Introduction to Checks

People have used checks for about 1000 years. It can make it easier to pay people specific sums of money, without carrying any of the money with them.

A check is a promise to pay someone a specific amount, written on a piece of paper. It will instruct your bank to make the payment for you, so you don’t have to get money out of the bank.

With modern technology, the need for checks has declined. Now, most people can pay for anything by using their phones or credit cards.

How do you use a Check?

There are seven important parts to a check. All of the required information must be filled out for a check to be valid. Some of the information you must fill out at the time of payment. Some of the information is already on the check that is unique to your bank account.

The following is a list of the main elements of a check.

Your bank account number. This identifies the personal account number you are given from your bank, and where the money you are paying will come from.
Your bank routing number. This is just a way to track which bank the money comes from.
Who is being paid.
How much they are being paid.
Your signature to validate the check is authenticated.
The check number. This is useful for tracking information, in case you want to keep a list of each payment.
The date when this check will be ready to be used. You can put a date in the future, and the check will not be valid until that date.

Why do we use them?

It’s a way to make different payments without carrying all your money in the bank with you. With the ability to write the specific amount of money you can make large or small payments with one piece of paper.

How do you get them?

You can buy them from different places. You just have to provide your banking information when you have them made. Sometimes you get them from your bank when you open a new account.

Voided checks?

Sometimes people want to see your bank account information so they can give you money or do some other verification. Sometimes the way this is done is by giving the people a voided check. A voided check is when a check has the word “VOID” written over it, covering the payment information.

Be careful with your checks.

One of the dangers of having checks is that a bad guy can try and trick people and buy things with your money. Always keep your checks in a safe location.

Want to practice filling out a check?

Download our practice checks printout to get experience using a check.

Practice Checks Printout