How to Write a Check: Steps and an Example

Before you start

Confirm the recipient’s exact payment name and the amount you owe. Check your available balance, including scheduled withdrawals. Use a pen and keep your checkbook somewhere secure. A check carries account information, so treat photographs and discarded copies as sensitive records.

Complete the fields

Enter the date, then the person or business receiving payment on the payee line. Put the amount in numbers in the amount box and write the same amount in words on the dollars line. Add a memo if it helps identify the payment, then sign in the signature area. Chase’s instructions describe these fields; your check’s layout may vary.

For a fictional payment of $247.35 to Example Repairs, the numerical amount is 247.35 and the written amount is “Two hundred forty-seven and 35/100.” The memo could identify an invoice. These are invented payment details, not instructions to pay a real business.

Check your work before delivery

Compare the figures with the written amount digit by digit. Confirm the payee spelling and signature. Avoid leaving room to add words or digits. If you make a substantial mistake, use a fresh check and mark the mistaken one void. Record the check number, recipient, amount and date in your transaction record.

Reconcile your record with the bank’s posted transactions. A check that has not appeared yet can still reduce the money you can safely spend. If a payment seems delayed, contact the recipient through a contact method you already trust before issuing a replacement.

A future date is not a reliable spending control

The CFPB says a bank or credit union generally can cash a postdated check before its written date. Notification rules and state law can affect the outcome. Do not rely on a future date to keep a check unpaid until payday; ask your bank about its procedures before issuing it.

When another payment method may work better

Ask whether the recipient accepts an online bank payment or another method with a confirmation record. Compare any fees, processing time and cancellation rules. For a large or unfamiliar payment, verify instructions independently. Never send a signed blank check. If a check is lost, contact your bank promptly about stop-payment options and any applicable fee.