To write a check for $250, put Two hundred fifty and 00/100 on the long legal line in the middle of the check, and write 250.00 in the small numerical box on the right. If the words and the numbers don’t match, the bank treats the written words as the official amount under the Uniform Commercial Code.1Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-114 – Contradictory Terms of Instrument
The Legal Line: Two Hundred Fifty and 00/100
The long line running across the middle of the check is called the legal line. Start writing at the far left edge so no one can add words in front of yours.
Write it exactly this way:
Two hundred fifty and 00/100
The word “and” acts as a decimal point separating dollars from cents. That’s why it doesn’t belong between “hundred” and “fifty.” Writing “Two hundred and fifty” could technically imply a fractional amount rather than fifty whole dollars, though most banks will process it correctly either way. Save “and” for the spot between the dollar words and the cent fraction.
The “00/100” tells the bank there are zero cents. If your payment included cents, the fraction would reflect them: a check for $250.49 would read “Two hundred fifty and 49/100.”
After the fraction, draw a solid horizontal line through any leftover blank space out to the end of the legal line. That line closes off room where someone could squeeze in extra words to inflate the amount.
The Numerical Box: 250.00
The small box on the right side of the check, next to the printed dollar sign, is the courtesy amount. Write 250.00 inside it.
Keep the digits pressed up against the dollar sign so no one can slip an extra number in front. Always include the decimal point and the two trailing zeros, even when there are no cents. A bare “250” leaves space for a thief to add digits or a different decimal value.
Under the UCC, the words on the legal line control if the two entries disagree.1Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-114 – Contradictory Terms of Instrument In practice, a noticeable mismatch can still cause the bank to flag the check for manual review or return it altogether, which usually triggers a fee for both the writer and the recipient. Matching the two entries avoids that entirely.
The Other Fields You Have to Fill In
A check has four other fields beyond the two amount entries. Skipping any of the first three can make the check unprocessable.
- Date line: Write the current date in the upper right corner. Banks generally aren’t required to honor a personal check presented more than six months after this date. A bank can still pay a stale check in good faith, but the recipient shouldn’t count on it.
- Pay to the order of: Print the full legal name of the person or company you’re paying. Vague entries like “cash” make the check payable to anyone who holds it, which is risky if it’s lost or stolen.
- Signature line: Your handwritten signature on the bottom right authorizes the bank to release $250 from your account. Without it, the check is invalid. Sign the way your bank has on file; a dramatically different signature may cause the check to be questioned.
- Memo line: The bottom-left memo line is optional. It won’t affect whether the bank processes the check, but noting a purpose (“January rent,” “invoice #4021”) helps both you and the recipient track the payment later.
Protecting the Check From Alteration
Check washing is a common fraud where a thief steals a mailed check, uses chemicals to dissolve the ink, and rewrites the payee name or dollar amount. A few habits make that much harder.
- Use a gel ink pen. Gel ink contains pigments that soak into the paper fibers rather than sitting on the surface, so chemicals can’t lift it off cleanly. Standard ballpoint ink washes off much more easily.
- Fill every blank space. Draw a line through unused portions of the legal line and the payee line. Blank space is an invitation to add unauthorized text.
- Don’t leave checks in your mailbox. Outgoing mail sitting in an unlocked residential mailbox is the most common target for check thieves. Drop outgoing checks at a post office or inside a blue USPS collection box.
- Monitor your account. Catching a washed check quickly gives you the best chance of recovering the funds. Most banks send mobile alerts when a check clears.