Is it valid to write checks without spelling out the amount?

Question

I've been writing checks this way for the last ~15 years or so:

Namely, the amount field is written using numbers like

1,500 and 00/100

rather than the tedious, painful spelling out of

One Thousand Five Hundred and 00/100

99 times out of 100, this works fine. But occasionally you'll get certain rare human tellers who simply refuse to believe this is a valid check and you have to fight over it. I still figure the time I've saved by not writing out all those ridiculous numbers-as-words is still worth it, overall, but it's definitely irritating.

So: who's right? Is a check with the amount written in numbers valid ... or not?

Answer 1

I think the main point of writing out the amount is to prevent fraud. It's pretty easy for someone to turn a "$1,500" into a "$7,500" but it's a lot harder to turn "fifteen hundred" into "seventy five hundred".

Answer 2

The Uniform Commercial Code section 3 covers negotiable instruments.

§ 3-114. CONTRADICTORY TERMS OF INSTRUMENT

If an instrument contains contradictory terms, typewritten terms prevail over printed terms, handwritten terms prevail over both, and words prevail over numbers.

This is the only section I could find relevant to your question. A quick search of CFR didn't turn up anything relevant, though maybe someone with more familiarity will find the right reference.

Think about the person to whom you're writing the check: If it's someone you're willing to have come back to you asking for a check written out the right way, then go ahead. If you were writing a check to me that wasn't right, I'd refuse it and ask you to do it the right way so that I don't get hassled at the bank.

Answer 3

I have been an attorney for 30 years, and we learned this in class. It is valid to write a check without words, but if someone alters the check, the bank is off the hook because you in essence helped the scammer. Always think about who you're writing the check to. For example, the phone or electric company isn't going to alter the numbers to get more money, but a local merchant might not be so honest,

Confusion comes in the context of bank rules and bank policy. Banks tell people that the law backs them up on this refusal, but it doesn't. Sometimes, to simply save time, you need to write it the way the bank wants it. When I give a check to an honest/well-known payee, I always just use the numbers. It saves me time and I don't have any problems.

Answer 4

Any draft or negotiable instrument must have written on it a "sum certain" value of the instrument. Bank rules require that you write out the amount to eliminate ambiguity. I'm pretty sure that tellers who cash a check without a long form dollar amount written on it are breaking a rule and would be in trouble if there were issues with the check later.

Regarding your specific check, I wouldn't have accepted it either. Your handwriting is not so great, and one could easily interpret the number in the box as "7,500.00" or "7,300.00". The number on the line looks more like a 1, but could be a 2.

Answer 5

In my personal experience I believe it depends on several factors:

1. ATM or Bank teller: Bank tellers are trained to be the first line of defense to catch fraud when it comes to cashing checks. No teller will want a mark on their record if they happen to let a poorly written check slide and later find out the customer was Leisure Suit Larry who tried to pay for his "services" using a check that wasn't properly formatted. In this case a teller can be blamed for a failure of the system, an ATM cannot.

2. The amount of the check: a check for low dollar amounts will be looked upon will less scrutiny - however a check for $10K or higher may have a slightly higher impact on the banking system and will be addressed with scrutiny.