# Will the bank cash this check that I spilled tea on? It's still legible. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930 "2009-07-14T02:17:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/1 "2009-07-14T02:17:23Z")
Well the title pretty much says it all. I had a check on the seat of my car that I spilled my Yerba Maté Tea on, it only soiled one quarter of the check itself. The numbers and letters are all intact. Basically it just looked like my cat urinated on it, but I swear it is only maté. The check does not look disfigured or otherwise, it’s just slightly green/yellow on one quarter of it. Am I good when I show up at the bank tomorrow? Or will they make me go through the incredible hassle of having another one cut? Doh! This is supposed to be in GQ. Can I get a little nudge from a mod over to the proper forum? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/2 "2009-07-14T03:41:34Z")
Yeah as long as the routing number and account number are there and the signature doesn’t look tampered with you’ll be fine. If you want to be sneaky, deposit the check via the ATM and kind of wet the outside of the deposit envelope. That way the bank will think there is a leak in their ATM 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/3 "2009-07-14T04:04:14Z")
Tough to say. Not all banks necessarily deal in tea-bills. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/4 "2009-07-14T04:11:01Z")
Haha! Ok, I’ll deposit it at the ATM 😃 ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/5 "2009-07-14T12:48:36Z")
They’ll accept it at the window also- it’s a valid check. It could be written with crayon on a napkin and it would be valid. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/6 "2009-07-14T15:02:51Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > They’ll accept it at the window also- it’s a valid check. It could be written with crayon on a napkin and it would be valid. True. That is the way my young daughters pay me but just make sure there isn’t too much snot in the napkin. The “check” will still be good but that is just gross and inconsiderate to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/7 "2009-07-14T20:08:31Z")
I’ve taped together torn checks and had them accepted. If it’s deposited, it’s no risk for the bank. If the issuer says you had no right to cash it the bank just deducts the money from your account. And the issuer doesn’t know or care about your cat. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/8 "2009-07-14T20:35:32Z")
I had a job where it was my job to send cheques back to people if we really couldn’t cash them. A quarter of the cheque having a tea stain would not have prevented cashing, if everything was still legible. We would bend over backwards to cash all the cheques we possibly could (a cheque in the hand and all that). ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/9 "2009-07-14T20:53:58Z")
Former bank teller here. Should be fine. Take it into the branch and not the ATM. Better to know up front if there is a problem. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/10 "2009-07-14T21:48:39Z")
I’ve taken worse as a teller. At least it doesn’t smell like pee. ---
**Author:** ![HeadNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HeadNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadNinja)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-bank-cash-this-check-that-i-spilled-tea-on-its-still-legible/502930/11 "2009-07-15T14:33:02Z")
You may have an issue if the spilled tea spells out “void”. Fair warning and all that.