How to Void a Check: A Quick & Easy Guide

A voided check is a check with the word “void” written across the front, which indicates that it shouldn’t be accepted for payment. The check can still be used to get the information needed for electronic payments. By simply providing your account details you should be able to set up a direct deposit quite easily without a voided check. As long as the information is copied adequately and the recipient says it’s fine.

Lastly, digital forms or authorization through your bank’s online system to provide the necessary information electronically are increasingly accepted. Today, it’s common for many people to set up automatic monthly payments for car payments, utility bills, or mortgages. To set that up, the company may request a voided check to ensure they have the correct banking details. 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. Employers usually ask for a voided check as a simple way to collect your banking information for direct deposit. You can also use a voided check to set up automatic electronic payments, including ongoing expenses such as rent and bills.

The most common use for a voided check is to establish a direct deposit¹. If you’re going to receive payments from an employer electronically, you can send them a voided check, so they have all of your bank information. Voiding a check can be a key step in setting up financial transactions, like regular payroll direct deposits. Voiding a check properly by writing “VOID” in large letters in ink on the front of the check will help reduce the risk that the check will be cashed.

Alternatives to set up direct deposit

The bank teller should be able to print a check for you, which will have your account information on it. You’ll then be able to grab a pen and void the check in the exact manner we’ve described above. Also, ensure it’s written across the entire check, but don’t write over the information at the bottom of the check since it includes important banking information. There may be several instances when someone could ask you to void a check.

In some instances, your employer may want a physical check that’s been voided. 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. Nevertheless, if you don’t have a check, you can head to your local bank branch and ask them to provide you with a check.

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We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. 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. 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. This information is most often used to set up an electronic link to your bank account.

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But verify from the recipient if this would be acceptable if you have no other options. If you’re really running out of options, you can try printing out how to efficiently manage capex capital project management software your account details on a piece of paper at home. You’ll just need your bank details at hand and then input them directly. Your bank’s routing number is usually written on their homepage of their website and you can find your account number when you sign-in. When I first learned about voiding a check from my parents as I needed to set up my direct deposit from my first job, I was a bit confused.

1. Lastly, digital forms or authorization through your bank’s online system to provide the necessary information electronically are increasingly accepted.
2. If you don’t have a check to give, ask whether you can provide a counter check, a copy of a deposit slip, or a letter from your bank.
3. Reach out to your bank, or see if there’s any information online about how you can do this.

Many times, this won’t have your personal information written on top, but it will include your banking information. If you’re unable to provide a voided check, or if your bank doesn’t offer paper checks, there are alternative methods to set up a direct deposit or an electronic payment. If you need a voided check to set up direct deposit with your employer, you have a couple of choices. You can take a check from your checkbook and write “void” across it in large letters and provide the check to your employer.

As checkbooks become a bit more obsolete, it’s still good to have them at your disposal and you might be surprised how many people are still writing checks consistently. Let’s say you intended to write a $50 check, but mistakenly added an extra zero, making it $500. To prevent the check from being processed for the wrong amount, you void it by writing “VOID” on top of the written amount. Write VOID in large capital letters across the front of the check. However, make sure you can still see the account and routing numbers at the bottom of the check.

Can I get a voided check from my bank?

If you don’t have a check to give, ask whether you can provide a counter check, a copy of a deposit slip, or a letter from your bank. You also might be able to provide your routing and account numbers directly. 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 owning a checkbook and writing checks to many people might seem a bit outdated, there are still plenty who prefer this method. All you need to do is write VOID across the check, and no one is going to be able to make a deposit. So there you have it – everything you need to know about voiding a check and how this works. There are many different situations whereby you may require a void check, and a lot of people feel a bit confused or overwhelmed when this is asked of them.

Simply use a blank check and write ‘VOID’ in large letters across the front. Then, use a pen with black ink and make the word large enough to be read. You can also use a voided check to set up automatic payments to come out of your checking account automatically. Dealing with paper checks may be unfamiliar territory for some in an era of digital banking.

You need to receive direct deposits

Using a voided check reduces the likelihood of errors, like transcription errors. If you have a checking account that doesn’t offer checks, you can try the options below to set up direct deposit or electronic payments. In many cases, a voided check is not necessary as the bank or business will provide a direct deposit form that asks for the key information. 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.

You may be able to find some of these pre-printed slips in your checkbook, or you can simply head to your closest bank branch and ask for one. Most places where you need a voided check should accept this since it includes the appropriate account details. A deposit slip acts similarly to a voided check — it’s simply a piece of paper with your account details on it. A voided check is a check that can no longer be accepted as payment from tips for sales tax compliance in e anyone. It has the word “VOID” written across it and therefore is not a blank check either.

But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you. While you don’t strictly need a voided check to set up a direct deposit², many employers will ask for one. A voided check is a check which is no longer valid and has the word ‘void’ written on the front. If you prefer the convenience that online banking provides, then check out Wise.