How to Write a Check (With Examples)

To write a check, fill in six things: the date, the payee's name, the amount in numbers, the amount in words, an optional memo, and your signature. The written amount is the part that trips people up, and it's also the part that counts legally if the two don't agree. Here's each step, a table of amounts written out correctly, and how to keep a check from being altered.

What are the parts of a check?

Every personal check has the same six spots to fill in, plus a line of numbers at the bottom that you don't touch:

How do you write a check, step by step?

1. Date it. Write the current date on the top line. Banks generally don't have to honor a check more than six months old, so the date matters.
2. Name the payee. Write the exact name of the person or company on the "Pay to the order of" line. If you're paying a business, use its legal name rather than a nickname or a store name, and ask if you're unsure.
3. Write the amount in numbers. In the box, start as close to the dollar sign as you can: 1,250.75. Leaving a gap on the left is an invitation to add a digit.
4. Write the amount in words. On the long line, write the dollars in words, then "and," then the cents over 100: One thousand two hundred fifty and 75/100. Draw a line through the empty space to the word "Dollars."
5. Add a memo. Optional, but useful. For bills, put your account number there so the payment gets credited correctly.
6. Sign it. A check isn't valid without your signature. Sign last, after you've double-checked everything else.
7. Record it. Log the check number, date, payee, and amount in your register or banking app so your balance stays accurate until it clears.

How do you write the amount in words?

This is the step people get wrong most often. A few rules keep it clean:

• Use "and" only once, to separate dollars from cents. One hundred one and 50/100, not "one hundred and one and 50/100."
• Hyphenate numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine: twenty-five, sixty-eight, ninety-nine.
• Always write the cents as a fraction over 100, even for whole-dollar amounts: and 00/100. It closes the line so nobody can tack on extra cents.
• Capitalize the first word. You don't need to capitalize the rest.

Some worked examples:

For large or awkward numbers, the number to words converter spells out any amount, cents included, so you can copy it straight onto the line.

What if the numbers and the words don't match?

The words win. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, which governs checks in every U.S. state, words take priority over numbers when the two conflict (UCC § 3-114). If you write $150.00 in the box and "One hundred five and 00/100" on the line, the check is legally for $105. In practice a bank may also reject a mismatched check or call you to confirm, which delays the payment.

That's why the written line matters more than the box, and why you draw a line through the leftover space after it. If you make a mistake, don't try to fix it. Write "VOID" across the check in large letters, record it as voided in your register, and start a fresh one.

Can you postdate a check?

You can write a future date, but it won't necessarily stop the check from being cashed early. Under the UCC, a bank can pay a postdated check before the date on it unless you've given the bank formal notice describing the check (UCC § 4-401). Many banks charge a fee for that notice, similar to a stop-payment order. If you don't want money leaving your account until a certain day, hand over the check on that day instead.

How do you make a check safer?

• Use a pen with permanent ink. Gel pens with pigment-based ink are harder to "wash" off than a standard ballpoint.
• Never sign a blank check. Anyone holding it can fill in any payee and amount.
• Don't leave gaps. Start the numbers right next to the dollar sign and fill the rest of the words line with a line.
• Mail checks from inside a post office rather than leaving them in a home mailbox with the flag up. Mail theft is a common route for check fraud.
• Watch it clear. Check your account a few days after the payee should have deposited it, and make sure the amount matches.

When do people still write checks?

Less often every year, but checks remain common for rent, contractor deposits, security deposits, payments to some government offices, and gifts. Businesses also still issue payroll checks to employees who don't use direct deposit; the payroll calculator shows how gross pay turns into the net amount written on a paycheck. If you're the one getting paid, a clear invoice with your legal business name tells clients exactly who to make the check out to.

The bottom line

Date the check, write the payee's full name, enter the amount in numbers right against the dollar sign, spell it out in words with the cents over 100, add a memo, and sign. Line out any empty space. If the words and numbers ever disagree, the words are what count.

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