How to Write a Check
5 Min Read | Last updated: July 10, 2026
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
Learn how to write a check in five easy steps, including dating, addressing, and correctly writing the amount of your check.
At-A-Glance
- Checks aren’t as common as they once were, but knowing how to write one out correctly can help you pay and receive funds by check when necessary.
- Certain old-school conventions like writing with a standard blue or black pen, filling in the check amount in words and numerals, and signing in cursive can help make check processing smoother and safer.
- Check fraud can still happen, and keeping track of which checks you write, how much you write them for, and when they post can help protect your money.
Transactions nowadays are typically swipe, chip, or click-friendly—so writing checks may be unfamiliar to you. And while credit cards and other digital payment methods are fast, secure, and more widespread than checks, there are still businesses and individuals who prefer them, and so you may need to learn—or remember—how to write a personal check.
Let’s learn how to write a check correctly in five easy steps.
Step 1: Date Your Check
Every check should be dated with a month, day, and year in the upper right-hand corner. October 29, 2026 and 10/29/2026 are two acceptable ways to date your check, and using the four-digit year may make it even easier to process. The date you write marks a countdown for the payee (not the day they’ll receive the funds), and they usually have up to 6 months from the date to cash the check.1
While you can almost always cash a check within six months of its date, some checks may be processed for up to one year or longer.2
Step 2: Write in the Payee
Every check has a preprinted line that begins “PAY TO THE ORDER OF,” where you write the exact name of the person or business you’re paying. The payee, or multiple payees, must endorse the check (which involves signing the back) to process it. While risky, you can also write out a check to “Cash,” meaning anyone who has the check can immediately receive cash when the bank processes it.3
Step 3: Fill in the Amount of the Check
When writing a check, you’ll fill out the amount twice on the right side of the check, numerically in the box with the dollar sign ($) and in words on the line that ends in “DOLLARS.” When writing the numerical amount, carry the number out to two decimals, 1,234.00 for example, using proper currency punctuation like commas and periods. To help avoid fraud and processing mistakes, start your numerical amount on the left-hand side of the box, and add a dash to the right of the numerals if there’s space leftover.
When you’re writing the amount in words, start at the left side of the line that ends in “DOLLARS.” If you’re paying $100.50, write “One hundred and 50/100.” If there are no cents, it’s still important to write “and no cents,” or “and 00/100,” for clarity.
Some additional examples:
- $220.75 = “Two hundred twenty and 75/100”
- $1,000 = “One thousand and no cents” or “One thousand and 00/100”
- $1,123.25 = “One thousand one hundred twenty-three and 25/100”
- $100 = “One hundred and no cents” or “one hundred and 00/100”
Step 4: Fill in the Optional Memo Line
On the bottom left-hand side of the check, you’ll find a blank line that begins with “MEMO.” That’s an optional space you can use to add a clarifying note for you or the recipient, like “January rent” or “invoice #31.”
Step 5: Sign the Check
A check isn’t valid unless it’s signed, so banks don’t have to process it if it’s missing a signature.4 Sign at the bottom right using the name that exactly matches your checking account.Aim to sign the check last, since a blank check with a signature could let fraudsters write in any amount if they get their hands on it.
Helpful Tips for Safe and Secure Check Writing
These tips can help you safely manage your checks:
- You can track your checks in a spreadsheet, noting the check number, amount, date, posting dating, purpose, and other details. If you prefer mobile banking, you can check your transaction history to track when the payee debits your account. You can also follow up with the payee personally.
- Write as legibly as possible, since banks may incorrectly process checks with messy handwriting (or fail to process them at all).
- It’s never a bad idea to double-check the date, amounts, and payee name before you sign a check to make sure the money goes to the intended recipient within a reasonable timeframe.
- While you don’t have to, it can be a good idea to use a pen with standard black or blue ink when you fill out your check, since gel pens, red pens, Sharpies, colored pencils, crayons, and other bright writing tools can be hard to read, washed off, smudged, or altered.
- Dispose of your checks properly before you throw them out, either by shredding or destroying the part of the check with identifying bank details.
- Let your bank know immediately if you suspect you’re a victim of check alteration or fraud of any kind.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can write out $1400 as one thousand four hundred and 00/100. It may be tempting to write fourteen hundred, but that may create confusion, so sticking with one thousand four hundred is a safe bet.
Some people may abbreviate their names or their payee’s name, but they should match the business or individual’s name exactly as it appears on their bank account. Others may write a check and deliver it correctly, but forget about it until their account gets overdrawn. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep track of your checks and when they’re debited.
The Takeaway
Even in a world of contactless credit cards and digital wallets, knowing how to properly write a check can’t hurt. The five basic steps of check-writing include filling in the date, payee name, numerical and written check amounts, and an optional memo, then, lastly, signing the check. Performing all five steps correctly and neatly with a standard blue- or black-inked pen can help guarantee the payee processes the check smoothly and safely. Explore American Express Rewards Checking to learn more about your checking account options.
1,2 “Cashing old checks: How long is a check good for?,” Bankrate
3 “Blank endorsement,” Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute
4 “How to Write a Check: A Step-by-Step Guide,” Experian
Kristina Russo is a CPA and MBA with over 20 years of business experience in firms of all sizes across several industries, including media and publishing, entertainment, retail, and manufacturing.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
