These numbers will help the recipient identify your bank account. There’s no need to endorse the check as you won’t be using it. Voided checks are official checks from banking institutions, but they have the word “VOID” written clearly across the front.

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Our writers and editors used an in-house natural language generation platform to assist with portions of this article, allowing them to focus on adding information that is uniquely helpful. The article was reviewed, fact-checked and edited by our editorial staff prior to publication. It’s important to know these alternatives so you can still manage your finances effectively, even without a checkbook. Acquiring business funding can be difficult if you don’t have perfect credit, tons of collateral, or established connections. Also, you don’t need to bother endorsing the check as you won’t actually be using it. It can help to add some spacing between each letter (V O I what does void a check mean D) to ensure you can cover the entire check.

Example of a Voided Check

Most companies don’t even need an original; a copy of a voided check is good enough. It’s typically written in large letters so there’s no chance of it accidentally being used. 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. To do that, you’ll have to write the word ‘VOID’ in capital letters going across the front of the check.

Grab a check out of your checkbook, and write “void” across the front. 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. You can also use a voided check to set up automatic electronic payments, including ongoing expenses such as rent and bills. A voided check is simply a paper check with the word “VOID” written across it, often in big letters, indicating without a doubt that it shouldn’t be used for making a payment. Voiding a check is a common practice used to nullify incorrect checks and set up direct deposits or bill payments.

Should someone get the voided check, the person wouldn’t be able to cash or deposit it. If you need a voided check to set up direct deposit with your employer, you have a couple of choices. You can take a check from your checkbook and write «void» across it in large letters and provide the check to your employer.

By asking you for a check, your employer reduces the potential for errors. If you have to fill out a form, it’s possible you’ll make a mistake. If the employer has to read your handwriting, perhaps it’s not perfect and a mistake is made when entering the information. This is because it is an easy and convenient way for the employer to have access to your bank information without requiring you to make a money transfer.

  • This can be used in place of a voided check for setting up direct deposits or automatic payments.
  • By writing “void” across the check, you ensure that no bank will process it.
  • It could be the last most robust alternative you can consider.
  • 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).
  • Some businesses even take payments over the phone, allowing customers to provide the information orally.

What is a Voided Check? How to Void a Check + Voided Check Examples

You also might be able to provide your routing and account numbers directly. If you’re tired of dealing with paper checks and keeping records, Wise can help you manage your money electronically. All you need to do if you want to establish a direct deposit is take an existing check and write the word ‘VOID’ across the front of it in large capital letters. Your name, address, and phone number won’t be listed at the top of the check. If this won’t suffice, you may have to order a batch of checks overnight from your bank or a third-party and opt for overnight shipping. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes to void a check and you won’t spend a dime.

EFT allows you to transfer money directly from one bank account to another without the need for a paper check. This method is commonly used for payroll, bill payments, and other types of transactions. The money also becomes immediately available as soon as it has been deposited directly into your account which is another huge bonus. Though we live in an age where most of our banking can be done digitally, there are some instances when you’ll be asked to provide your bank information using a blank check. And anyone who has ever written out a physical check knows that it’s possible to make a mistake like putting in the wrong amount.

Instead of using forms, which require you to void a traditional check, try logging into your account (or ask if there’s an online system). In most cases, you need to provide your bank account information in an online form. This website is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service.

  • So it’s important to understand what purpose they serve and how to void a check if there’s a need to do so.
  • Becoming financially independent involves knowing how to deal with your finances and checks.
  • If both these alternatives aren’t working, you can ask your bank to record your pertinent account details and then notarize the letter.

Facts About Print and Mail Paper Sustainability

You can ask your bank to draw you up a “counter check”, a special type of check that can be officially voided by the bank but still includes your important account information. You might also ask the business or organization requesting a voided check if they would accept a deposit slip that has been voided as well. FinanceBuzz does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information, including rates and fees, is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.

It gives the company asking for the check what they need and prevents them or anyone who might get their hands on the check from adding information, such as a payee or dollar amount. It is healthy to keep the original check to remind yourself that it is void. You can also use the duplicates or photographs for various purposes.

Setting Up Direct Deposit Online

Online banks and financial services like FormPros offer digital voided check generators, making it easy to provide the necessary information without a physical check. Deposit slips contain your account information, and you can write “VOID” across the slip. This can be used in place of a voided check for setting up direct deposits or automatic payments.

But, if you normally have no need for paper personal checks, this can be a way to provide a voided one. If you’re the one making the payments, you may need a voided check from the other party to connect the accounts. If the other person is making the payments, he or she will need a voided check from you for the same purpose. 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…

Record which check has been voided

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. Companies need a voided check to set up direct deposits for their employees. The checks have the necessary banking information for companies to initiate direct deposits, electronic bill payments and automated clearing house transfers. If you want to set up direct deposit for your paycheck or other regular payments, you will likely need to provide a voided check. This helps ensure that your bank account information is correctly recorded, so your funds are deposited into the right account.