As a startup and a business person, learning how to read a cheque In 9 easy steps will be of benefit to you. Although cheques have been around for a while, they aren’t as common as they once were, so you might use some guidance on how to read them. 

You must be able to read cheques in order to cash them, make payments, or set up direct deposits.

How To Read A Cheque In 9 Easy Steps

1. Personal Data 

View the chequing account owner’s information. If the cheque was written by an organization like your employer or insurance provider, the money will be taken out of that person’s account (or the company’s account). 

You can find the cheque writer’s contact information here if you need to get in touch with them. There may be a phone number here occasionally, but not all cheques include phone numbers. 

Additionally, there may be scribbled personal information here. To accept a cheque, a cashier may need a customer’s phone number or driver’s license number.

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2. Beneficiary Line 

Check the recipient of the funds or the person to whom the cheque is payable; hopefully, that is you. 

A precise name of a person or organization that is permitted to cash or deposit the cheque should be listed in this area. The cheque may occasionally be made payable to “Cash,” in which case virtually anyone may deposit or cash the cheque.

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3. Amount on the Cheque

This is the cheque’s precise value. This amount is what you are legally entitled to as the payee since it is more likely, when expressed in words rather than figures, to reflect the check writer’s true intent to pay. 

However, if the check is valid and the cheque writer has sufficient funds, you’ll actually receive the money.

Warning!! 

Sometimes, bogus cheques are printed, and it may take some time for your bank to realize that you were duped. Spending money without being sure it will be it is risky, so be sure it will be there by checking with your bank.

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4. Note Line 

Any further details that the cheque writer wants to add can go here. It may include a description of the payment (“June Rent”) or reference data, such as an account number. 

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5. Date Section 

In most cases, that is exactly what you see. This should tell you when the check was written. However, occasionally people “post-date” cheques by including a future date. 

A cheque’s writing date does not always show when you can deposit it or when banks will accept it. 

However, there may be a cause for a post-dated cheque, so it’s a good idea to get in touch with the cheque writer and find out what’s going on.

Check for terms like “Void after 90 days” or an issue date that was over six months ago to ensure that a cheque isn’t too outdated. 

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6. Signature Section

This identifies the cheque’s signer. If a cheque you’ve received doesn’t have a signature, get in touch with the cheque writer right away. If the cheque isn’t accepted as valid, your bank might charge you extra fees. 

You might occasionally come across cheques that don’t have a signature but ‌contain the statement “No Signature Required” when checking transactions in your account, for example. 

Those items are most likely payments that you gave your approval to over the phone or online. However, if you don’t recognize a payment, call your bank right away.

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7. The name or logo of the bank 

This identifies the bank where the cheque writer has a chequing account and the source of the funds. You might need to go to that bank (or a nearby branch of that bank) in order to cash the cheque and get the whole amount. 

You can also try to deposit or cash the cheque with your own bank, but they might only pay out a portion of it and put a hold on the remaining amount.

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8. Verifying the Account Number 

The money will come from the account with this number. Again, it might be useful if you decide to sign up for electronic payments from your own account, but you don’t need to be aware of it when you receive cheques. 

The ABA number and account number are used in the background to handle payments by both your bank and the bank of the cheque writer.

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9. The back of the cheque

The back of a cheque is often signed (or “endorsed”) by the person who deposits or cashes it. Banks stamp information on cheques as they process payments, leaving a trace of the cheque’s handling history.

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Conclusion

Finding the information you require on practically any cheque should be easy once you have seen a few cheques. I hope you enjoy reading this article on how to read a cheque In 9 easy steps. For further help, you can leave your question in the comment section.

Author

Hi, I am Chidimma, the Chief Editor of StartupSpot. I hold a bachelor's degree in Business Education (with a major in Accounting) from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria and online certifications in Digital Marketing by SEMRUSH Academy. Startupspot was therefore born (in 2021) out of my passion to reach startups, small businesses and a greater audience to educate them about startups, the challenges facing startups and how to manage their finances. I also wish to educate people (especially women) to attain financial independence. I hope you find the contents useful, and should you need further help, I hope you ‌reach me.