Don’t Make These Mistakes When Writing Out Checks

More and more people are paying for things online. This includes bills for things like the telephone. But there is still a market for people to use checks.The newer generation is having some trouble learning the proper way to write a check.

We are here to help. While you can order checks cheap, you still want to be able to use the ones you have efficiently. Don’t make these particular mistakes:

Don’t Forget To Match Up The Numeric & Written Part Of The Check

You don’t want to write a check and put $100 in the numeric part and then write “One thousand” in the written part. That can cause confusion at the bank and can result in the check not being honored.

Don’t Incorrectly Date The Check Or Leave The Date Blank

This is an important part of writing a check. There has to be a date … but you want to be sure that you do it correctly. Putting a later date on the check opens you to the risk of the person you give the check depositing it earlier than you intended. Also, if you have a check that is dated more than six months in the past, the bank won’t honor it. If you give someone a check and they have waited that long, then you need to tell them that you are going to put a stop on the check and write them a new one.

Don’t Forget To Sign The Check

Making this mistake guarantees that your check is not going to be honored. The bank needs to know that it is you who is issuing this check. Also, don’t pre-sign a lot of checks – if a thief were to find your checkbook, this would allow them to write checks for as much money as you have. Make sure that you sign the checks the same way, too. Otherwise, your bank might not recognize your handwriting.

Don’t Alter The Check

You started making out the check and realized that you had made a mistake. You can scratch out the amount and change it, right? Wrong. The same goes for using different ink or having different handwriting styles. Your best chance is to cross it out once and make the change and put your initials by the change. This doesn’t guarantee that the bank will honor it. You would probably be better off writing “VOID” on the check and writing a new one.

Writing a check seems simple. All you have to do is be methodical when doing it. That extra minute or two is worth it. Then you can go about your regular business.