How To Properly Write Cents On A Check Without Making Mistakes?

Electronic payments have been witnessing a rise ever since mobile banking is introduced. The Federal Reserve, in 2013, discovered that there had been a 50% decrease in check payments from 2000-2012. But that never made an impact on the amount of check payments done by people. 

When it comes to making a payment by check, a key concern is how to write cents on a check properly. At present, 18 billion checks are signed every year, with 70% of renters still preferring check payment over anything else. This quick guide will walk you through the check-writing skills that ensure zero mistakes and no tearing off pages from the checkbook. 

Why You Should Write A Check Properly?

If you have a checking account, you would be aware of how to write check amount properly. But have you wondered what if you fail to do so? A bank check has direct relations to your funds. Thus, a small mistake can debit all your money and transfer it into the wrong bank account. 

A simple numerical or word error can end up making things worse for you. When it comes to check-writing, penmanship is an important consideration. You can take help from an experienced account holder or a bank employee to fill out your check. But if you are not quite sure, it is better to leave things to a professional. 

Steps To Properly Write A Check With Cents

To write a check with cents is not a big deal, provided you know the right steps to do so. To make things simpler for you, here is a list of steps that might help you in the process. 

Put the date

This step goes without saying because dating a check is the foremost step in writing a check. The reason why this step is critical is that a check without a date is never really accepted. 

Insert the recipient?s name

Coming after the step of ?pay to the order of,? this is the second-most significant addition to any check. Ensure that you insert the recipient’s full name and confirm the same before sending. 

Write the cents correctly in numbers

When you write check with cents, there are generally two spots to fill the exact amount. First, you will have to write the cents numerically in a tiny column on the right. Ensure to write this in clear handwriting so that there is no confusion from the bank?s end while debiting your money. 

Put them in words 

The line right under the ?Pay to the order of? sector is where you will write the cent amount in words. On knowing how to write cents on a check, the next big thing is to know how to write them in words. For instance, when paying a check for 140.45 cents, you will have to write ?one hundred forty and 45/100. 

Draft a memo

Filling the ?memo? line is optional, but you must fill it. It helps to know why you are writing the check in the first place. While paying a check for rent, you might write ?Monthly Rent? in the memo section. Oftentimes, while paying the bill, the bank will ask you to fill in your account number too. 

Put your sign on

The next big thing after knowing how to write amount on check is to sign it by putting your name on the check?s right-hand corner. Here, you have to insert the same signature you inserted while opening the checking account. This proves that you have agreed to pay the given amount and to the right payee. 

Writing A Check For Cash: Simple Steps

Here, you will have to insert ?Cash? without the quotation mark right in the payee field. Make sure it allows anyone to deposit the document. For non-US check users, gaining an idea of how to write a check with hundreds and cents might be the possible solution here. 

Ensure you cancel out the bearer and put the payee?s information and whether you want the check in a non-cash format. There are some terms associated with check writing in cash that you must know.

• Drawer or the entity who writes the check.
• Drawee or the entity who is liable to pay the amount. This is usually a financial institution.
• Bearer or who has the check in his/her possession. 
• Account number, which you already know when learning about how to write cents on a check. It usually lies on the right side of your routing number. 
• A check number is basically in the top right corner, where you will find the check number. It also reflects the sequential order in the checkbook. 

Steps To Balance A Checkbook

Whenever you make a deposit or spend your money, make sure you keep its track in the check register of the checkbook. It can be easily located with the received checks. Furthermore, your check register is simply meant for using a tracker of all your expenses and deposits. All transactions must be recorded, including ATM withdrawals, checks, deposits as well as debit card payments. 

Importance Of Writing A Check 

While it may seem that writing a check may be old-fashioned, the case is quite the opposite. There are multiple reasons why writing a check is still the only preferred option when it comes to bigger transactions. 

Yes, online payments have taken over the world. However, the kind of safety and security that a check serves is trusted by many. 

Here are some reasons why one must know how to write a check: 

Keep records: There is no doubt that a check is an in hand record of a payment that is being made. Writing a check provides a paper trail of your transaction. Each check has a unique number, date, payee, and amount, which can be useful for tracking all the expenses and maintaining financial records. This can be particularly important for individuals and businesses for accounting and tax purposes.

Legal proof of payment: A canceled check will act as the legal proof that a payment was, in fact, made. In case of any disputes or queries about whether you made a payment, a check can provide the ultimate evidence of the transaction. This is not the case with online payments. A failed transaction will have no proof, nor will there be any in-hand proof that you, in fact, tried to make the payment. 

Security: Unlike the online mode of payment or cash, the money is not immediately deducted from your account when you make a payment. It takes time for the process to finally go through. Therefore, if there is a case where the check gets lost or stolen, you may report it so that the bank does not go ahead with the withdrawal. 

Provides control: when you are writing a check to someone, you have the ultimate control over when and how the check is getting processed. You can write a post-dated check where you can mention the date when the recipient can make the withdrawal. This is very important for maintaining your cash flow or making budgets. 

Accepted worldwide: you will still find a lot of places that do not accept the online mode of payment. This is very normal. Big payments are not trusted through the online mode of money transactions. But that is not the case when it comes to a check. It is the only form of transfer that is accepted all around the world without any questions. You can easily write a check to make rent payments, pay electricity bills, and so on. 

The Bottom Line

We hope that after reading this article, you will get a complete idea of how to write cents on a check. It is not something you will have to learn with all your heart. Just knowing a few simple steps will do the trick. 

So, what are you waiting for? Prepare yourself to write a check right away with the right steps by your side. Thank you for reading out. Save this article for your future transactions and comment below with your thoughts on this.

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