How to Void a Check Even If You Dont Have a Checkbook
A voided check is a check that has been canceled and cannot be used for transactions. Voided checks are essential for setting up direct deposits or automatic bill payments, providing a way to share banking information securely. Unlike a check register, which tracks all transactions, a voided check ensures no funds are withdrawn. Safety observation of voided checks helps prevent fraud and unauthorized use of banking details. Despite being an invalid form of payment, a voided check, which shows your bank’s routing, account and check numbers, can play an important role in setting up various financial transactions. 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.
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. A voided check will have all of your bank information printed on it, so it can provide others everything they need to set up a direct deposit payment from your account. Once you have the voided check you need, consider scanning or photocopying it.
To get a voided check you’ll need to talk to your bank and get them to send you a checkbook. If you mess up writing a check, then you’ll want to void the check you already wrote on and start over again. This can happen if you accidentally write the wrong amount on the check, or if you write the wrong name down for the recipient.
Next, we’ll break down simple instructions for voiding a check properly. Any bank teller (even those working the first hour of their first shift) will understand that the check itself is anything but legitimate and you will have nothing to worry about. Also, the duration depends on how fast you can go to your bank and have your bank print a counter-check for you. There is always a risk in giving your bank information to another person. When you void a check in QuickBooks, it changes the transaction amount to zero but still keeps a transaction record.
- When you void a check by writing the word ‘VOID’ across its front in capital letters, there is no chance it will be used accidentally.
- For example, if you write the wrong amount, voiding the check will prevent the person you write it to from depositing it.
- As it turns out, voided checks also have a significant role in our financial system.
- Typically, you’ll need to void a check when you need to provide new account verification for setting up a direct deposit or direct withdrawal.
In fact, a voided check is considered invalid and no longer carries any value. With this in mind, when a check has “void” written across its face, it should be discarded securely. You can void a blank check by writing ‘VOID’ in capital letters across the face of the check. Also, you can write ‘VOID’ on the amount box, payee line, dateline, or signature line. Lastly, you should always avoid giving someone, especially if you don’t know the person, a blank check.
- This ensures the company can transfer salary payments in a timely manner through bulk salary distributions.
- Therefore, when you give your banking information to another person for legitimate use, you can use a voided check.
- You may want to set up automatic payments for bills like utility bills or mortgages.
- This is often referred to as a blank check for direct deposit purposes.
- Sometimes you’ll need to cancel a check payment after you’ve already sent or given the check.
Can I Deposit a Voided Check?
Signing up is free and easy, and you can wave goodbye to those checks. Voiding a check is a simple way of providing such financial information. It doesn’t matter if someone else picks that check up and tries to write over it.
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… 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. While you don’t strictly need a voided check to set up a direct deposit², many employers will ask for one. A voided check can be useful for providing the necessary information for certain electronic payments, such example of void check as direct debits.
When to use a voided check
As much as you can detach a check from your supply and void it, you can also get a voided check online in a couple of clicks. Getting a voided check online replaces the need to carry your checkbook around or wait in bank queues. Below are three of the most common questions we receive from people looking into a void check example. If you have further questions you would like to ask our team, don’t hesitate to get in touch. To send a voided check to someone just ask them for the mailing address you should use to mail the void check to them. Once you have your own personal checkbook, you can write VOID on any of the checks to get a void check.
Generally, if “VOID” is written across a check, no matter how or where, it will be recognized as a voided check. Below is an example of a check with all the important banking information visible before and after a void. If you need a Stop Payment Order for a check, your bank will probably need the information on the check you want to cancel.
What Are the 3 Steps to Voiding a Check?
In doing so, the check will no longer be valid no matter what other information is written on the check. Alternatively, even if you write VOID in another location on the check, it will still be considered void. As a result, banks no longer accept these checks for cashing or deposit.
Leave the checking account and routing number area clear
Every check (official check, anyway) includes a couple of key pieces of data that can be used by individuals and organizations to send or request money directly from your account. Write the word “VOID” in large letters, big enough to cover most of the face of the check (except for the banking details we mentioned above). Write “VOID” across the front of the check with a blue or black permanent marker. Use large letters that fill up the entire check, or write “VOID” in smaller letters on the date, payee, amount, and signature lines. You can send your voided check as an attachment or image in an email after encrypting and protecting it with a password.
In a way, voiding a check you already wrote is a safe method of destroying the check. Sometimes you’ll need to cancel a check payment after you’ve already sent or given the check. Sometimes you will need to void a check, and in order to avoid problems, you’ll need to know exactly how to do it.
Send the Check or Image
The most common void check example is a blank check that an employer requests from a new employee. This is often referred to as a blank check for direct deposit purposes. The reason why a blank check is requested is that it contains all of the necessary information for the employer’s accounting department to schedule all future direct deposit payments. When starting a new job, you may choose to receive your paycheck through direct deposit.
To obtain funding for your business
Make a note of “VOID check” to make sure you know why that check is skipped when you’re balancing your checkbook. The options have the necessary banking information and reduce any likelihood of errors. The only way to give yourself peace of mind is to void the check and then throw it out or shred it.
Usually, a check is a document you sign to allow the recipient to withdraw the amount you specified from your bank’s checking account. Although this is quite rare, there are some financial institutions that may need you to provide a voided check. This enables them to set up electronic transfers of funds from one account to the other. A voided check is simply a check that has the word “VOID” written on it. Therefore, it cannot be used in any financial exchange or transaction. As it turns out, voided checks also have a significant role in our financial system.