To void a check, take a blank check from your checkbook, write “VOID” in large capital letters across the front with dark permanent ink, and leave the numbers along the bottom edge untouched. The check can no longer be cashed, but the routing and account numbers stay readable so an employer, biller, or financial institution can use them to set up electronic payments into or out of your account.
How to Write VOID on a Check
Use a pen with blue or black permanent ink. Ballpoint or gel is fine. Avoid pencil, and avoid any ink that smears or wipes off.
Write “VOID” in capital letters large enough to cover most of the check’s face. The word should cross the payee line, the date, the amount box, and the signature line, so none of those fields can be filled in and passed off as a real payment. If you’d rather, you can write “VOID” separately in each of those fields instead of one big word through the middle. Either method works.
The one place “VOID” must not go is over the row of numbers printed along the bottom edge. Those machine-readable characters hold your bank’s routing number, your account number, and the check number. Cover them and the check loses its whole purpose, because the recipient can’t read the details they need.
Once the check is voided, record the check number in your register, spreadsheet, or banking app. That keeps your records straight and helps you spot anything odd on your statement later.
What the Recipient Actually Uses
A voided check carries the same printed information as any other check from your account. Two numbers sit along the bottom left and do all the work. The nine-digit routing number identifies your bank or credit union. The account number identifies your specific checking account. Together they’re everything an organization needs to send money into your account or pull money out of it through the Automated Clearing House network.
Writing “VOID” across the face tells any bank or processor that the check itself should not be honored. After that, it functions strictly as a reference document.
When You’ll Be Asked for One
Starting a new job is the most common trigger. Payroll departments use the routing and account numbers from a voided check to set up direct deposit. Rather than trust you to type a long string of digits without a typo, they want a printed source straight from your bank.
Recurring bills work the same way. Mortgage servicers, utility companies, insurance providers, and property managers routinely ask for a voided check when you authorize automatic withdrawals. The check confirms the account exists and belongs to you, which cuts down the chance of a misdirected payment and the late fees or recovery scramble that can follow.
You may also need one when linking external accounts, such as connecting a brokerage account to your checking account for transfers, or setting up contributions to an investment account. Any time a financial institution needs to verify your banking details for electronic transfers, a voided check is one of the standard ways to hand them over.
Social Security and Other Federal Payments
If you receive Social Security benefits, you generally do not need a voided check to set up or update direct deposit. The Social Security Administration lets you manage deposit information online through a my Social Security account, by phone, or by having your bank send updated information directly through the Automated Enrollment process.1Social Security Administration. Update Direct Deposit Other federal agencies have moved toward digital enrollment as well, though some still accept a voided check as one option among several.
What to Do If You Don’t Have Paper Checks
Plenty of people no longer keep a checkbook. You still have several ways to hand over your banking details.
- A prefilled direct deposit form from your bank’s website. Many banks let you log in and download one that already has your routing and account numbers on it. Bank of America, for example, offers this through its online portal and mobile app.2Bank of America. Direct Deposit – Access Your Money Faster
- A bank verification letter. Ask your bank for a letter on official letterhead confirming your name, account number, and routing number. Most employers accept it in place of a voided check.
- A counter check. A teller at a branch can print a temporary check with your account details on it, and you void that one the same way. Some banks charge a small fee.
- An online banking screenshot or account details page. Some employers and billers will accept a printout showing the routing and account numbers, though this varies by organization.
If the recipient insists on a voided check specifically and you don’t have one, the bank verification letter is usually the strongest fallback. It carries the same institutional credibility and includes all the required data.
Keeping the Numbers Safe
A voided check can’t be cashed, but it still exposes the two pieces of information someone would need to pull money from your account. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that a routing and account number combination is enough for someone to create a demand draft, which works like a check but doesn’t require your signature.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Demand Draft, Telephone Check, or Preauthorized Draft The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has flagged this as a recurring fraud pattern.4Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Check Fraud – A Guide to Avoiding Losses
Legitimate employers, billers, and institutions need these numbers to move your money, and the risk of handing them to a trusted party is low. The risk sits in how carelessly the check travels: an unlocked desk, an unprotected email attachment, or someone you haven’t verified.
When you need to send a voided check digitally, convert the image to a password-protected PDF rather than attaching a raw photo. Send the PDF in one message and deliver the password through a different channel, like a phone call or text. If your employer or biller offers a secure upload portal, use it instead of email. The goal is to keep your account details out of an unencrypted inbox.
Only provide a voided check to organizations you initiated contact with. If someone calls or emails you out of the blue asking for banking details, verify their identity independently before sharing anything. Calling the company back at a number from their official website eliminates most social engineering attempts.
If a Voided Check Goes Missing
Contact your bank right away. The check itself can’t be cashed, but the account and routing numbers on it could be used to initiate unauthorized electronic withdrawals. Your bank can flag the account, step up monitoring, and set up alerts for new ACH debit attempts.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises reaching out to your bank or credit union as soon as possible to ask for any unauthorized funds to be restored.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I Wrote a Check, but It Was Stolen and Cashed by the Thief – What Can I Do Under federal law, if you report an unauthorized electronic transfer within two business days of learning about it, your liability is capped at $50. If you wait longer than two days but report within 60 days of your statement, that cap rises to $500. After 60 days, you could be on the hook for the full amount of any transfers the bank can show it would have stopped had you reported sooner.6eCFR. 12 CFR 1005.6 – Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
Check your statements regularly. If you spot a withdrawal you didn’t authorize, report it fast. Speed is the biggest single factor in limiting your financial exposure.
If You Mess Up the Void
If you accidentally void the wrong check, or your “VOID” runs across the routing and account numbers, don’t try to salvage it. Grab another check and void that one correctly. Checks are cheap next to the headache of a rejected direct deposit because your bank’s system couldn’t read the numbers. Record both the ruined check and its replacement in your register so neither creates confusion later.
If you’ve already handed over a voided check and the recipient’s system rejects it as unreadable, you’ll usually hear from payroll or the billing company within a few days. Provide a new voided check or use one of the alternatives above. The rejection itself doesn’t affect your account or trigger fees on your end.