Another option in case you have no checks is to use online banking options. By opting for setting up your account online, you don’t have to provide a voided check. You can use the bank’s website to create your profile and set up an account. You will probably have to fill in an online form on your bank’s website, so make sure to have all the relevant info before you begin.
Set up Automatic Deposits
By asking you for a check, your employer reduces the potential for errors. If you have to fill out a form, it’s possible you’ll make a mistake. If the employer has to read your handwriting, perhaps it’s not perfect and a mistake is made when entering the information. However, the employer needs your banking information to get the process started. The banking product interest rates, including savings, CDs, and money market, are accurate as of this date. Write “VOID” across the front of the check with a blue or black permanent marker.
Once you have a void check, make sure to write it down and keep track of where it went in case you get confused later on. A voided check may be perforated with a “Void” stamp, or crossed out, or have “Void” written across it, be shredded, or simply be stored in a voided checks file. It is best to permanently deface or destroy a voided check, so that no one can present it to a bank at a later date and expect to be paid for it. If the check is not currently in the company’s possession, then contact the bank and authorize a stop payment on the check (for which the bank will charge a fee).
- Anyone can get their hands on these incomplete checks and fill out the rest of the details themselves to withdraw funds.
- It can save you hundreds of hours and resources annually spent to create voided checks for vendors and other organizations.
- Employers may not be the only entities you’ll have a direct deposit arrangement with.
- Many companies allow you to fill out a direct deposit authorization form.
Automatic Electronic Payments
As paper checks become less common in banking, organizations that normally require a voided check may be more receptive to another method. Try those first and you avoid the risk of your sensitive financial information falling into the wrong hands. Many small or less formal organizations may allow you to provide the information from your checking account directly to them in lieu of sending documentation.
If you do not have a voided check available, you may be able to provide the specific account information that is being requested of you. To make sure that your account remains safe and protected, we don’t advise you to sign your voided check. Moreover, if for any reason you’re required to sign the void check via email, make sure you send it as an encrypted PDF so that hackers can’t get access to it. A voided check can also help in setting up automated bill payments. Businesses don’t need to stress out while remembering the dates of their recurring payments by streamlining their budgets with voided checks. Voided checks are official checks from banking institutions, but they have the word “VOID” written clearly across the front.
No one should be able to erase the wording on a properly voided check. Certainly, voided checks are not very common in the current electronic era. Account holders increasingly use on-line platforms to make payments and tend to fill their banking information directly on web sites. You can also ask the recipient requesting a voided check if they can accept a deposit slip (voided) as well. If both these alternatives aren’t working, you can ask your bank to record your pertinent account details and then notarize the letter.
What is a voided check for direct deposit?
This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). The Smart Investor does not include what does void check mean all companies or all offers available in the marketplace and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete. A voided check is used to get the information necessary for electronic payments because it includes the following details. Often, banks will provide instructions on how you can set up a direct deposit without a voided check.
And there are some instances where you’ll need to provide a voided check to make a special arrangement, such as setting up direct deposit or online bill pay. It’s a good practice to keep a record of voided checks for at least one year to ensure you have a clear financial trail for tax purposes or to resolve any disputes that may arise. Some financial advisors suggest keeping all bank records, including voided checks, for up to seven years, consistent with the period for which the IRS recommends retaining tax documents. No, once a check is voided, it cannot be reinstated or reused as a valid form of payment.
Here are some common scenarios for which you’ll need a voided check. Once you write VOID on one of your checks, it automatically means that it becomes invalid. This check cannot be treated as a blank check and used to make any payments, but it can still provide relevant information about your bank account. You can always contact us and we’ll help you with whatever you need, as soon as possible.
Lost Checks
- To prevent the check from being processed for the wrong amount, you void it by writing “VOID” on top of the written amount.
- This website is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service.
- Use either with a dark pen or fine marker so it will show clearly on the one hand, but still leave the important information intact on the check.
- You can detach a check from your supply and write ‘VOID’ across its front.
- Write the word “VOID” in large letters, big enough to cover most of the face of the check (except for the banking details we mentioned above).
Many employers ask their employees to submit a voided check in order to set up payroll direct deposit. To do so, an employee simply writes “Void” in large font across a check and gives it to the human resources department. If you want to be extra careful, you might write “Void” across the payee line, as well as on the signature line and in the payment box. Employers may not be the only entities you’ll have a direct deposit arrangement with. Direct deposit will be the preferred way for those institutions to make payments and for you to receive them quickly.
Voided checks are often used to provide banking information without risking a payment. For example, they’re commonly used to set up direct deposits or automatic payments. Voided checks are a great help to set up direct deposits for paychecks or one-off payments for freelancers. Professionals only need to provide this check to the company’s accounting department. They can quickly obtain the banking information and feed it into their system to process payments faster.
How long should I keep a record of voided checks?
To simplify and speed up payment, you may set up an electronic billing and payment arrangement with that client. Setting up the arrangement may require you to provide a copy of a voided check so the client can establish the electronic link for payment purposes. Even though fewer consumers make payments by check, voided checks remain important.
Although some mistakes can be corrected by marking the incorrect information and initialing it, this is not always a safe practice. It’s essential to note that some businesses may not accept such corrections. The check could still be run through the bank’s system for the incorrect amount. And in such cases, the mistake may not be noticed until the check is returned to your bank or rejected by the recipient’s bank, causing the check to bounce.
A void check helps individuals and organizations avoid accidental use of their physical checks. They are primarily necessary to share banking information with a requesting party (individual or business) to send or receive funds. One cannot use a voided check to withdraw funds from a bank account. To create a void check, you need to start with a blank check and write the word “VOID” across the entire check with blue or black ink.
Leave a Reply