Nowadays, to verify and read a check is something essential, one has to do before issuing and receiving any payments.
Nevertheless, the fact that various forms of digital payment systems are being put in place.
Reading a check is still vital; hence, at a point in your life, you might receive a check and seek to know how to understand a check.
So, if you are looking for how to write and read a check, then this guide is for you.
Let’s quickly see the available steps on how to read a check account number and understand the amount.
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How to Read a Check and Understand a Check
Part 1: Finding Banking and Personal Information
- Look for the Bank Name
Once you receive any check, immediately look for the name of the bank and locate it.
You can check the field with “Bank name” to see it. However, the bank name can appear on different places on the Check.
The bank name can be a name like Chase, Bank of America, or Local Credit Union.
You can also look out for business or institution names and not individual names.
- Find the Payor Signature
The next thing to look out for is the Payor Signature, and this can be seen on the field line located at the lower corner of the back.
This signature authorizes someone to deposit or cash the read and make sure to read it first.
- Read the Payor’s Information
You can as well read the payor’s information on the Check, of which most checks provide an area to include information as the payor.
Try to look for and verify the payor’s info to confirm and verify if the payor’s signature matches the check owner and account details.
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Part 2: Reading the Check Writings
- Read the Check Amount
If indeed, you want to learn how to read a check, then you must know how to read the check amount.
The check amount can be found on two sides on the Check, first the amount in words and secondly in digits.
Also, at the back of the Check, space is provided where the payor also writes the check amount.
- Make sure the Amount in Words is same with Amount in Digits
Now, this is a critical aspect you need to know and follow duly when reading a check.
Try to make sure that the written amount matches up with the Numerical amount.
You can find and read this in a small box just on the right side with the field for the amount in words.
This box bears a currency sign by the side, and it’s where the check amount is written in digits.
A check having an amount in words as “Five hundred and No/100”, the amount can be written in digits as $500 or $500.99.
And with these, you only redeem the amount in words from the Check, which is $500 only.
- Make sure if the Check Includes a Memo
Some checks include memos, provided to be written on it the purpose of the Check?
This is located at the left corner bottom of a check use in writing the description of any check payment.
For example, a check for house rent payment can contain a memo as “Rent Payment for January.”
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Part 3: Reading the Check Numbers
- Find the Check Number
To read a check, you can also locate the check number to know at which number the recipient wrote the Check on.
You can find this at the upper right-hand corner of any check and also at the bottom as well.
- Locate the Date
Here, you try to verify and confirm the date in which the Check was made or written by the payor.
This can be located at the top right corner of the Check in the small box field tagged as “Date.”
- Know the Routing Number and Account Number
The routing number and account number are located at the bottom of the Check, and you need to know this very well.
The first number is the “Routing Number,” having about nine digits that are being assigned to individual banks.
They are numbers use for tracking the money exchanged in a transaction and know where it comes from and goes to.
Then, the next number is the “Account Number,” which can be seen in various lengths or digits.
And it is assigned and associated with the individual bank of the payor only.
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So, that is all about How to Read a Check account number and understand a check.
Now, you have learned how to read a check and you can do it anytime any day.
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You can also explore this awesome article we have here on How to write a check.
Thank you!