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Written by
René Bennett
Edited by
Marc Wojno
Marc Wojno is a seasoned and accomplished finance editor and writer with more than two decades of experience editing and writing across a variety of news platforms including newswires, newsletters, magazines and online news sites.
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Whether you’re setting up a direct deposit, an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer or an electronic bill payment, a voided check is often required to provide bank account information that’s necessary to direct those payments to your account. Voiding a check is a straightforward process that involves writing the word “VOID” on the check.
Let’s take a closer look at how to void a check and the various uses for voided checks.
A voided check is simply a paper check with the word “VOID” written across it, often in big letters, indicating without a doubt that it shouldn’t be used for making a payment. This precautionary measure prevents the check from being misused, whether you used it previously for an electronic payment or by thieves who might attempt to write a large sum of money out to themselves.
Despite being an invalid form of payment, a voided check, which shows your bank’s routing, account and check numbers, can play an important role in setting up various financial transactions. It can serve as a conduit for establishing direct deposits, ACH transfers or to schedule electronic payments from a checking account, whether for personal or business use.
Voiding a check is a straightforward process:
There are three main reasons to void a check:
If you’re unable to provide a voided check, or if your bank doesn’t offer paper checks, there are alternative methods to set up a direct deposit or an electronic payment.
