How to Write a Cancelled Cheque?

Introduction

A cheque is a bill of exchange or an order to a bank. It requires paying a specified amount from the drawer’s account to the bearer of the cheque or to whom it is ordered. A cheque has three parties associated with it: a drawer, a drawee, and a payee. These parties are defined as follows.

Drawer of the Cheque

A drawer is an individual who orders the bank to issue the specified sum of money written on the cheque. The drawer of the cheque is required to sign the instrument. The bank cannot issue the amount to the drawee if the cheque is unsigned.

Drawee of the Cheque

The drawee is the bank that will pay the amount of money to the person specified in the cheque.

Payee

The payee is the person who receives the specified amount from the bank. The bank is ordered to pay the specified amount as per the drawer’s request to the drawee. There are various types of cheques, such as cancelled, stale, self, open, bank, and crossed cheques. In this article, we will discuss the meaning and uses of a cancelled cheque and how to make a cancelled cheque.

What is a Cancelled Cheque?

A cancelled cheque is a piece of paper that has “cancelled” written in between the two crossed lines. If any mistakes have occurred while writing a cheque, the owner of the cheque crosses it with two lines, with the word “cancelled” on it. A cancelled cheque is not valid when represented in any bank, and a person cannot withdraw any amount written on the cheque if it has been cancelled. A cheque is usually cancelled so that people will not misuse it in any way. A cancelled cheque acts as legit proof that a person has a bank account with the bank name on the cheque. It contains the account holder’s name, account number of the owner or drawer, IFSC code, MICR code, branch and name of the bank address, and cheque number. An individual might not be able to withdraw any money from the cheque, but details can be obtained from the cheque itself.

Uses of a Cancelled Cheque

A cancelled cheque is used for various purposes. The uses of a cancelled cheque are listed as follows.

Know Your Customer (KYC)

A cancelled cheque can be used for various KYC procedures, such as investing in stocks and mutual funds. A KYC procedure requires proof of bank account, address, branch of the bank, and IFSC code, and a cancelled cheque provides these details.

Equated Monthly Installments (EMI)

EMI options are chosen by individuals for all kinds of purchases, and loans, such as a term loan for business, car loan, home loan, business loan, and the purchase of an asset. The bank or company requires a cancelled cheque to complete the formalities associated with the purchase.

DEMAT Account

A Demat account is opened to hold the shares and stocks. It is stored in an electronic form. A cancelled cheque is required while opening a Demat account with a bank or organization, along with KYC documents and identity proofs. All the identity proofs, including the cancelled cheque, are submitted to the stock brokerage to process the Demat account.

Insurance Policies

A cancelled cheque is required while choosing an insurance policy. However, it is not mandatory in all companies and organisations. An individual can use a cancelled cheque if an organisation specifically asks for it.

Withdrawal of Employee Provident Fund (EPF)

A cancelled cheque is required by the bank or company while withdrawing money from the employee’s provident fund. It is used to verify the account details and the existence of the owner or drawer.

Electronic Clearance Service (ECS)

ECS is an electronic mode that allows individuals to transfer funds from one bank account to another. While setting up an ECS account, the amount is deducted every month, and for the deduction, the bank requires a cancelled cheque from the account holder.

How to Write a Cancelled Cheque?

You can follow the below-mentioned steps for writing a cancelled cheque –

Step 1: Take out a blank cheque leaf from your chequebook. Remember, the cheque leaf should have nothing mentioned on it, not even a signature.

Step 2: You need to draw two parallel lines across the cheque. Parallel lines are the indicator of a cancel check.

It is the most crucial step where people make a mistake. Your parallel lines should be in such a manner that it does not cover details, such as the account number, MICR code, account holder’s name, name of the bank and the bank’s branch address. If you made the parallel lines on any vital information, take a new check and start over again. You can even refer to a cancel cheque sample online to ensure you do everything right.

Step 3: After you have drawn the parallel lines, you need to write the word “CANCELLED” in the middle of these two lines. Also, ensure you write in capital letters and not “Cancelled”.

Points To Keep In Mind While Writing a Cancelled Cheques

When it comes to writing a cancelled check, it is crucial to adhere to specific guidelines to ensure that thе cheque sеrvеs its intended purpose while maintaining thе sеcurity of your financial information. Hеrе аrе somе essential points to rеmеmbеr while preparing a cancelled cheque:

• Avoid Adding Any Dеtails
  A cancelled check should not bear any signatures, datеs, amounts, or payее namеs. Adding any of these details can rеndеr the cheque invalid and unusable for its intended purpose. The purpose of a cancelled check is to provide your bank account details, and any additional information can lead to complications.
• Handlе With Carе
  Treat the cancelled check with care. Avoid folding, tеaring, or damaging it in any way. Keeping the check in good condition is essential because any damage can hinder the readability of the information on the cheque. Banks and financial institutions rely on this information to process various transactions, so a damaged cheque could lead to dеlays or rejection.
• Record Cheque Details
  It’s advisable to maintain a record of thе cancelled check number and thе purpose for which you have issuеd it. This record can be helpful in case of any future disputes or discrepancies. For instance, if you’ve given a cancelled check for setting up and еlеctronic funds transfеr (EFT) for a specific sеrvicе, having a record of the transaction’s purpose can bе bеnеficial for tracking and vеrifying paymеnts.
• Be Cautious With Recipients
  Only issuе cancelled check to trustworthy and authorizеd individuals or еntitiеs. Handing ovеr a cancеlеd chеquе to an untrustworthy party can potentially lеad to misusе of your bank account dеtails and idеntity thеft. It’s essential to exercise discretion and ensure you have a legitimate reason for providing a cancelled cheque. 

Risk Associatеd With Cancеllеd Chеquе

The cancelled cheque also has some risks associated with it. Let’s discuss some of the risks for your reference:

• Fraudulеnt Usе
  Onе significant risk is thе potеntial for fraudulеnt usе. If a cancelled cheque leaf falls into thе wrong hands, somеonе may attempt to misuse the banking information it contains for illicit financial activities. This could result in unauthorisеd transactions or financial lossеs.
• Idеntity Thеft
  Anothеr concеrning risk is idеntity thеft. The banking details prеsеnt on a cancelled cheque can bе exploited for identity thеft, potentially lеading to unauthorisеd access to your bank account and personal information. Identity thеft can have sеvеrе consequences for your financial well-being and personal security.
• Privacy Concеrns
  Privacy concerns arise when you share a cancelled cheque. Doing so exposes your sensitive financial information to unnecessary parties, which can potentially compromisе your privacy and financial security. 

To mitigatе thеsе risks and effectively manage your line of credit, it’s crucial to еnsurе sеcurе handling, such as shredding cancelled cheques bеforе disposal, sharing thеm only with trustеd partiеs, and bеing vigilant about your banking statеmеnts for any suspicious activitiеs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that a cancelled cheque is a cheque that is not eligible for withdrawing cash from a bank. It can be used in various ways, such as opening a Demat account, business line of credit, KYC, EPF, ECS, EMI, loans for new business, and insurance policies, except for withdrawal. A cheque is generally cancelled to avoid misuse.

FAQS

Q.1 How to write a cancelled cheque in India?

Ans: You can write a cancelled cheque in India by following the steps mentioned below.

• Take a fresh cheque from your bank cheque leaf. Do not sign it anywhere.
• Draw two lines across the cheque in the centre. Make sure to draw parallel lines.
• Write “CANCELLED” in between the two parallel lines in capital letters.

Q.2 What is a cancelled cheque leaf?

Ans: A cheque leaf is a booklet that contains 10 or more cheques. A cancelled cheque leaf is a single leaf from it with the term “CANCELLED” written between two parallel lines.

Q.3 Should I sign a cancelled cheque?

Ans: A cancelled cheque has no monetary value, so it does not need to be signed. If you sign it by mistake, it is essential to either give it to a person you trust or tear it. A cancelled cheque with a signature does not hold any monetary value. However, it can be misused as it contains the account number, MICR code, and IFSC code. Some fraudsters might even forge your signature in the future. So, it is always advised not to sign a cancelled cheque.

Q.4 Can my cancelled cheque be misused?

Ans: A cancelled cheque cannot be misused for monetary gain as it is not valid in the bank. However, people can misuse the information it contains, such as branch location, MICR code, IFSC code, and account number.

Q.5 Why do people cancel their cheques?

Ans: Cheques are cancelled for a variety of reasons. Some cheques are cancelled due to manual mistakes, such as writing the wrong amount, doubling the number, or writing the wrong name. Other cheques are cancelled due to companies’ requirements, such as for a KYC, opening a Demat account, and withdrawing money from EPS. All these processes require an individual to submit a cancelled cheque for verification purposes.