How to Send a Voided Check Safely to an Employer

The safest way to send a voided check is to upload it through your employer's payroll or document portal, or hand it over in person. If you have to mail it, use a tracked envelope. Avoid plain email and text, because a voided check shows your bank account and routing numbers to anyone who sees it.

What information is on a voided check

A check has two important numbers printed along the bottom row. That row is called the MICR line, the strip of numbers a machine can read. The first number is your routing number, a 9-digit code that identifies your bank. The second is your account number, which points to your specific account.

Together those two numbers are all someone needs to set up a direct deposit into your account. They are also enough for someone to try pulling money out by ACH, the electronic network banks use to move money between accounts. Writing VOID across the check stops anyone from cashing it, but it does not hide those numbers. Sharing them is the whole point of a voided check, which is also the reason to be careful who receives it.

The safest ways to send it

Upload it through a secure portal

This is usually the best option. Most employers and payroll companies have an online portal or app for onboarding paperwork. The file travels over an encrypted connection and lands straight in their system instead of sitting in an inbox. Look for a section named something like "Direct deposit," "Payroll setup," or "Documents."

If you only have a paper check, take a clear photo or scan it and save it as a PDF before uploading. You can also create a voided check as a clean digital file, which is easier to read than a blurry phone photo and quick to upload.

Hand it over in person

If you work on-site, giving a printed voided check directly to your HR or payroll contact is simple and secure. No copy floats around online. Put it in a sealed envelope with your name on it and give it to a specific person, rather than leaving it on a desk or in a mail tray.

Mail it with tracking

Mailing makes sense when there is no portal and you are not local. Use a tracked service so you can confirm it arrived. Slip in a short note with your name and what the check is for. Do not write your account details anywhere on the outside of the envelope.

Why plain email and text are risky

Regular email and text messages are not encrypted, and copies can linger for a long time in sent folders, on servers, and on phones. If that account or phone is ever hacked, your bank numbers go with it. If a company asks you to email the check and offers no portal, ask first whether they have a secure upload link. If email really is the only option, send it to one confirmed address and delete it from your sent folder once the deposit is set up.

Simple safety tips

• Confirm the recipient first. Make sure the portal, email address, or person is genuinely your employer or the company you expect. Scammers sometimes pose as HR to collect bank details.
• Use the secure portal when it is offered, even when email feels faster.
• Never post it in a group chat or shared drive where extra people can see it.
• Send only what is needed: one voided check to one recipient, not a batch "just in case."
• Delete the file when you are done. Clear it from your phone, your downloads folder, and any messages once the direct deposit is confirmed.

One more thing to keep it clean: the VOID mark and the printed numbers are all payroll needs, so you do not have to add anything extra. If you are not sure how to mark the check properly, see how to void a check first.

If you would rather not send a check at all

Many employers accept alternatives that carry the same bank details, such as a direct deposit form or a short letter from your bank. If you are worried about sending a check image, ask whether one of those works instead. Either way, confirm your employer received it and that your account details read correctly, so your first paycheck lands without a hitch.