Parts of a Bank Check

Many purchases need checks written for payments. Checks are a very efficient way of payment, instead of carrying large sums around in bags or wallets.

Upper Left-hand Corner

Your name, your home or business address, your telephone number and sometimes your driver's license are imprinted in this section. Do not have your Social Security number put on your checks; that's an invitation to identity theft.

Upper Right-hand Corner

The upper right corner holds the number of the check, a very helpful item for identifying the number of checks written and a necessary element for bookkeeping.

"Pay to The Order of"

This section holds the name of the person, company, business or service you are giving money to, also called the payee.

The Date

The date the check was written goes just above "Pay to the Order of." It is ill advised, and in some states illegal, to post-date a check. If you write a check and do not intend on paying, this is a type of fraud. When you open a bank account, you agree to their rules, so read them carefully.

The Dollars Section

The long empty line is where you write out how much the check is worth, for example, "Twenty-three dollars." There is also a box with a "$" sign where the money amount is written in numbers. If they are different amounts, the longhand version is used.

The "For" or "Memo" Line and the "Signature" Line

The "For" (or Memo line) is where you can make a notation about what the check was for. Your signature is placed on the line opposite this.

Numbers at Margin's Edge

The first series of numbers (usually framed by colons ":") are the identifying numbers of the bank or banking institution. The next set of numbers is the check number (the same as the one in the upper right). The last set of numbers is your bank account number (usually a checking account number).

Resources

• Writing a Check Example
• MoneyInstructor.com tutorials