Valero sells gas but it was also the original owner of the convenience store Circle K. While it no longer owns this convenience store chain, there are still many Circle K convenience stores located at Valero gas stations. The reason why this is important is that Circle K provides several financial services. So while it’s technically true that Valero doesn’t provide these services itself, these services may still be available at your local Valero station if it has an attached Circle K store. Here are the financial services that are available at Valero.
Does Valero Cash Checks?
Valero doesn’t cash checks itself but if you visit a Valero station with a Circle K convenience store, that convenience store can cash checks. Circle K has a partnership with a financial services company called VALID that allows it to provide this service. Note that the convenience store will load the check’s balance onto a prepaid gift card instead of paying out the balance in cash. If you’d prefer to cash a check and receive cash instead you can do that at several supermarkets such as WinCo, Stater Bros, and Ralphs.
Does Valero Sell Money Orders?
Again, Valero doesn’t sell money orders directly but the Circle K convenience stores that are attached to its gas stations do sell money orders. Circle K has a partnership with the financial services company MoneyGram. However, its convenience stores don’t cash money orders so if you want to cash a money order you should visit a bank branch or one of the few stores that does offer this service such as Walmart. There are a lot of supermarkets and drugstores that sell money orders but don’t cash them.
Can You Send Or Receive Money at Valero?
You can also send or receive money at the Circle K convenience stores that are attached to Valero gas stations and you can send remittances to foreign countries there as well. However, if you visit a Valero station that has another type of convenience store, you might not be able to transfer money there. Not all Valero locations have Circle K stores. You can also send money to domestic and international destinations at several grocery stores that have partnerships with Western Union and Ria.
Does Valero Reload Prepaid Cards?
Valero sells branded fuel cards and gift cards and you can reload these branded cards at its gas stations. If you want to reload a third-party prepaid card, such as a Chime or NetSpend card, you should look for a Valero station with a Circle K convenience store because Circle K also offers this service. Otherwise, the gas station may not be able to reload your prepaid card. You can also reload third-party prepaid cards at 7-Eleven and several dollar stores.
Can You Pay Your Utility Bills at Valero?
Again, Valero doesn’t offer a utility bill payment service itself but Circle K has a partnership with MoneyGram and MoneyGram provides bill payment services. So utility bill payment services are available only at Valero locations with Circle K stores. You can also visit a 7-Eleven convenience store to pay your utility bills because 7-Eleven has a partnership with the bill payment service PayNearMe, although not all 7-Eleven stores sell gas.
What Are Valero Alternatives That Provide Financial Services?
7-Eleven provides several financial services that are similar to the ones that are available at the Circle K stores at Valero gas stations. Not all 7-Eleven stores are attached to gas stations, though.
Food 4 Less is one of the only discount supermarkets that also has its own gas stations. Its stores also have customer-service desks that provide several financial services.
Conclusion
Although Valero provides very few financial services itself, it could still be a useful place to visit for banking services because of its historical relationship with Circle K. Many of the Valero franchise owners continue to operate Circle K stores that are attached to their gas stations and this convenience store provides all of the important financial services that are available at retail stores. But if you plan to visit a Valero gas station to use its financial services, you should check to see if there’s a Circle K store there before you visit. Other gas stations that sell premium fuel may also have Circle K stores that can serve as bank branch alternatives but otherwise these stores may not provide many financial services.