Alternative to check or card

Published by Naitik Mehta · April 1, 2026

Stuck on the clue Alternative to check or card from the New York Times Daily for April 1, 2026? We have the correct 4-letter answer, including the definition, alternative hints, as well as other answers from the same crossword. Ready to learn more about this clue?

Clue

Alternative to check or card (4)

Answer

C
A
S
H

The answer to Alternative to check or card is Cash (4 letters).

Why does Cash fit this clue?

This clue uses a direct definition approach where 'Alternative to check or card' points to CASH as the answer. Cash refers to physical money in the form of coins and banknotes that can be used immediately for transactions. The clue sets up a comparison between three common payment methods: checks (written orders to banks), cards (credit or debit cards), and cash (physical currency). Cash serves as the third major payment option alongside the two mentioned in the clue, making it the logical alternative when neither checks nor cards are used or accepted.

What does Alternative to check or card mean?

We break down each word in the clue and show its dictionary definitions below.

alternative

noun

•a choice or option that can be used instead of something else

check

noun

•a written order directing a bank to pay money from an account

card

noun

•a plastic payment card like a credit card or debit card

Where did this clue appear?

This clue appeared as 6-across in the New York Times Daily on April 1, 2026, by Jess Shulman and Amie Walker, edited by Will Shortz. See all answers for this puzzle.

Read the NYT Wordplay column for this puzzle.

NYT Daily — Apr 1, 2026

Get help on the whole puzzle

What does Cash mean?

noun

•Money in the form of notes/bills and coins, as opposed to cheques/checks or electronic transactions.

•Liquid assets, money that can be traded quickly, as distinct from assets that are invested and cannot be easily exchanged.

•Any of several low-denomination coins of India, China, or Vietnam, especially the Chinese copper coin.

verb

•To exchange (a check/cheque) for money in the form of notes/bills.

•To obtain a payout from a tournament.

•To disband. To do away with, kill

adjective

•Great; excellent; cool.

Origin of the word Cash

•origin: French 'caisse' meaning box or chest

•period: 16th century

The word originally referred to a money box or chest before evolving to mean the money itself, and is related to the Italian 'cassa' and Latin 'capsa' meaning container.

How to use Cash in a sentence

Here are 3 examples of how to use the word Cash.

•“I prefer to pay with cash instead of using my credit card or writing a check.”

•“She withdrew cash from the ATM to pay for groceries at the farmer's market.”

•“The garage sale only accepted cash payments, no checks or cards allowed.”

What are other crossword clues for Cash?

Learn about related clues

All clues from the New York Times Daily, Apr 1, 2026 crossword

The New York Times Daily for April 1, 2026 was published by Jess Shulman and Amie Walker and has 76 clues. Curious about all the answers from this crossword puzzle? View all answers here.

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Frequently asked questions about Alternative to check or card

What is the answer to Alternative to check or card?
The answer is Cash (4 letters).
Where did this clue appear?
This clue was last seen in the New York Times Daily on April 1, 2026.
How many letters does the answer to Alternative to check or card have?
The answer has 4 letters: Cash.

Author

Naitik Mehta

Naitik Mehta

Co-founder

Naitik is a gaming enthusiast who loves solving daily word games and enjoys the friendly competition from time to time. He is the co-founder of Crossword Chef and enjoys thinking about how to make crossword solving more fun for everyone around the world.