Write with well-spaced letters that are tall and wide enough to cover the whole face of the check without obscuring the banking information at the bottom. You want to make it difficult for thieves to erase or cover your void mark. A voided check is a check with the word “void” written across the front, which indicates that it shouldn’t be accepted for payment. The check can still be used to get the information needed for electronic payments. If you’re unable to provide a voided check, or if your bank doesn’t offer paper checks, there are alternative methods to set up a direct deposit or an electronic payment.
We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Your last option is to gather all your bank account information in one place so that you can fill out a form for your employer to set up a direct deposit. You may need to void a check if you wrote a check and made a mistake. If you write the wrong dollar amount, then you’d have to void the check to keep anyone from cashing it or depositing it.
Most companies don’t even need an original; a copy of a voided check is good enough. Voiding a check basically means you’re canceling it so it can’t be used to make a payment or withdraw money from your account. At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict
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Step 3: Make a Copy of the Voided Check
Consumers often provide their own routing and account numbers online without any problem, so voided checks are required less frequently. For example, online banks allow you to link external accounts by typing in those details yourself. Billers, such as utility companies, also accept payments by e-check when customers input their checking account information. Some businesses even take payments over the phone, allowing customers to provide the information orally. It can serve as a conduit for establishing direct deposits, ACH transfers or to schedule electronic payments from a checking account, whether for personal or business use. Employers often use voided checks to set up direct deposits for their payroll, and service providers may need them to set up direct debits.
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- You want to make it difficult for thieves to erase or cover your void mark.
- It means that the check can no longer be used after it has been cashed or deposited.
- There you have it—that’s everything you need to know about how to void a check.
Discover what FDIC insurance is, its limits, and the types of accounts it covers. Learn if your money is safe in banks, credit unions, and with CDs. If you’re tired of dealing with paper checks and keeping records, Wise can help you manage your money electronically. You can open a Wise account and receive money from around the world with local bank details.
Banking & Insurance
Though many financial transactions are now paperless and most of us keep track of our finances using websites and apps, there are still many common reasons to use a physical check. Writing “VOID” across the front of the check prevents anybody from using the check to make a standard check payment (by filling in a payee and an amount). You don’t need to sign the check or enter any other information. Aah yes, there are still some things in life that are simple and straightforward. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
You may also be able to set up deposit or withdrawal instructions using a deposit slip instead of a voided check. A pre-printed deposit slip might be required—not the blank ones you grab at the bank and fill out by hand. You may have several of these pre-printed slips in the back of your checkbook.
Why Do Companies Need a Voided Check?
So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers. A voided check will have all of your bank information printed on it, so it can provide others everything they need to set up a direct deposit payment from your account.
Can I Deposit a Voided Check?
A voided check has the word “VOID” written across it, indicating that it cannot be used for payment. Voiding a check ensures it won’t be used by anyone, such as thieves who may write in a large amount for themselves. Then, it can provide key information like your routing number and account number to be used in electronic transactions. You can easily void a check by writing “VOID” across the front of the check, using blue or black ink and large letters. You may need to void a check to set up automatic transactions, like direct deposit of paychecks to your checking account. Typically, you’ll need to void a check when you need to provide new account verification for setting up a direct deposit or direct withdrawal.
But unless you’re voiding a filled-out check, make sure you don’t cover up the routing or account number on the check—those are important. Electronic money, or e-money, is a simple way to send, spend, and receive payments online. As we start to move away from cash or checks, e-money transfers are… If you don’t have any checks, and you want to set up a direct deposit or automatic electronic payment, there are other ways to do so. If you prefer the convenience that online banking provides, then check out Wise.
Reasons for Using a Voided Check
When you’re submitting a voided check for direct deposit or automatic payments, you don’t need to include any information on the regular lines. Grab a blank check from your checkbook, then you’re ready to move on to the next step. You may need to provide a voided check when you set up automatic bill payments, deposits from your employer, or investments from your bank account. Your bank account information appears on those checks, and whoever asked for the voided check will use those details to set up an electronic link to your bank account. There is only one hitch, you need to know how to void a check, and you may not have done that before. Grab a check out of your checkbook, and write “void” across the front.
