit your local Cheque Centre store.
NB. All currency rates are subject to change throughout the day.
Q. Do you charge commission?
No, Cheque Centre offer a commission FREE service for both buying and selling Foreign Currency.
Q. Are there any currency handling fees?
No, there are no currency handling fees.
Q. Do you buy back leftover currency?
Yes, we buy back any leftover currency you have at 0% commission.
Q. Do you buy back currency even if it wasn’t bought from you originally?
Yes, we will buy Foreign Currency from you regardless of where it was originally bought from. Again, this is at 0% commission.
Cheque Cashing FAQ’s
Q. Do you cash all types of cheques?
We will consider all types of Cheques, including personal, wages, giro and solicitors cheques.
Please ask instore for more information on the other types of cheques we cash.
Q. Will I receive the money instantly?
This is subject to status.
Q. What rate will I be charged?
Please ask instore for more information on our competitive cheque cashing rates.
Q. Do I need to bring any I.D. with me to cash a cheque?
Yes, I.D. should be either one form of photographic and/or contain your original signature, plus current proof of address. Other forms of I.D. will be considered if you don’t have all of the above.
Q. Can cheques be cashed online?
No, this service is only available instore.
Q. Do you cash post dated cheques?
This is subject to status, see instore for details.
Q. Do you cash cheques 7 days a week?
Cheques can be cashed instantly Monday to Saturday at any of our stores nationwide.
Worldwide Money Transfer FAQ’s
Q. How do I send money using Western Union?
First you will need to complete a ‘To Send Money’ form and give it to a Cheque Centre member of staff along with your I.D. Then you will need to give the member of staff the money you want to send PLUS the transaction fee, and collect your receipt which will have a Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN). Make sure you share the MTCN with the receiver as they may use this number to collect the funds. We will then process the transaction immediately and the money should reach its destination within minutes.
Q. How to receive money using Western Union?
First you need to visit your local Cheque Centre store and quote the reference number given to you by the sender. Then you will need to complete a ‘To Receive Money’ form and give it to the member of staff, along with 2 forms of I.D. If you have the MTCN number from the sender, give it to the member of staff as well. Once your identification has been checked, the money will be given to you straight away.
Q. What do I need to bring with me to send or receive money?
You will need to bring two forms of I.D., one form of photographic and/or contain your original signature plus current proof of address. If you are collecting money you will also need to quote the reference number from the sender.
Q. Is there a charge for transferring money with Western Union?
Yes there is a charge for using this service. Charges vary depending on the details of your transaction, please ask instore for more details.
Q. Is there a limit to the amount of money I can send/receive?
No, there is no limit to the value you send/receive.
NB. All values are subject to security screening in accordance with Money Laundering Regulation and values of £5k or more are subject to further and more detailed screening.
Q. How can I be sure my money is safe?
You can be sure your Money is safe with Western Union. They are the World’s largest money transmitter and a world renowned Global Brand, offering the highest standards in Money Transfer for 150 years in over 200 countries worldwide.
Q. Do I need a bank account to make a money transfer?
No, you do not need a bank account to use this service.
Q. How long will the transfer take?
Once the transaction has been processed, the money should reach its destination within minutes.
Q. Can I check the status of a WU money transfer?
Yes, please click here to check the status of your money transfer.
Q. Can I make a money transfer on the Cheque Centre website?
No, this service is only available instore at the moment.