How to write a check, per financial pros

For some, writing a check is second nature. For others, it may seem as antiquated as using a rotary phone. “While we’re all used to grabbing our laptop or phone when it’s time to make a payment, there are still times when writing a check is essential,” says Jen DeLoyd, head of checking and consumer insights at Capital One. “Everything from making your rent payment to sending a gift to paying bills may require you to know how to write a check.” Whether you’re new to the art of writing checks or just need a refresher, we’re here to help.

And if you’re completely clueless on the check-writing front, know that you’re not alone: “A couple of years ago, after discussing finances with my teen and young adult kids, I realized how detached they are from financial transactions that aren’t digital,” recalls Joyce Marter, financial therapist and author of The Financial Mindset Fix: A Mental Fitness Program for an Abundant Life. “I handed them each a blank check of mine, and told them to make the check out to themselves for $50. Whoever did it correctly could keep the check. None of them did.”

This has inspired Marter to continue to work on these personal finance skills with her “adultlings” as well as empower her clients to learn these skills “because financial literacy is so important for us all.” Plus, checks are more practical than you may think. As Ohan Kayikchyan Ph.D., CFP®, a money coach and educator, puts it, paper checks might sound like an antique banking concept, but they remain useful in this digital age. “If you are hiring a contractor, landscaper or babysitter, chances are they will ask you to pay with a physical check. Even the majority of retailers and grocery stores still accept physical checks,” he says, noting that they can be an alternative payment method when your debit card or credit card is lost or stolen. 

To spread your financial wings a bit more, keep reading to learn exactly how to write a check, common mistakes to avoid when writing a check and beyond.

What is a check?

“A personal check is a promise that the payee will receive the money when the check is deposited into the payee’s account or presented at the bank to be cashed,” says Kayikchyan. Checks all have common features on them to designate where payment goes and the amount, including the check number, routing number, account number and the payee.

What do all the numbers on the check mean?

All checks have standard numbers printed on them, as well as areas you will have to fill in to initiate a payment. Let’s review what these important numbers signify.

• The check number. As Kayikchyan notes, this is usually printed in the top right corner of the check and helps banks identify the specific check written and allows the check writer to track their checks. You will also likely see the check number at the bottom right of the check, after your account number, says Marter, and it is the shortest series of numbers on the check. “For individuals with a new checking account, the numbers are low (for example, 001, 007, etc.) and for individuals who have a more established account, the numbers will be higher (for example, 2106, 2107, etc.),” she continues. Since low check numbers can be a red flag to payees that you may not have established credit and your check may be at risk to bounce, when opening a checking account, Marter recommends asking that your checks start with 1001 so that you don’t raise any concerns.
• The account number. “The account number is usually 8-12 digits and is specific to you and your checking account,” says Marter, stressing that this is a number that you want to keep confidential and protect just as you would with your social security number or PINs. “The check number usually appears immediately after the account number, usually with a pair of quotation marks in between. The account number does not include the check number,” she adds.
• The routing number or ABA number. This is a nine-digit number at the bottom of your check. “The routing number identifies your particular bank or financial institution. It is there for financial institutions to be able to recognize and communicate with one another,” explains Marter. “The routing number helps to identify the financial institution associated with your checking account, while the checking account number informs the bank which account to take the funds from.”

How to write a check

“When you go to write a check, you’ll first look at the empty fields on the check itself,” says DeLoyd. It may sound pretty easy, but it can be a little daunting if you’re new to the process. A step-by-step tutorial for writing a check follows. First, Kayikchyan emphasizes the importance of not signing a check unless the amount you want to write the check for is available in your bank account. “It's crucial to avoid returned items or overdraft fees for both parties involved and ensure an overall smooth business experience,” he says. Once you make sure you have enough money in your account, here’s how to proceed.

1. Write the date. When writing a check, it’s easiest to start from top to bottom so you’re on autopilot, and the date field is a good place to start. “Write the date on the line at the top right of the check on the line that is designated for the date,” says Marter, noting that you can write the date you are writing the check or the date that the check will be eligible for deposit. For example, if it’s December 15 and you don’t get paid until December 31, you could write the check for January 1 in order to ensure the check clears successfully, says Marter. In this case, make sure you’re not giving the recipient the check until that date or have knowledge that they won’t be depositing it until then. Worth noting:  “You can write the date out numerically (01/01/2024) or longhand (January 1, 2024),” says Marter, adding that numbers are often easier to read and fit better on the short line.
2. Write the name of the check’s recipient. “This can be a person or business, but it’s crucial to fill it out correctly with the recipient’s full name, as any errors or missing information may cause the check to be returned,” says DeLoyd. For example, if your friend goes by “Ziggy” but his name is Frederick Zigaro, write the check to “Frederick Zigaro” if that is the name he uses for his account, or if you’re writing a car payment check to “Honda Financial Services,” write that full phrase out and not simply “Honda” says Marter. The same applies for entities. “If you are writing the check for your car payment, look at the payment address and write exactly what they have written as the payee name,” Marter adds. 
3. Fill in the field for the amount of the check, numerically. In the box after the “$” sign on the same line as “pay to the order of,” fill in the amount of the check numerically. “You need to include both the dollar amount and the cents. For example, ‘100.00’ rather than ‘100,’” clarifies Marter. Since check fraud can be a concern, Kayikchyan says to start the numerical amount from the far left side of the box in case the check is stolen, and someone attempts to alter the amount by adding numbers.
4. Fill in the field for the amount of the check in words Then, you’re going to do the same thing by writing out the amount. “On the long line that ends with the word ‘dollars,’ you will write out the amount in the long hand. It is very important that you also include the cents. For example, ‘one-hundred and 00/100,’” says Marter. “The ‘00/100’ indicates that your amount includes zero out of a possible 100 cents. This serves as confirmation of the numerical value you indicated in step three,” Marter continues. Just as when you are writing the numeric payment amount largely enough to fill the box, you similarly want to write the worded dollar amount as far to the left as you can and draw a line through any remaining space to the right of the amount listed to remove space for someone to change the amount you listed, counsels DeLoyd. Pro tip: Use all capital letters for this section, as they are generally clearer to read and harder to alter, says Kayikchyan.
5. Sign the check. Time to give your John Hancock. “On the line on the bottom right of the check, you will sign your full legal name that is listed on your account. This is a written signature, rather than your name printed out,” says Marter. “If you have a business, you may have a signature stamp so that other people can sign your checks for you. Your signature should look the same as when you signed to open your checking account.” As Kayikchyan points out, a check is not valid without a signature so you don’t want to forget this step. That said, he urges individuals to never sign a blank check, “as doing so makes it easier for fraudsters if they gain access to your signed blank check.”
6. Optional: Fill out the memo section. Once you’ve signed the check and done all of the above steps, you’re good to go. Still, it’s a good habit to complete the memo section. “This is where you can make good notes of what the payment was for to remind yourself later so there is no confusion,” says John Owens, financial wellness expert and executive vice president, Monterey Financial. Marter also notes it “can be used for personal notations so that you and the payee know what the check is meant to pay and so that they can record your payment properly.” Some examples Marter ticks off for this section include your account number for the company to whom you’re paying a bill, “January rent,” or “holiday gift.”  

Tips for writing checks

As you’ve seen, writing a check only requires filling out a few fields. In fact, this essential financial skill can be done in a matter of minutes. That said, financial pros do, so individuals make the same check-writing mistakes again and again, so here are a few faux pas to avoid when writing checks. 

Use a pen with black ink. “It is best to use a pen with black ink as colored ink doesn’t scan as well and sometimes isn’t accepted,” says Marter. “Do not use a pencil as it can be erased and is not acceptable for legal or financial documents including checks. Using a black magic marker is not recommended, as writing becomes more difficult to read with a fat tip.”

Write clearly. Messy writing may be par for the course in your personal journal or wall calendar, but do your best to spruce up your handwriting game when writing checks. “Make sure you take the time to write clearly,” says Owens, who suggests that if you generally write in cursive, slow down and make sure every number and letter can be read to avoid any questions or confusion.

Proofread your check after writing it. After writing your check, Marter says to take a few seconds to review your check for legibility, accuracy and completeness. This can save you from a headache down the line if your check can’t be processed. “If you made a small mistake, such as making the year 2023 instead of 2024, you can cross out the mistake with a single line (don’t scribble it out completely), initial the error and write the correct information next to it,” says Marter, noting that if you made a greater error, like writing the entirely wrong amount, it is best to shred the check and start over. One more related note, especially if you don’t shred the check: “If you no longer need the check or make an error, it’s best to write ‘VOID’ over the check so that it cannot get deposited by accident,” says Owens.

Order a duplicate checkbook. This is a checkbook in which a thin piece of paper is behind each check, so you’re automatically making a copy every time you write a new check. Kayikchyan always recommends that his clients order a duplicate checkbook. “With a duplicate checkbook, you can keep a copy of every check you write, maintaining a record of the payee, amount and date of each transaction,” he says.  

Store your checks in a safe place. In addition to keeping your checks in a secure place in your home (i.e., not out in the open for anyone to view, especially if you have contractors, tutors, housekeepers, babysitters or other guests frequently in your home), Marter urges people to keep their checks “dry, clean and unwrinkled as any damage can make the check ineligible for deposit due to illegibility.”

A note about check fraud

Like any form of financial transactions, there are risks of fraud when writing checks. “There have always been fraudsters who attempt to steal money from customers’ bank accounts. The bad guys look for ways to access these funds or to get customers to unwittingly part with their money,” says Roxann Cooke, managing director, consumer banking at Chase. Unfortunately, the banking industry is seeing check fraud on the rise, says Cooke, sharing that instances of check fraud were up 84% in 2022. “Remember to be careful when using checks as they can include your name, address and bank account number,” she says. “With all this information, it’s important to take steps that can prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.” Here are some tips Cooke recommends to minimize the risk of check fraud:

• When possible, ask if the person you are writing a check to accepts electronic payments, Zelle or the online bill pay services that your bank may provide. Be sure you are sending it to the correct recipient before you hit send.
• Make sure to use permanent ink (like a ballpoint pen; don't use a pencil or an erasable pen) and use the entire space when filling out the payee name and dollar amount, so that no one can add another name or additional information. Checks with regular ink can be “washed” easily and the handwritten information replaced with a different payee name and different amount.
• Never write a check out to CASH unless you intend for it to be used by anyone coming into possession of the check.
• Make sure you’re signing your checks the same way every time.
• The way you send your check is also important: some reports indicate unattended mail boxes are being targeted by fraudsters. You may want to drop your check off at an actual post office location or in a secure manner (or hand-deliver to your payee).
• If sending a check is necessary, people can sign up for alerts and review their transactions online or on their mobile phone if their bank offers a banking app to ensure the name and amount match your original check and the status of the payment.
• Order your checks from a reliable source and make sure your name, address and account number are correct as soon as you receive them.
• Destroy and shred unused checks from closed accounts.