What is a Voided Check? Definition Meaning Example

Make a note of the checking number and make a physical copy of the voided check to keep for your records. Usually, any check with the word ‘VOID’ on it can’t be cashed, but it pays to be cautious and make sure the word ‘VOID’ hits all the right areas. The user will also verify your name and address appear on the check. This ensures the account belongs to you before they make any financial transactions. However, it’s a lot easier to void a check than you may realize.

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. A voided check can be useful for providing the necessary information for certain electronic payments, such as direct debits. A voided check is a check which is no longer valid and has the word ‘void’ written on the front.

Trust and Fiduciary services including custody are offered through JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Insurance products are made available through Chase Insurance Agency, Inc. (CIA), a licensed insurance agency, doing business as Chase Insurance Agency Services, Inc. in Florida. JPMS, CIA, JPMPWA and JPMCB are affiliated companies under the common control of JPMorgan Chase & Co. It’s possible to establish direct deposit without voiding a physical check. It’s important to note, however, that your employer or other parties may not always accept all of these alternatives.

How Do I Void a Check for Direct Deposit?

If either of these things occurs what you are going to want to do is get a Stop Payment Order. Maybe you don’t need the check anymore, or you messed up writing it out and need to change something on it. Sometimes you’ll need to cancel a check payment after you’ve already sent or given the check. Generally, if “VOID” is written across a check, no matter how or where, it will be recognized as a voided check.

  • Take steps to hide your account information from thieves and hackers.
  • Pull out the next check in your checkbook and write its check number down in your check register.
  • Write with well-spaced letters that are tall and wide enough to cover the whole face of the check without obscuring the banking information at the bottom.
  • In other words, by requesting a void check, employers are able to accurately schedule all employee payments, for example, salary, commissions, bonuses, etc.

This is true even if you wrote it out to someone but changed your mind or made a mistake. For instance, you may want to use a direct deposit authorization form. Make sure you don’t make any errors when entering your account number and bank routing number in this manner.

We’ll break down the simple instructions for voiding a check properly in a moment. The difference between a checking and savings account can seem confusing. Huntington is here to help you understand the differences between a checking and a savings account and how both could help you manage your finances. Writing “VOID” across the front of the check prevents anybody from using the check to make a standard check payment (by filling in a payee and an amount).

How a Voided Check Works

Whatever you do, never sign a voided check or write any additional information in the blank spaces provided. The purpose of a voided check is to provide your bank name, routing number, and personal account number. A voided check is one that can’t be used to make a payment or otherwise withdraw money from your bank account. Whether your check is void and you don’t understand why or you’d like to void a check yourself, we can help.

Unless it’s one of the usual reasons, you should never provide a voided check to anyone. Paper checks aren’t as common as they were before the rise of mobile banking. However, people still use them, so you’ll want to know how to correctly fill them out, use them, and get rid of them. If you decide to use a check, learn the correct way to void it to keep you and your money safe. While some companies offer alternative ways to set up direct deposit if you don’t have access to checks, not all do.

How Voiding a Check Works

Your bank account information appears on those checks, and whoever asked for the voided check will use those details to set up an electronic link to your bank account. There is only one hitch, you need to know how to void a check, and you may not have done that before. Direct deposit eliminates the need for you to receive a paper paycheck and often allows the money to be deposited into your bank account faster.

Even if the check has been made out to an individual, store, or other institution, it can no longer be used. And if the check is blank, the fields can no longer be filled out and used as payment. This article is part of our free series on how to send and receive money, including bank checks, bank transfers, and more, which you can access by clicking here right now.

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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. Sometimes you will need to void a check, and in order to avoid problems, you’ll need to know exactly how to do it. Another solution is to visit a branch and ask for a “counter check.” The teller might be able to print a check with your account information on it. If so, try voiding that check as if it came out of your checkbook. If you already sent a check that needs to be canceled, it’s obviously a little too late to write VOID across it.

In a common example, many employers will ask for a voided check to initiate direct deposit. This will provide them with your bank account number, routing number and financial institution, all of which they will need to establish the connection to your account on their side. A voided check enables them to see this information, without using the check as a method of payment itself. Your paper checks all have your bank information on them—the name of your bank or credit union and your account and routing number.

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. We live in a very digital world when it comes to finances, but that doesn’t mean we may never run into things like checks again. Checks are still a great secure payment option that you might still need to use from time to time, even to make some electronic payments possible. Set up direct deposit for your Huntington Checking account, and you could start receiving your pay early.

I graduated in 2003 from Carnegie Mellon University with a Masters in Software Engineering and I use my analytical skills to navigate the financial world. It’s through this education that I try to distill complex financial ideas into simple steps regular folks can use to take control of their money and build wealth. We’re personal finance nerds who paid off over $60,000 in debt and reached CoastFI by 25! We’ll help you discover the freedom and flexibility you crave through the FIRE Movement. If you have a photocopy of a deposit slip or a cleared check for your account, you may also be able to use this for processing your request.

While you shouldn’t be able to cash voided checks, there are some cases when it happens. If you find a voided check cashed, contact your bank right away. The first set of numbers on the check is your routing how to calculate irr number. This tells the company what bank or credit union to direct the request to, such as Chase, PNC, or Bank of America. This is what tells the person depositing or withdrawing funds which account to use.

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. Voided checks can serve an important role in direct deposits and other ongoing transactions. If you deposit a voided check in an ATM, it may be briefly accepted. But once the error is identified, the cleared funds will then be removed from the recipient’s bank account and returned to the original owner and a fee may be charged. If a voided check clears, customers can file a claim when they receive their statement.

When should you void a check?

A voided check has the word “VOID” written across it, indicating that it cannot be used for payment. Voiding a check ensures it won’t be used by anyone, such as thieves who may write in a large amount for themselves. Then, it can provide key information like your routing number and account number to be used in electronic transactions.

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