Many small or less formal organizations may allow you to provide the information from your checking account directly to them in lieu of sending documentation. They don’t need a voided check; it’s just a matter of convenience if you send one. If you can provide your bank name, routing number, and your personal account number over the phone, it’s often good enough. Avoid sending this information in an email due to the security risks. A voided check is simply a check that you can no longer use to make a payment or withdraw money from your checking account.
This information includes the account holder’s name, the name of the bank, the branch address, the account number, and the routing number. A direct deposit is a way that government institutions, employers, and other agencies pay their workers electronically, using your bank account details. It’s a cost-effective and straightforward approach, which only requires your routing number and bank account number. Because of this, you’ll need to hand over a void check to supply this information. The most common use for a voided check is to establish a direct deposit¹.
Writing “VOID” on a check means that the check can’t be deposited or cashed. When you void something it means you've made it empty, of no effect, or null. So, if a written check is full of the monetary amount you write on it, voiding the check makes that check financially empty. After you void the check, record the voided check number in your checkbook. This will help you remember that the check was voided and you’re not waiting for it to clear your account. If that check number is posted to your account, contact your bank right away.
Depending upon your bank, you can find this information online, on your bank statements, on your checks (if you have them), or you can go to a teller and ask for this information. If you don’t have paper checks, you can still enjoy the benefits of direct deposit. A creative solution is to have a check printer to generate an image of a voided check for you.
Direct deposit is your ticket to Early Pay
There’s still a way to void a check after sending it—but you’ll have to act fast. No matter the reason for needing to trash a check, it’s a good idea to void it first just to be safe—yes, even if you’re planning to rip it up. Most companies don’t even need an original; a copy of a voided check is good enough. A voided check has the word “void” written across the front. It's typically written in large letters so there's no chance of it accidentally being used. If you add one too many ‘0s’ to your check, you can’t just correct it and hope it works out.
- Wise is an online account that lets you spend abroad with your Wise card.
- Some checks might explicitly state a different period, such as three months or a year.
- Billers, such as utility companies, also accept payments by e-check when customers input their checking account information.
- There are also instances when a company requests a voided check, or when you wish to have a check voided for your own purposes.
- If you don’t already have checks, you can order checks online.
Once you void a check, it becomes invalid and useless for payment. Samantha Hawrylack is a personal finance expert and full-time entrepreneur with a passion for writing and SEO. She holds a Bachelor’s in Finance and Master’s in Business Administration and previously worked for Vanguard, where she held Series 7 and 63 licenses. She writes in personal finance, real estate, credit, entrepreneurship, credit card, student loan, mortgage, personal loan, insurance, debt management, business, productivity, and career niches.
Void Check Example
You may have a payment arrangement set up with another person, such as a family member, a friend, or even a landlord/tenant to make recurring payments electronically. Voided checks are also frequently requested when setting up recurring financial transactions because they contain all of your banking information. Chime does not provide financial, legal, or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for financial, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own financial, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction. Voiding a check makes it useless for payment or for withdrawing money.
Alternatives to a Voided Check
But another common reason is simply to send reliable information about the banking account to another person or organization. You do not write a voided check, instead, you take a normal check that is issued by your bank, and with a blue or black pen you will write VOID across the front face in large block letters. This ensures that any financial institution in the world will understand that the check is no longer eligible for cashing or depositing. As we’ll explain in the FAQ below, the account holder can also write void in other locations on the check in order to achieve the same results. Employers may not be the only entities you’ll have a direct deposit arrangement with. Direct deposit will be the preferred way for those institutions to make payments and for you to receive them quickly.
Should someone get the voided check, the person wouldn’t be able to cash or deposit it. You may need a voided check to set up a bank account, direct deposit, or automatic bill payment. You may also decide to void a check if you filled it out wrong or completed a mobile where can i find information on privately-held companies deposit and want to prevent others from using it. You can get a voided check for direct deposit from your checkbook (take the next check in line) or from your bank if you are out of paper checks. Grab a check out of your checkbook, and write “void” across the front.
When Will You Need To Void A Check
Then, use a pen with black ink and make the word large enough to be read. Sometimes mistakes happen when writing a personal check, like putting in the wrong name or incorrect amount, rendering it useless. Writing the word “VOID” on top of the written information prevents someone from using it.
You can get a voided check for a direct deposit by going to your bank and asking the teller to print one for you. Please note that some banks will charge a fee for this service. Ultimately, voided checks can come in handy in many situations. Knowing the right method to void a check, as well as the security steps to protect yourself, can help make payment — both as a recipient and as a payee — more efficient. You might need to know how to send a voided check to start a direct deposit with your employer or set up autopay for a bill.
What’s Needed To Void A Check?
It’s okay if it covers up the different text boxes on the check. Albert Einstein is said to have identified compound interest as mankind’s greatest invention. That story’s probably apocryphal, but it conveys a deep truth about the power of fiscal policy to change the world along with our daily lives.
You may need to void a check for several reasons, including setting up online bill pay or direct deposit. While most banks won’t cash them, you may find one that lets it slide through, especially if the person deposits it electronically. Most employers will ask for a voided check to set up your direct deposit in addition to filling out a form.
Use a pen or marker that is bold and dark enough so that the writing is visible. No one should be able to erase the wording on a properly voided check. A voided check is simply a check that has the word VOID handwritten or printed on it. When a check has the word VOID printed across it, it’s rendered unfit for any transactions. Instead, it’s only useful for supplying your account details. This is the reason banks will request a void check rather than a blank one, i.e., to make sure it can’t be used.
Setting up direct deposit for your paychecks (or for one-off payments, if you are a freelancer for example) is incredibly simple with the help of a check that has been voided out. The information in this document was developed with reasonable care and attention. However, it is possible that some of the information is incomplete, incorrect, or inapplicable to particular circumstances or conditions. A debit card is a payment card connected to a checking account, and you can use it to make both online and in-person purchases, where cards are accepted. No two accounts at the same bank will have the same account number. The city and state of the bank is not the address of the branch you go to.
Consumers often provide their own routing and account numbers online without any problem, so voided checks are required less frequently. For example, online banks allow you to link external accounts by typing in those details yourself. Billers, such as utility companies, also accept payments by e-check when customers input their checking account information. Some businesses even take payments over the phone, allowing customers to provide the information orally. If all else fails, you may be able to get official documentation from your bank or credit union instead of voiding a check.