Not everyone uses checks super frequently, so sometimes it helps to have a refresher on how to fill them out, just to make sure you get it right.
Checks are a form of paper payment. They are a document that allows a bank to take money from the account of whoever wrote the check, to pay whoever is depositing the check.
Listed below are all the different fields in a check. You need to understand what each section is for in order to know how to fill each one out.
In the upper right-hand corner, you'll find the date line. Usually, you'll just write the current date, but one of the great things about checks is that you can post-date it, meaning you write a future date on the check to ensure it can only be deposited after the date you mark down. So if you need to pay someone, but need them to wait until payday, you can still hand them the check now.
This line is where you write who you are writing the check for. This might be the name of a person or the name of a company or organization. For example, if you're using a check to pay for groceries at the grocery store, then the name you'll put here is the name of the grocery store.
In this box, you write the monetary amount of the check-in numerals. So instead of writing "one hundred dollars" you write "100.00."
Then there's a line with the word "Dollars" at the end of it. Here is where you write the monetary amount of the check-in words. So instead of writing "100.00", you write "one hundred and 0/100."
So how do you write numbers in words on a check? If you have any questions about how to write your specific dollar amount you can take a look at the charts below. A printable number chart is also available by clicking here.
But let's quickly go over some frequently asked number to words questions:
How to spell 90: ninety
How to write a check for 1,000: In the Dollar box you would write, "1,000.00" and in the Dollar line you would write, "one thousand and 0/100."
How to write a check for 1,500: In the Dollar box you would write, "1,500.00" and in the Dollar line you would write, "one thousand, five hundred and 0/100."
How to write a check for 100 dollars: In the Dollar box you would write, "100.00" and in the Dollar line you would write, "one hundred and 0/100."
A lot of people have questions about how to write out cents for a check, have no worries! This is the easiest part of the check because you can still write the cent amount out in numerals:
After you write out the dollar amount in words, you write "and" and then write the number of cents in numerals over 100. For example, if you want to write a check out for $100.50, you would write on the Dollar line, "one hundred and 50/100."
The memo is where you write a note about what the check is for. You can fill out this section for your own files so that the check stub has the check's purpose written on it too. The memo section can also let the person receiving the check know what the check is meant to be used for.
You don’t have to fill out this section but it can help to do so, to not forget why you wrote out the check-in the first place.
Here is where you sign the check.
These numbers are the account number of your bank account and the individual check number.
*Keep the check stub and use it for your files. The check stub is the thinner paper copy behind the check that gets written on as you write out the check. This gives you a hard copy of the check you wrote for your own checkbook.
In the back of your checkbook, there is a check registry—extra pages with a chart to record key information from each transaction. Whenever you write a check, keep the check stub to make filling out the check registry later easier.
Field #1: Write the same date on the check on its line in the check register.
Field #2: In the description, column write the same things you would write on the "Pay to the Order of" and the memo line.
Field #3: In the "payment/debit" column write down the amount you paid.
In the deposit/credit column Record deposits to your own account.
In the balance column Keep track of your total account balance, adding deposits to your account, and subtracting transactions you've paid.
Field #7: Write out the check ID number. It's the last couple of numbers at the bottom of the check.
