A Voided Check Example: What It Looks Like and Where Each Number Goes

A voided check is an ordinary paper check with the word VOID written large across the front. The word cancels the check so no one can spend it, while the printed bank numbers stay readable so someone can set up direct deposit or an automatic payment. Below is exactly what one looks like and where every part sits, so yours comes out clean and usable. For the plain definition and why people ask for one, see what a voided check is.

What a voided check looks like, top to bottom

Hold a check with the long edge sideways, like a small landscape card. Reading from the top down, here is what you see:

• Top-left corner: your name and address, printed by the bank. Sometimes your phone number too.
• Top-right corner: the check number (a short number, often 3 or 4 digits) and a blank date line.
• Middle: the "Pay to the order of" line with a long blank space for a name, and a small box on the right for the dollar amount. Just below is a second line where the amount would be written out in words.
• Lower area: the bank's name, often with a logo, on the left. A "Memo" line sits at the bottom-left and the signature line at the bottom-right.
• Very bottom edge: a row of oddly shaped numbers printed in special ink. This is the important part, covered next.

On a voided check, the payee line, amount box, date, and signature are all left blank. You are not paying anyone. You are only sharing the printed numbers.

The three numbers on the bottom line

That row along the very bottom is called the MICR line. MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, which is a fancy way of saying the numbers are printed in ink that sorting machines can read on their own. The line holds three numbers, usually in this order from left to right.

1. Routing number (comes first)

The routing number is always 9 digits. It is your bank's ID in the US banking system, like a street address that tells other banks which bank to reach. It sits at the far left of the bottom line, usually wrapped between two matching little symbols that look like a colon with small tails. Everyone who banks at your bank in your region shares this same number.

2. Account number (comes second)

Next to the routing number is your account number. This one points to your specific account, so money lands with you and no one else. Account numbers vary in length, often 8 to 12 digits depending on the bank. This is the number that absolutely must stay clear and readable.

3. Check number (comes last)

The last number on the bottom line is the check number. It matches the short number printed in the top-right corner of the same check, and it just tells which check in your book this is. Payroll and billing systems ignore it when setting up a deposit, so it is the least important of the three.

An easy way to tell them apart: find the check number in the top-right corner first, then match it on the bottom line. The block that is exactly 9 digits is your routing number. Whatever longer number is left is your account number. A few banks print these in a different order, so counting digits and matching the check number is more reliable than reading strictly left to right.

Where and how to write VOID

The whole trick is to make the check unusable as a payment while keeping the bottom line perfectly clear.

1. Use a pen, not pencil or a thick marker. Blue or black ink that cannot be erased. A fat marker can bleed and smear the numbers.
2. Write VOID in large capital letters across the middle. Make it big enough to cross the "Pay to the order of" line, the dollar amount box, and the amount-in-words line. One word stretched across the center does the job.
3. Stay off the bottom line. Keep every stroke above that row of magnetic-ink numbers. If your writing crosses the routing or account number, a machine may fail to read it and the check gets rejected.
4. Leave the signature line blank. Never sign a voided check. A signature is what turns a check into a real payment order, which is the opposite of what you want.

If you want extra safety, you can also write a smaller VOID in the date box and on the signature line, still keeping well clear of the bottom edge. That part is optional. One large VOID across the center is enough for most employers and billers.

Picture it in words

Think of the check as three bands. The top band holds your name, the check number, and the date. The middle band holds the pay line and the amount, and this is where the big VOID goes. The bottom band holds your signature line on the right and the machine-readable row of numbers along the very edge, which you leave untouched. Get those three bands right and you have a clean voided check anyone can use.

No checkbook handy, or want one that reads clearly without messy handwriting? You can create a voided check with your details laid out in the correct spots. Whichever route you take, ask the employer or company which format they accept, since some want the original paper and many now take a photo or PDF.