Say I’m writing a check and feeling lazy and don’t want to write out the amount on the second line as I usually do, (for example):
“One thousand three hundred eighty seven dollars and 14/100-------------”
What if I just put
“1387.14----------------------------”
duplicating what’s on the first line…would there be any problems?
Yes - write me that check and I will put a tiny L on that first one and make it a 4.
When they differ - they are supposed to use the wrtten amount. Not sure if they would take it or not. My guess is if it was for 13.87 - they would let it slide, but for 1387 or 4387 - they would not.
I do understand the written value is supposed to be for protection against that sort of fraud, and should have stipulated in my example that I’m giving the check to a trusted party (which is almost always the case when I do actually use written checks anymore).
I think I was wrong anyway 
Look up “cashiers check examples” on google image search (some are fake, but same principle applies) and you will see some where they use numbers in both. They usually used something like:
1,234 DOL 67 CENTS
I tried looking up in the UCC - and couldn’t find anything on rules on the amounts in words (other than typewritten beats handwritten and words beat numbers), but I think if THEY can do it for cashiers checks - it must not be so important that you can’t. Often the written part is (when they do it as numbers) bigger or with more flourish - so maybe you could pimp your check.
Nitpick: The Dollars is already written on the check, you don’t have to write it. That is why you write the cents and a fraction.
One thousand three hundred eighty seven and 14/100 ---------------- Dollars
Screw that, I’d add a 1 in front and make it for eleven thousand.
And you also just committed a felony.
Cashier’s checks are not the same as personal checks. A Cashier’s check is guaranteed by the bank that issues it, because the funds are already secured. The check is also written/printed out in it’s entirety by the issuing bank, not hand-written (usually - smaller banks may have written portions, but will still stamp the check to make it less forge-able/indicated to be guaranteed). A personal check is an IOU that has to be cleared later on by the writer’s bank, and the hand-written portion is technically the legal amount that is to be taken out of the writer’s account.
I’m talking technically here, as a former teller who had to decide whether to accept or reject checks every day for three years back in the 90’s. I’m fairly certain the rules haven’t changed. Individual tellers can still accept or reject a check at their window, and even if they accept it, the check can still be rejected by the bank it’s written on and the funds withheld. That doesn’t happen very often, many times a check will still go through without the written portion, I’ve seen them clear without a signature (!), but that doesn’t mean either bank won’t hold the check up if the amount is large enough for them to consider fraud.
It’s not a law that you have to write out the amount or anything, and most of the time it’ll deposit without issue. But you’re setting up the recipient to have to deal with a hassle those times someone decides to care.
I’ve had 3 occasions (at 2 different banks) where I’ve been depositing a check where the amounts differ. The banks have always told me that they will cash it for the smaller amount only. Nothing about words or numbers, just the smaller amount. Which seems to make sense.
:eek:
Yes there is a logic to it, but this specific situation is in the UCC and I am pretty sure the bank is wrong unless there is a state statute that say different - or they don’t use the UCC.
Here is a test for bankers - using that code and that exact situation.
Surely this depends on what the bank has chosen to preprint on the cheque; I’ve seen some templates where the currency (dollars or otherwise) wasn’t preprinted. Strictly speaking you could write a cheque on a blank piece of paper, since all a cheque is is a letter to your bank asking them to pay a third party on your behalf. Of course, individual banks or bank accounts may impose conditions on the format of cheques that they accept; for the last dollar chequing account I had the bank said that there would be a hefty charge for processing a cheque written on anything other than their preprinted stationery. This is understandable since the preprinted ones contain computer-readable routing information; if you handwrite your cheques on blank paper the bank needs to spend considerable effort manually processing them.
I learned how to write out checks from my dad, and he was rather meticulous and would always write out: & [sup]oo[/sup]/1oo when it was an even dollar amount (i.e. no cents.) I was probably almost thirty before I realized you didn’t have to write the zero fraction part down at all when there were no pennies… :smack:
A pitiful lack of ambition. I’m adding an exponent. 
Possibly this is self-evident, but: The bank doesn’t know if you trust this other person or if you’re an idiot. (Not sure if they care.) 
I know I don’t have to, but I write 0 cents in as “& [sup]xx[/sup]/1oo” just for consistency.
:p:dubious::rolleyes:
I still do this - I think we were shown to do this in middle school when we learned how to write checks in class.
I’ve seen some people who write “exactly” or “only” after an even dollar amount.
The Bull Moose Party?