Landlords, some government offices, lawyers and a few businesses still ask for cheques, and the format hasn’t changed in decades. Writing one takes a minute once you know the six fields you fill in: the date, the payee, the amount in numbers, the amount in words, the memo and your signature. The rest of the cheque (your name, the bank’s name and the numbers along the bottom) is pre-printed.
One rule explains most cheque problems. Under the federal Bills of Exchange Act, “where the sum payable by a bill is expressed in words and also in figures and there is a discrepancy between the two, the sum denoted by the words is the amount payable.” In practice a mismatch can also get the cheque refused: the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) lists “a difference between the amount written in words and the one in numbers” among the reasons a cheque is dishonoured. Matching the two amounts avoids both outcomes.
This guide is part of the cheques, drafts and transfers guides.
The Fields on a Cheque
| Field | Where it is | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Top right | Today’s date, or a later date for a post-dated cheque | October 5, 2026 |
| Pay to the order of | First long line | Full name of the person or business being paid | Jane Smith |
| Amount in numbers | Box at the right, after the $ sign | Dollars and cents | 1,250.00 |
| Amount in words | Second long line | Dollars in words, cents as a fraction of 100 | One thousand two hundred fifty and 00/100 |
| Memo | Bottom left (optional) | What the payment is for | October rent |
| Signature | Bottom right | Your signature as your bank has it on file | (your signature) |
Date
Write the date you are issuing the cheque, in a format the reader can’t misread, such as “October 5, 2026”. A future date makes it a post-dated cheque (see below).
Payee (“Pay to the order of”)
Write the full name of the person or organization, spelled the way they will deposit it, such as a landlord’s legal name or a company’s exact name. A blank payee line on a signed cheque can be filled in by anyone who gets hold of it, which is why many people fill in the payee before anything else.
Amount in numbers
Write the amount close to the dollar sign with both dollars and cents, for example 250.75, or 250.00 for a whole-dollar amount. Leaving no space before the first digit makes it harder to add one.
Amount in words
Write the dollars in words, then “and”, then the cents as a fraction of 100. For a whole-dollar amount, “and 00/100” shows no cents are owed. Then draw a line from the end of your words to the end of the printed line (or up to the word “Dollars” if it is printed there), so nothing can be squeezed in.
| Amount in numbers | Amount in words |
|---|---|
| 50.00 | Fifty and 00/100 |
| 125.50 | One hundred twenty-five and 50/100 |
| 1,000.00 | One thousand and 00/100 |
| 1,250.75 | One thousand two hundred fifty and 75/100 |
| 3,500.00 | Three thousand five hundred and 00/100 |
| 25,350.25 | Twenty-five thousand three hundred fifty and 25/100 |
Memo
An optional note for your own records, such as “October rent” or an invoice number. Banks don’t act on the memo, but it helps the payee match the payment and helps you when reviewing your statement.
Signature
Sign the way you signed when you opened the account. The FCAC lists an “irregular signature”, one that differs from the sample your institution holds, as another reason a cheque can be dishonoured. An unsigned cheque isn’t a valid payment.
The pre-printed parts
- Your name and address (top left) identify the account holder.
- The cheque number (top right) is a sequential number for your records and for placing a stop payment.
- The bank’s name and address identify where the account is held.
- The MICR line along the bottom holds the cheque number, transit number, institution number and account number in magnetic ink. The guide to where the account number is on a cheque labels each one.
Post-Dated and Stale-Dated Cheques
Post-dated cheques. Dating a cheque in the future is common for rent given in advance. The FCAC’s guidance is that “a person or a merchant can’t cash a post-dated cheque before a certain date.” Banks don’t always catch it, though: if your financial institution cashes a post-dated cheque before its date, the FCAC says to try to resolve it with them and ask them to put the money back, and “you must make the request before the date on the cheque.”
Stale-dated cheques. The FCAC says financial institutions don’t have to cash a cheque that is too old, and they “usually consider a cheque stale-dated after 6 months,” except for certified cheques and Government of Canada cheques. A payee holding an old cheque can ask for a new one, and the FCAC suggests asking for the original back before writing the replacement.
How long a deposited cheque can be held before the money is available is covered in how long a cheque takes to clear.
Common Cheque-Writing Mistakes
| Mistake | Why it causes trouble | How people avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Pencil or erasable ink | The amount or payee can be altered | Blue or black pen |
| Words and numbers don’t match | The words amount is the legal amount, and the cheque may be dishonoured | Re-reading both before signing |
| No signature | Not a valid payment | Signing last, after checking the rest |
| Blank payee line | Anyone holding it can write in a name | Filling in the payee first |
| Space left before or after the amount | Room to add digits or words | Starting at the left edge and drawing a line after the words |
| Misspelled payee name | The payee may have trouble depositing it | Confirming the exact name first |
| Correction fluid or crossed-out fields | Banks may refuse an altered cheque | Voiding it and writing a new one |
| Not recording the cheque | Losing track of what hasn’t been cashed yet | Noting the number, date, payee and amount |
| Signing blank cheques in advance | Anyone who finds them can complete them | Signing only when the rest is filled in |
To cancel a mistake, write “VOID” in large letters across the face of the cheque and keep it with your records, since it shows that cheque number was never used.
Other Kinds of Cheques
A personal cheque is drawn on your own account and can bounce if the account is short. When a payee needs certainty that the money is there, they ask for guaranteed funds instead: a certified cheque, a bank draft or a money order. The comparison of those three explains which banks still certify cheques, and getting a bank draft covers the branch steps.
Sharing your account details for pay or pre-authorized payments doesn’t need a written cheque. A void cheque or the direct deposit form from your online banking does it, as described in setting up direct deposit.
For everyday payments to people, most Canadians now use Interac e-Transfer, within each bank’s e-Transfer limits.
If a Cheque Bounces or Goes Missing
- A lost or stolen cheque can be stopped with a stop payment request, for a fee, if the bank processes it before the cheque is cashed. The FCAC notes that if a stop payment doesn’t work, you are still responsible for the amount.
- A cheque returned for non-sufficient funds usually brings a charge from your bank and sometimes from the payee; NSF fees and overdraft explains the charges, and the guide to what happens if you write a bad cheque covers the other consequences.
Ordering Cheques
Banks sell cheques through online banking, the mobile app or a branch, and the price depends on the quantity and style; the account’s fee schedule lists it. Online-only banks that issue cheques order them through their apps; some accounts don’t offer paper cheques at all, which is worth checking before opening one for that purpose.