This allows us to maintain a full-time, editorial staff and work with finance experts you know and trust. The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you. There are several common situations when someone will ask for a voided check, which the next section discusses. 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.
How do I get a voided check for direct deposit?
To do this, write down the original check number in your check register or software you use to track check payments and make a notation that it has been voided. If your bank’s online tools allow you to keep track of your written checks, record it there. Businesses might need to hand over multiple voided checks to different recipients.
Similar to canceled checks, voided checks cannot be used to withdraw money from a deposit account. However, voided checks still show electronic banking information to help individuals or organizations connect with a bank account. Many online check writer software provides the convenience of creating and printing voided checks on the go without doing anything manually. Voiding a check is a straightforward process that involves writing the word “VOID” on the check. Once you write VOID on one of your checks, it automatically means that it becomes invalid.
Cover up a Mistake
If the employer has to read your handwriting, perhaps it’s not perfect and a mistake is made when entering the information. A woman sits at her dining room table with laptop and financial reports doing her monthly budget. More She is smiling at the ease of use as she works on her smart phone banking app to do monthly finances, pay taxes and save money for the future.
How long can a check be cashed if its not voided?
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. As paper checks become less common in banking, organizations that normally require a voided check may be more receptive to another method. Try those first and you avoid the risk of your sensitive financial information falling into the wrong hands.
Can you cash a check that says void?
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. The most common use for a voided check is to establish a direct deposit¹. If you’re going to receive payments from an employer electronically, you can send them a voided check, so they have all of your bank information. There are different alternatives to a voided check that you can explore if you do not have checks and you want to set up automatic payments and direct deposits. You can ask your financial institution to send a letter providing all the same information to the party requesting your voided check.
Even though fewer consumers make payments by check, voided checks remain important. That’s why it’s good to know how they work, even if you don’t frequently pay by check, so you remain protected when you use them. 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’re going to provide the voided check electronically, don’t just send it out in the open, in a standard email message.
The check can be filled in or blank, but once you write VOID on it, it means that it is not valid and that it shouldn’t be accepted for payments. However, a voided check can still be used to gather information about a person’s bank details such as bank account number, routing number, and check number. This is the main reason why you should manage them carefully and keep them safe and out of reach.Voiding a check makes it invalid and impossible to use as a blank check.
For instance, maybe you wanted to write a check out to a newly married couple and wrote the check out to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. This can actually be a bit of a problem for them when they go to deposit the check if the bank account they want to use for that check is only in Mrs. Johnson’s name. A voided check facilitates direct transfers, giving recipients faster access to their funds. Voiding a check may be useful if you intend to schedule electronic payments.
Obtain a blank check from your checkbook, and don’t write anything on the regular lines. Note the official check number in your ledger while you make a void check. It would help you to know why you are skipping this check while you’re balancing your checkbook. They should be given only to individuals who are both trusted and necessary in your life.
- This is a seldom-discussed aspect of voided checks, but it’s critically important for protection from identity theft.
- Automatic electronic transfers also eliminate the necessity to use online bill payment services.
- Don’t cover up the routing or bank account number at the bottom of the check when voiding it, as those numbers are necessary for identifying your bank account to send or receive payments.
- If you haven’t already applied, it says to log into your account, where you can request that the bank contact you.
Do I Need a Voided Check for Direct Deposit?
You can write it once in large letters, or you can write it in small letters on the date line, amount line, amount box, payee line, and signature line. Basically, voiding a check you already sent is like bouncing your check preemptively. Before you can learn how to void a check you need to understand what this is. A void check is a check that has been canceled or invalidated by the sender writing the word VOID on the check.
Even if a thief steals this check, they cannot write down a sum of funds and then use it to withdraw money from your account. Companies often request voided checks from their employees to gather banking information to set up direct deposits. 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.
- This article was subjected to a comprehensive fact-checking process.
- Voided checks are official checks from banking institutions, but they have the word “VOID” written clearly across the front.
- As we start to move away from cash or checks, e-money transfers are…
- So, if a written check is full of the monetary amount you write on it, voiding the check makes that check financially empty.
Using an online check writer solution provides a convenient and secure method for printing and mailing void checks. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products what does voiding a check mean and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site.
If you haven’t already applied, it says to log into your account, where you can request that the bank contact you. Call your bank at the number printed on your check under the institution’s name. Provide the bank representative with all requested information about the check and its payee.