What Is A Void Check?

Need to share your bank details without handing over a real check? A void check is the simplest solution. Just grab a blank check, scrawl “VOID” across it in big letters, and suddenly you’ve got a document that can’t be cashed—but still shows your account and routing numbers. Perfect for setting up direct deposits, ACH transfers, or automatic bill payments.

What Is a Void Check?

A void check is a blank check you deliberately ruin with the word “VOID” so it can’t be used to swipe money—but it still flaunts all your key banking info. Your name, address, bank name, account number, and routing number all stay readable. That’s why employers love them for direct deposits or why your bank uses them for automatic loan payments.

(Honestly, this is one of the few times “ruining” something actually makes it more useful.) Since 2024, federal rules under the FDIC’s E-SIGN Act guidance say any electronic check images must travel through locked-down channels. Always use your bank’s secure upload portal when you can.

Step-by-Step: How to Create and Use a Void Check

1. Round up your checkbook. Pick an unused check from your personal or business checking account. Whatever you do, don’t grab one that’s already got ink on it or half-filled out.
2. Slap “VOID” across the middle. Grab a black pen or a Sharpie and write it big enough to cover the payee line, the dollar amount line, and the signature line. Leave the routing number and account number boxes untouched so the numbers stay perfectly legible.
3. Give it the once-over. Hold it up to a light or use a magnifying glass to confirm every digit of your account number, routing number, and bank name is still visible and not smudged by the ink.
4. Snap a photo or scan it. Need to send it digitally? Use your bank’s secure upload portal—think Bank of America SecureMail or Chase Secure Message Center—or save it as a password-protected PDF. Skip the regular email route entirely.
5. Hand it off safely. Share the voided check image only with people you trust, like your employer’s payroll team or your landlord’s property management crew. Never toss it into a public forum or an unsecured chat app.

If That Didn’t Work

• Try your bank’s official void-check service. Most major banks—Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America, you name it—let you request a voided check through online banking or their mobile app. By 2026, over 78% of U.S. banks will offer this for free or under five bucks NerdWallet, 2025.
• Print one straight from your bank’s website. Log in, poke around “Account Services,” then “Check Services,” and finally “Print a Void Check.” Download the PDF and stash it in a password-protected folder.
• Fall back on starter checks. Don’t have a full checkbook? Ask your bank for starter checks—usually free. They’re blank slips with your account and routing numbers already printed. Just mark one “VOID” and you’re set.

Prevention Tips: Keep Your Banking Info Safe

Treat a voided check like cash—because, in a way, it is. Here’s how to keep your digits locked down:

• Never email void checks. Regular email isn’t encrypted, so skip it. Use your bank’s secure message center or an encrypted file-sharing service instead.
• Shred the paper afterward. Once you’ve sent the digital version, toss the physical copy in a shredder to stop anyone else from grabbing your info.
• Turn on transaction alerts. Set up push or email alerts in your mobile banking app so you’ll know within minutes if someone tries to sneak an unauthorized ACH or debit through your account.
• Skip public Wi-Fi for uploads. Wait until you’re on a secure network or mobile data before sending sensitive documents.
• Refresh your void check yearly. Moved? Changed banks? Generate a new one to make sure your routing and account numbers are still spot-on.

Spot weird ACH debits or unauthorized charges? Call your bank ASAP to freeze the payment or file a dispute. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says you’ve got 60 days to report fraud and keep your losses to a minimum.