How to Write a Personal Check

Writing a personal check is necessary for paying bills that aren't payable online. It can be confusing the first few times that you write a personal check, but once you start writing checks, it becomes an easy task.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Make out the check to the person or company you are writing the check to. When someone says "make out the check to" it means to put the name in the top blank on the check. Write out the appropriate name in the blank that says "Pay to the Order of."

2. Write the dollars and cents amount in the small blank that comes after that one. It will have a dollar sign in front of it.

3. Write out the amount in words on the next blank. That one will have the word "Dollars" at the end. Write the words out so that each number is spelled. $100 would be written as "one hundred." Write the cents as a fraction. Fifty cents would be written as 50/100.

4. Sign your name on the blank that is on the bottom right. That blank is for your unique signature. Sign it as you would an official document.

5. The bottom left blank is the "Memo" or "Notes" blank. Different checks will have it labeled as one for the other. This is an often-ignored blank, but it's an important one. If you are paying a bill, write your account number in this blank. If you are writing it to pay off a debt, write that into the memo blank.

6. The top right blank is for the date. If you aren't sure when you will mail or send the check, save that one for last. Write the date in numerical form. January 1 would be written as 1/1/09.