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Need to cancel a check? It is important that you follow the right steps in the right order to make sure your check is cancelled properly. This will ensure you are not charged any unexpected fees and that the check does not clear. You will also help alleviate any confusion on the part of your bank and other people or businesses to which you have written checks.

(If you are cancelling a check, you would not have a copy available from the bank or online because it would not have been cashed or cleared in the first place)

Contact Your Bank

First you will need to contact your bank to request a stop payment or cancellation of the check. They will need all the relevant details about the original checks as well as the check number, your name and account information. They may also need your routing number or may even request that you come in to sign paperwork authorizing the cancellation.

Documentation

You will have to provide an explanation regarding why you are stopping the payment or cancelling the check. Different financial institutions have different policies governing this type of situation, so the best process may be easy and quick or quite lengthy depending on your credit union, bank or other checking account provider’s requirements.

Understanding Policies

Knowing your financial institution’s policies in advance will help prevent wasted time and money. If the payee of the check you wish to stop payment has already cashed the check, it will be too late to stop payment. Additionally, you cannot stop payment on a cashier’s check. Even if you can cancel the check in question, you may also have to pay a fee to your financial institution to do so.

Check Back in Six Months

A stop payment or cancellation is good for six months, so check back then and have another stop payment placed on the check if needed. After six months, if you have not placed another stop payment on the check, the payee may cash it, although some banks do have specific time limits on how far past the issue date a check may be cashed. These will vary by bank, so understanding this about your bank will also be another helpful protective measure.

Cancelling or stopping payment on a check may be necessary at times. If needed, following the proper procedure and knowing what steps are required of you and through your specific bank will make the process significantly easier and faster. In addition, using duplicate checks that store a carbon copy for each check you write are always helpful. You can always get duplicate checks in your favorite designs through www.BradfordExchangeChecks.com.