If possible, consider sending the check in an encrypted PDF. This step keeps parties who don’t have the password from viewing the document. If you need to cancel payment on a check that has already left your hands, you’ll need to contact your bank. You should also always keep the check stub—the thin paper copy behind each check you write—because this acts as a detailed receipt of all your check transactions. You can void a check from Wells Fargo online, by phone, or in the store.

Always remember to keep track of any checks you void out to prevent identity theft or fraud. Some mistakes can simply be marked with a line through the incorrect information and initialed. Some businesses won’t accept a correction, and it’s not always safe to do so. In this instance, you can write the word ‘VOID’ on top of anything else you’ve written to prevent someone from using that check. Crediful is committed to helping you make smarter financial decisions by presenting you with the best information possible. We are able to present this information to you free of charge because some of the companies featured on our site compensate us.

Set up direct deposit or auto-pay

A simple rule to remember would be to treat checks like cash. This is why employers ask for a voided check to set up direct deposit, not a blank one. Direct deposit eliminates the need for you to receive a paper paycheck and often allows the money to be deposited into your bank account faster. Many companies allow you to fill out a direct deposit authorization form. However, some still require a voided check for direct deposits.

To void a check to provide your employer to set up direct deposit, take a blank check and write “VOID” in large letters across the entire check. Be certain that you don’t cover the routing or the account numbers, which your employer will use to make sure your paycheck goes to the right account. Make a copy of the check to send to your employer, and keep the original for your own records. One of the most routine instances of voiding a check is for setting up direct deposit with your employer. The company may ask for a voided check to enter your bank account information in its system to set up direct deposit for your paycheck. When you use QuickBooks as your business’s bookkeeping software, there’s more to voiding a check than shredding it and tossing it into the trash.

The fastest, safest way to deposit your paycheck

Call your bank and ask them to cancel the check through a stop payment order—that blocks the check from being cashed. You can also request a stop payment order through your online banking web portal. But remember, time is really of the essence here, so it may be better to void the check over the phone—you know, with a real human being. Most payroll systems let you split your paycheck multiple ways, so you can have money going to three, four, or even more accounts.

If you don’t have any checks, and you want to set up a direct deposit or automatic electronic payment, there are other voided check ways to do so. A voided check is a check which is no longer valid and has the word ‘void’ written on the front.

How to Set Up Direct Deposit Without a Voided Check

Financial Institutions typically make account and routing numbers readily available to customers that sign in to online and mobile banking, whether on the web or the FI’s app. Some FIs even offer logged in customers the option to create prefilled Direct Deposit forms, which makes the process extra easy. Of course, you can also call your bank or credit union, which will give you the account and routing numbers once their representative verifies it’s really you on the phone. The easy way to do this is to write “void” in big letters so that it covers most of the check. Make sure the bank routing number and your account number on the bottom of the check are still readable, as well as the name and address of the bank . Alternatively, you could write “void” in the payee line, dollar amount box, signature line, and dateline.

• Typically, a voided check is used to get information needed for electronic payments because it includes details such as your routing number, account number, and check number.
• Alternatively, you can use check printing software to print a check you can then mark as void.
• Whether scanning it on your computer or keeping a picture of the voided check on file.
• Other types of automatic payments may also require a voided check.
• Get started with a step-by-step guide, and take control of your money.
• Just be sure to notate the voided check in your check registry.

Opening a checking account is easier than ever, especially if you decide to apply online – it just takes a few clicks! If you prefer to open your account in person, stop by any Huntington branch to meet with a banker. Check with the merchant you want to pay or the lender to whom you make loan payments, to see if they have online options for enrolling in automatic bill payment. If you give your employer a voided check, be sure to record it in your check register so that you can keep track of which check number was used. After you’ve recorded the voided check, you can either keep it in a secure file or completely destroy it.

Routing numbers are used to identify financial institutions and have been in use for a century. A routing number https://www.bookstime.com/ indicates a specific financial institution, as well as the geographic region of the country it is located in.

No, although it’s common for both a direct deposit form and a voided check to be required and while both have similar information, they are not the same. The voided check serves as a verification of your routing number and account number.