How to cancel a check

You'd want to do the same if you made out a check in the wrong amount — say, $5,000 instead of $500.

Learn when you want to cancel a check and exactly how to do it.

Steps to cancel a check

Whether you made an error writing a personal check or a check has gone missing, here are the steps to make sure it's cancelled correctly.

Review your transaction history

First, review your transaction history by looking at your online banking to see whether the check may have cleared. Then, call your bank's customer service number to verify the check’s status. If it has not cleared, you still have time to cancel it.

If you’re canceling a check due to a clerical error on your part, notify the recipient that you’ll be stopping the check and sending a new one.

Request a stop payment order

Next, request a stop payment order on the check by notifying your bank either online, through its mobile app, over the phone or at a branch. You’ll need to provide:

• Your checking account number.
• The exact amount the check was written for.
• The check number.
• The recipient the check was made payable to.

Put the request in writing

Then, follow up on your request in writing. Confirming your stop payment order in writing ensures that the bank will honor your request for six months. Most financial institutions won’t allow anyone to cash a check that’s more than six months old, so this will effectively cancel yours. Be aware that if you don’t put your request in writing, the bank may block your payment for only 14 business days.

Pay any stop payment fees

You'll need to pay a fee for the stop payment request. Most banks charge between $15 and $30 to stop a check, but they often waive the fee for customers with top-tier checking accounts or credit cards.

What if you suspect fraud?

If a missing check cleared and you suspect fraud, contact your bank and ask for an investigation. You will not be held responsible for a check if someone forged your signature.

How to cancel a cashier's check

Cashier’s checks are considered a guaranteed payment method, because the bank has already taken the amount on the check from your account and is committed to paying the recipient using those funds.

Given the nature of cashier's checks, stop payment requests are typically not available.

But while banks rarely stop cashier’s checks, they will consider it in cases of fraud. If you suspect a cashier’s check has been lost or stolen, you can request a cancellation.

To do this, you’ll need to file a declaration of loss, which will state — under the penalty of perjury — that you don’t have the check.

Filing this declaration starts a 90-day waiting period. Once time is up, the bank will return your money.

If your cashier's check was stolen, a thief could cash it within the 90-day window — so it’s essential to pay close attention to your transaction history and immediately notify your bank if the check was cashed.

Can you cancel a check over a dispute?

You should cancel a check if a check has been lost or stolen, was written incorrectly, or if you suspect fraudulent activity involving your bank account.

But it's risky to stop a check because of a dispute – if, for example, you paid a contractor and the person didn't complete all of the work.

In this situation, canceling the check could bring you some legal trouble. If you receive goods or services you paid for by check and then stop that payment, that could be considered check fraud.