To void a check for direct deposit, take a blank check from the account where you want your paycheck sent, write VOID in large capital letters across the front with a blue or black pen, and give it to your employer’s payroll or HR contact. Don’t sign it, and don’t write over the row of numbers along the bottom. That’s the whole task.
Step by Step
Pull a blank check from your checkbook for the account you want deposits to land in. Using a dark pen, write VOID in large capital letters across the face of the check. Make the letters big enough to stretch across the pay-to line, the dollar amount box, and the signature line, so none of those fields can be filled in later.
Leave the signature line blank. Signing a check marked void can create confusion about whether it’s still a valid instrument. Also keep your pen away from the numbers printed along the bottom edge. That strip, called the MICR line, holds the routing number, account number, and check number that payroll actually needs.1eCFR. 12 CFR Part 229 – Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks (Regulation CC) If those digits aren’t readable, HR will send the check back.
Once the check is voided, note “VOID” next to that check number in your register or whatever you use to track your account. Later on, you’ll know it wasn’t lost.
What Payroll Reads From the Check
Your employer only needs two numbers from a voided check, and both sit in the MICR line at the bottom.
- The routing number is the first nine digits on the bottom left. It identifies your bank. The American Bankers Association created and maintains the system, and every U.S. financial institution has one.2American Bankers Association. ABA Routing Number
- The account number comes next. Its length varies by bank, and it identifies your specific account.
- The check number is the last short group of digits and matches the number in the upper-right corner. Payroll doesn’t need it.
Together, those two numbers work like an address, telling payroll where to send your money through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network.
If You Don’t Have a Checkbook
Plenty of people, especially customers of online-only banks, no longer keep paper checks. Most employers will accept a substitute.
- A pre-filled direct deposit form from your bank, downloadable through online banking, already shows your routing and account numbers. Often the fastest option.
- A bank verification letter on official letterhead confirming your account and routing numbers. Branch banks will print one at the counter; online-only banks can usually email or mail it.
- Your employer’s own direct deposit authorization form, where you write in the routing number, account number, and account type. No voided check needed.
Avoid using a pre-printed deposit slip. Some banks use a different routing number for internal deposit processing than the one on checks, and submitting a slip can route your paycheck to the wrong place. If you’re not sure which routing number applies to electronic deposits, check your bank’s website or call them.
Keep the Information Safe
A voided check carries enough detail for someone to attempt fraud: your routing number, account number, and often your name and address. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has warned that stolen account numbers can be used to order checks, create counterfeits, or impersonate account holders with a bank.3Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Check Fraud: A Guide to Avoiding Losses
- Hand voided checks only to trusted recipients: your employer’s HR department, your bank, or a government agency.
- Deliver them through a secure HR portal or in person rather than by unencrypted email.
- Shred any extra voided checks. A cross-cut shredder cuts in two directions and is harder to reconstruct than a strip-cut.
- Watch your account for unauthorized transactions over the weeks after you share the details.
When Your First Deposit Will Actually Arrive
Direct deposit doesn’t switch on the moment you hand over the check. Many employers send a prenote first, a zero-dollar test transaction through ACH that confirms your details are valid. Under ACH rules, the first real deposit can go out as early as the third banking day after the prenote settles, as long as the bank doesn’t flag an error. Banking days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. Prenotes are optional, so some employers skip the step and deposit right away.
Plan on your first direct deposit landing within one to two pay cycles after you submit paperwork. Your employer or payroll system should let you know once the account is verified. Until then, expect a paper check or pay card.