With everything being so accessible online, it may feel odd to have to write a check. Something that used to be so necessary is now almost unknown knowledge to today’s generation.  So, if you’re wondering how to write a check with dollars and cents correctly, then check out these six quick steps.

Date

You can write out the date in word or numerical format listing the Month/Day/Year.  Some will typically use the numerical format. Why? Because it’s faster to write!

Payee

Write the name of who you’re paying.  Make sure you make it out to the proper person or company AND spell their name correctly. For example, S-H-A-W-N versus S-H-A-U-N.  If you’re not sure who to make it out to or the correct spelling – just ask. Because if you write it wrong, the person can’t deposit it at their bank.

Numerical Amount

Write the amount to be paid numerically.  Just make sure that you use commas and decimals in the correct place.

Written Amount

Write out each number position in expanded form like you would in math class. So for example for $1,900.06 we would write One Thousand, Nine Hundred and 06/100 cents versus  Nineteen Hundred and 06/100 cents.

Memo Field

The memo field really isn’t a required step.  But it goes a long way in helping you remember what a check is for if someone takes ages to cash it.

Signature

The last thing to do is to sign the check.  Just make sure you sign it the same way you did when you set up the account.  This is because if someone ever tries to write a bunch of fraudulent checks from your account, the bank will look at the signature to see if it matches the signature cards you had to sign when you first opened the account.

And there you have it, how to write a check correctly with dollars and cents.  If you want to see the video version of this, either click here or the picture at the top of this post with Jared and the pink hair! 😉