Yes, you can get a voided check online. Most banks let you download a voided check image or a pre-filled direct deposit form from their website or mobile app once you sign in, and if yours doesn’t, a bank statement, a bank verification letter, or a direct deposit authorization form carries the same routing and account numbers an employer or biller is looking for.
The document itself exists for one reason: to hand over your bank’s nine-digit routing number and your account number so someone can set up an ACH transfer to or from your account. Writing “VOID” across the face keeps anyone from cashing it while leaving those numbers readable. No federal rule actually requires a voided check for this purpose. NACHA, which governs the ACH network, treats voided checks as one option among several and lists micro-deposit verification and commercial validation services as equally acceptable ways to confirm account information.1Nacha. Account Validation Resource Center
Download One From Your Bank’s Website
Sign in to online banking and open the checking account you want to use. Look for a menu labeled “Account Services,” “Documents,” or “Statements and Records.” Some banks include a check image viewer that shows scans of checks that have already been processed. Others have a dedicated button that generates a voided check PDF on demand. Save the file. PDF keeps the formatting intact when you email it or upload it through an employer’s portal.
If there is no voided-check option, look for a pre-filled direct deposit form. Many banks make one available to logged-in customers with your routing and account numbers already populated.2Nacha. Direct Deposit Without a Voided Check? Absolutely! That form contains the same information an employer would pull from a check.
Get One Through Your Bank’s Mobile App
The feature is often in the app too, sometimes under a different label. In the Chase Mobile app, for example, you sign in, choose your checking account, scroll to “Account services,” and tap “Set up direct deposit form.” From there you can download, print, or email the form to your employer.3Chase. Chase Direct Deposit and Direct Deposit Form Other banking apps use similar language. Look for “Direct deposit,” “Account details,” or “Share account info.”
If Your Bank Doesn’t Offer the Feature
Not every bank generates check images on demand. Before giving up on a digital solution, try these:
- Search your bank’s help center or FAQ for “voided check” or “direct deposit form.” The feature may exist under a menu name you haven’t tried.
- Call the bank. A representative can confirm your routing and account numbers after verifying your identity and may be able to email you a pre-filled form.2Nacha. Direct Deposit Without a Voided Check? Absolutely!
- Download a recent bank statement from your online portal. Statements typically show your routing and account numbers, and many employers accept one alongside a direct deposit authorization form.
Documents That Work Just as Well
Any document that clearly shows your routing number and account number can substitute for a voided check. Most payroll departments accept the following, but ask first if you aren’t sure which one your employer or biller will take.
- A direct deposit authorization form, pre-filled by your bank and formatted for payroll setup.2Nacha. Direct Deposit Without a Voided Check? Absolutely!
- A bank verification letter, printed on official letterhead or digitally signed, confirming your name, account type, and routing information. Some banks provide these free through the online portal; others charge a fee that generally runs from nothing to around $25.
- A recent bank statement downloaded as a PDF. You may want to redact transaction details before sharing.
For a tax refund, the IRS does not require a voided check at all. You just enter the routing and account numbers on your return, and the IRS suggests finding your routing number on your bank’s website and your account number by signing into online banking or calling your branch.4Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Refund Faster: Tell IRS to Direct Deposit Your Refund to One, Two, or Three Accounts The account must be in your name, your spouse’s name, or both on a joint account. Social Security’s direct deposit enrollment asks you to have your checkbook or a copy of your bank statement handy; a downloaded statement serves the same purpose as a physical check.5Social Security Administration. Direct Deposit Information – How Do I Sign Up to Receive an Electronic Payment
Skip Third-Party Voided Check Generators
Search results for “voided check online” include websites that offer to build a check image after you type in your name, bank name, routing number, and account number. Those services ask you to hand the exact information a fraudster would need directly to a company you have no banking relationship with. Even a site that claims it doesn’t store your data offers no way to verify that claim. Get the document from your own bank instead.
Share It Safely
A voided check, physical or digital, contains enough information for someone to try unauthorized ACH debits, counterfeit checks, or online purchases with limited verification. Some scammers use the same numbers to impersonate your bank and fish for more personal details.
- Send the file only through your employer’s encrypted upload portal or a secure email service. Avoid plain email attachments and text messages.
- Confirm the recipient is legitimate before sending anything. If a request arrives unexpectedly, call the organization at a number you look up yourself.
- Watch your transaction history in the days and weeks after you share the document.
Monitoring matters because the Electronic Fund Transfer Act ties your liability for unauthorized transfers to how fast you report them. Notify your bank within two business days of learning about an unauthorized transfer and your maximum liability is $50. Report after that but within 60 days of receiving the statement showing the transfer and liability can rise to $500. Miss the 60-day window and you could be responsible for the full amount of any transfers that occur after it.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693g – Consumer Liability These limits apply to unauthorized electronic fund transfers, including fraudulent ACH debits.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation E – 1005.6 Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers The clock starts when you learn about the problem, not when the transfer posted, so call your bank the same day you spot something you didn’t authorize.