A voided cheque is a blank cheque with “VOID” written across it. The word stops anyone from cashing or depositing it, while the numbers printed along the bottom (your transit, institution and account numbers) stay readable. Those three numbers are what an employer, government agency or biller actually wants when it asks for a void cheque; the cheque is just a standard way of handing them over.
Many people no longer have a chequebook, and that doesn’t matter: the major banks let you download a digital void cheque or direct deposit form from online banking, and employers, the CRA and most billers accept it. This guide is part of the routing number guides.
How to void a cheque: step by step
With a paper chequebook it takes under a minute.
Step 1: Take a blank cheque. A fresh one, not one that is already partly filled in.
Step 2: Write “VOID” in large capital letters across the front. The letters should cover the payee line, the amount box and the signature line so that none of them can be used. Use pen, since pencil can be erased; any colour of permanent ink works.
Step 3: Leave it unsigned. A voided cheque is never signed.
Step 4: Keep the numbers at the bottom readable. The line of magnetic-ink digits along the bottom edge is what the recipient needs, so “VOID” shouldn’t run over it. If it does, void another cheque.
Step 5: Note the cheque number in your chequebook register. Marking it “VOID” with the date and who it went to (for example, “VOID, given to employer for direct deposit”) explains the gap in the sequence when you reconcile the account later.
The three numbers on a void cheque
| Number | Digits | Identifies |
|---|---|---|
| Transit (branch) number | 5 | Your branch |
| Institution number | 3 | Your bank or credit union |
| Account number | Commonly 7 to 12 | Your own account |
All three are needed to set up a direct deposit or pre-authorized debit; the transit or institution number alone isn’t enough. Where the account number is on a cheque shows which group of digits is which, and the list of institution numbers for Canadian banks pairs each 3-digit number with its bank.
Simplii Financial accounts carry CIBC’s institution number with Simplii’s own transit, so a Simplii void cheque and a CIBC one look alike apart from the transit. The Simplii routing number page has the details.
How to get a void cheque without a chequebook
Each of these produces a document with your three numbers that employers, the CRA and billers accept.
A digital void cheque from online banking. In your bank’s website or app, look under account details or account settings for “Void cheque”, “Direct deposit form” or “Direct deposit information”. The result is a PDF you can email or upload straight away.
A form printed at a branch. If your bank’s app has no digital void cheque, which is more common at smaller credit unions, a teller can print a direct deposit or pre-authorized debit form.
A bank statement. Some employers, especially smaller ones, accept a statement showing your account, transit and institution numbers. Not all do, and not every statement shows the transit, so it’s worth asking first.
Where the digital void cheque is, by bank
| Bank | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| TD | EasyWeb: the account’s Manage tab, then the Direct deposit form (PDF) link; TD app: the account’s Details tab and Direct Deposit Info, where the direct deposit form can be downloaded |
| RBC | Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app: the account’s Account Details, then the void cheque or direct deposit form |
| BMO | BMO Online Banking: select the account, then Void Cheque in the Account Details box; BMO app: Account Details, then Void cheque and Download |
| Scotiabank | Scotia OnLine or the Scotiabank app: the account’s Account Details, then the void cheque or direct deposit form |
| CIBC | CIBC Online Banking or the CIBC app: the account’s Account Details, then the void cheque |
| Tangerine | Tangerine website: click the Chequing Account, then the Void Cheque button; app: select the account, tap the 3 dots, then Void Cheque |
| Simplii | Simplii app or website: Account Details, then Void Cheque or Pre-Authorized Payment Form |
| EQ Bank | EQ Bank app: the direct deposit information screen |
| Wealthsimple chequing (formerly Wealthsimple Cash) | Wealthsimple app: the chequing account’s direct deposit screen |
| Neo Financial | Neo app: the account’s direct deposit details |
Each bank’s own page in this hub, reachable from how to find your routing number, has more on its screens.
Who asks for a void cheque
Different requesters accept different alternatives, which is why it helps to know why each one asks.
A new employer. The most common reason: payroll needs your three numbers to pay you by direct deposit. A digital void cheque, a bank direct deposit form or a paper void cheque all work, and some employers have their own form for you to copy the numbers onto. The direct deposit set-up guide covers the rest.
The CRA. Tax refunds, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit) and the Canada Child Benefit can be paid into your account. Through CRA My Account you type the numbers in and no void cheque is needed; the steps, and the paper and bank-app alternatives, are in the guide to CRA direct deposit set-up.
A mortgage lender. Monthly payments pulled from your chequing account need a signed pre-authorized debit (PAD) agreement, and most lenders want a void cheque or direct deposit form attached. Some still ask for a signed paper form.
Investment contributions. Automatic RRSP, TFSA or RESP contributions pulled from your chequing account use the same PAD set-up with the brokerage.
Insurance, loans, utilities and subscriptions. Any biller collecting a recurring payment from your account asks for the numbers at sign-up, and a digital void cheque covers it.
Is it safe to give someone a void cheque?
Your institution, transit and account numbers let a payment be sent to or requested from your account; they don’t authorize one by themselves.
With your numbers alone, someone can deposit money into your account.
To take money out, a biller needs your authorization on a PAD agreement. Under Payments Canada’s rules for personal pre-authorized debits, you can ask your bank to reverse a debit that wasn’t authorized or didn’t follow the agreement within 90 days of the debit. The pre-authorized debit guide covers how the dispute works and its time limits.
Where some care pays off: the numbers are best shared with employers, recognized financial institutions, government agencies and established billers. A PDF from your bank’s app avoids sending a photo of a cheque through unencrypted email or messaging, and cheque details don’t belong on social media.
A cheque marked “VOID” is not meant to be processed as a payment; the word tells every bank to refuse it.