Yes — at most major banks you can get a voided check online by logging in and downloading either a voided check image or a pre-filled direct deposit form that carries the same routing and account numbers. If your bank doesn’t offer that download, a bank-issued verification letter, a micro-deposit test, or an instant account-linking service will give an employer or biller everything they’d otherwise read off a check.
Where to Find It in Online Banking
Log in to your bank’s website or mobile app and look inside your checking account dashboard for a section called something like “Account Services,” “Document Center,” or “Direct Deposit.” The tool is sometimes labeled “View/Print Voided Check” and sometimes “Generate Direct Deposit Form.” Bank of America, for example, lets customers log in and download a pre-filled direct deposit form that contains the same routing number, account number, and bank name a voided check would show.1Bank of America. Direct Deposit — Access Your Money Faster
Menu placement varies. Some banks tuck the tool under account settings; others group it with tax documents and statement preferences. If you can’t find it, search the bank’s help section for “voided check” or “direct deposit form.” The document almost always comes out as a PDF, so the layout stays intact when you save, email, or print it.
What a Voided Check Actually Gives the Recipient
Understanding what’s on the document tells you which substitutes will work. A voided check hands over three things:
- The nine-digit routing number that identifies your bank in the U.S. payment system. On a paper check, it’s the left-most number across the bottom.2American Bankers Association. ABA Routing Number
- Your account number, printed next to the routing number.
- Your name and the bank’s name, which let payroll or billing match the deposit to the right person.
The word “VOID” written across the face makes clear the paper itself can’t be cashed. It’s a reference document, nothing more. Anything that delivers those same three pieces of information to the recipient does the same job.
If Your Bank Doesn’t Offer a Download
Plenty of checking accounts — especially at online-only banks — never ship a checkbook, and not every bank’s site has a voided-check download. You still have options.
Pre-Filled Direct Deposit Form
Many banks produce a downloadable direct deposit authorization form formatted specifically for payroll enrollment. It carries the same routing and account numbers you’d read off a check. Bank of America, for instance, lets customers pull this form through online banking or request it through the mobile app’s virtual assistant.1Bank of America. Direct Deposit — Access Your Money Faster Most employers and government agencies accept these forms in place of a voided check.
Bank Verification Letter
You can ask your bank for a letter on official letterhead confirming your name, account number, and routing number. Some banks call it a “counter letter” or “account verification letter.” Requesting one at a branch may carry a small fee, often around $5 to $15, but many banks will generate the same letter through their secure messaging system at no charge.
Just the Numbers
If your employer or biller only needs the numbers, you can usually read both the routing number and the account number straight from your account details screen on the bank’s site or app. The American Bankers Association maintains the directory of active nine-digit routing numbers, and your bank’s website often displays its routing number as well.2American Bankers Association. ABA Routing Number Check what you type against a recent statement before you submit it.
Micro-Deposit Verification
If you set up direct deposit or link a bank account without handing over a voided check, the receiving company may verify the account through micro-deposits. The company sends one or two small test deposits, each under $1.00, to your account. You then log in to your bank, read the exact amounts, and report them back to prove you own the account.3Nacha. Micro-Entries (Phase 1)
The test deposits usually land within one to two business days. Once you confirm the amounts, verification is complete and full payments can begin. Nacha rules require that the micro-deposits can’t produce a net debit to your account, so the test can’t cost you anything.3Nacha. Micro-Entries (Phase 1) You do have to actively check the account and report the numbers back; nothing moves forward until you do.
Instant Account Verification
More employers, billers, and financial apps now skip the voided check entirely and use instant account verification. Services like Plaid and Finicity let you sign in to your bank through the employer’s or biller’s enrollment screen using your existing online banking credentials, and the service confirms your routing and account numbers in seconds. No check image, no micro-deposits, no waiting.
This approach carries a real security advantage over sending a static check image. Instead of handing a document with your full routing and account numbers to a third party, verification runs over an encrypted connection between your bank and the requesting party. Your banking login credentials aren’t shared with or stored by the employer or biller. If you see a “Link Your Bank Account” button during enrollment, it’s probably one of these services.
Protecting the Information Once You Send It
A voided check, digital or paper, carries enough information for someone to set up unauthorized withdrawals from your account. Routing and account numbers can be used to start fraudulent ACH transfers, create counterfeit checks, or make bank-account purchases at online retailers. Share them only with employers, billers, and institutions you trust.
When you do send a check image, a few habits reduce the risk:
- Upload it through your employer’s HR portal or the biller’s secure site rather than as a plain email attachment. Standard email isn’t encrypted.
- If email is the only option, save the check as a password-protected PDF and share the password through a separate channel, such as a phone call.
- Keep any downloaded check image in a password-protected folder on your own device, not on a shared or public computer.
- Delete the file from your sent folder and downloads folder after the recipient confirms they’ve processed it.
Treat unsolicited requests for your banking details with suspicion, even ones that look like they came from a familiar name.
How Long Setup Takes After You Submit
Once your employer has the voided check or direct deposit form, electronic deposits typically start within one to two pay cycles. During that window many employers run a “prenote,” a zero-dollar test transaction sent through the ACH network to confirm the routing and account numbers are valid and the account can accept deposits. Your first paycheck or two may still arrive on paper while that test clears.