To get a voided check from the bank, you have three practical options: write “VOID” across a check you already have, log in to your bank’s website or app and download a pre-voided check image or direct deposit form, or visit a branch and ask for a counter check or an account verification letter. Which route makes sense depends on whether you keep a checkbook, whether your bank is online-only, and how quickly your employer or payroll department needs the document.
Void a Check You Already Have
If a checkbook is sitting in a drawer, this is the quickest answer. Pull any unused check and write “VOID” in large letters across the front with a dark, permanent pen. Make the letters big enough to cover the payee line, the amount box, and the signature line, so no one can fill in those fields and try to cash it. That’s the whole job.
Keep your writing in the upper two-thirds of the check. The strip of numbers along the very bottom edge is printed in a magnetic ink font that scanners read to capture your routing and account numbers, and if your “VOID” lettering bleeds into that strip, the payroll system may not be able to pull the numbers it needs.1U.S. Treasury Fiscal Service. Correcting Scanned Checks OTCnet Participant User Guide
Don’t fill in the date, payee, amount, or signature before voiding. A voided check that already carries a payee name or a signature creates unnecessary risk if the paper is lost or photocopied. You want a blank check with nothing on it except “VOID” stamped across the face.
Write the check number in your register so you don’t later wonder whether it was lost or stolen. And if that was the last check in the book, reordering from a third-party printer typically runs around five cents per check, compared with roughly 40 to 65 cents when you order through most banks directly.
Download a Voided Check or Deposit Form Online
Without a checkbook, your bank’s website or mobile app is the next place to look. Log in, open the checking account, and look for account details or account information. Most banks display the routing number and account number there, and many go a step further by letting you download a pre-filled direct deposit form as a PDF. That form carries your routing number, account number, and the bank’s name in a layout payroll departments recognize, and most companies accept it in place of a voided check.2Nacha. Direct Deposit Without a Voided Check? Absolutely!
Digital-only banks that never issue paper checks lean heavily on this approach. They typically let you generate a bank verification letter instantly through the online portal and save it as a PDF. The letter confirms your account number, account type, and the bank’s routing information. If your employer specifically insists on a voided check image rather than a letter, call the bank. Many online banks will mail a small set of starter checks or make a downloadable check image available for exactly this situation.
Ask for One at a Branch
Walking into a branch works when the online tools fall short or your employer wants bank-stamped documentation. You have two choices at the teller window.
A counter check is a temporary check the bank prints on the spot with your account number and the bank’s routing number already filled in. You can write “VOID” across it immediately and hand it over. Counter checks usually cost a couple of dollars each, though some banks provide a small initial set for free. They often lack your pre-printed name and address, so your employer may ask you to write that information in by hand.
An account verification letter is a formal document printed on the bank’s letterhead confirming your name, account number, routing number, and account status. It should be typed, printed on official bank stationery, and include every account holder’s name. Most banks can produce one while you wait, and most payroll departments accept it in place of a voided check.
What to Use When You Don’t Have Checks
Employers ask for a voided check because it’s a familiar, standardized way to capture banking details. The actual information they need is two numbers: the routing number and the account number. Several things deliver the same information:
- A direct deposit form downloaded from your online banking portal, pre-filled with your routing and account numbers.
- An account verification letter signed on bank letterhead. This is the usual answer for savings accounts, which don’t have checks at all.
- Your employer’s self-service payroll portal, where you type the routing and account numbers directly. No paper changes hands.
- A printout or screenshot of your online banking details showing your name, routing number, and account number. Ask payroll before assuming this will be accepted.
If payroll refuses every substitute and you have no checks, ordering a small box from a discount printer is the cheapest fallback. Economy shipping keeps the price down; expedited delivery is available if you’re working against a deadline.
Handle the Document Carefully
A voided check carries everything someone would need to pull unauthorized withdrawals from your account. The routing and account numbers together can be used to initiate fraudulent transfers, create counterfeit checks, or make purchases at retailers that accept bank account payments. Hand the document directly to payroll or HR rather than leaving it on a desk or sending it through unencrypted email. If your company offers a secure payroll portal where you enter the numbers yourself, use it. When email is the only option, ask whether there’s a secure upload link.
Watch your bank statements after you submit. Under federal law, how quickly you report an unauthorized electronic transfer determines how much you can be held liable for, with much lower caps when you report within two business days and much higher exposure if you wait past 60 days from the statement.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693g – Consumer Liability
You Choose Which Bank the Check Comes From
If your employer tells you to produce a voided check from a specific bank, you don’t have to open an account there. Federal law bars any employer or government agency from conditioning payment or benefits on using a particular financial institution.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693k – Compulsory Use of Electronic Fund Transfers An employer can require direct deposit as the default, but you pick where the money lands. If the company insists on one specific bank, it must offer an alternative such as a paper check.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.10 – Preauthorized Transfers Provide the voided check or verification letter from whatever checking account you already have, at whatever institution you prefer.