Since we’re clearly living in an increasingly cash-less world, it might seem strange for us to be writing an article on how to write a check. However you’d be surprised to learn that in the United States consumers on average write 2-3 checks every month according to the Atlanta Fed. The same study indicated that there were a total of 14.5 billion check payments made in the United States in 2018. Checks continue to play an important role in the every day lives of consumers. They are especially important in the business world, so knowing how to write a check continues to be an important skill worth knowing.
How to Write a Check For 1000 Dollars
For starters, while many of us should be able to figure this out, it is a good idea to double check your understanding. Checks are not designed in the most intuitive way and you certainly don’t want to screw up writing one. Using 1000 dollars as an example case, we’ve organized how to write a check for 1000 dollars into 6 steps. We hope that this makes it nearly impossible to screw up!
Step 1 – Enter The Current Date
The first step is to enter the date that is applicable for the check. Most of the time this will just be the current date i.e. today’s date. However some times you might want the date to be a future date, which is known as a post-dated check. Whoever you write the check to will not be able to cash the check until whatever date is written on the check. Consumers use post-dated checks to pay for things like rent. So for example you could write a check that you don’t want cashed until the first day of the next month. The other reason the date is important is because banks will use it to determine whether the check is still valid. Typically personal bank checks are valid for 180 days from the date on the check.
Step 2 – Fill out the name of who you are paying
This step can be an area of confusion primarily because it is worded in an odd fashion. But this step is straightforward: enter the name of the person or business you are planning to pay with the check. It’s a good idea to ask who you are paying what name they would like written on the check as they this is what they will present to their bank. Avoid nicknames or abbreviations. For businesses it is particularly important to check with the business to get the right name of the business.
Step 3 – Enter the check amount
Should no confusion with this one. Enter the amount of the check in figures. It’s usually a good idea to enter the amount to two decimal places. So since this example focuses on how to write a check for 1000 dollars, the amount in this case will be $1,000.00. The two decimal makes it more precise.
Step 4 – Spell out the check amount
For this step we are spelling out the amount we wrote in the previous step. So continuing with the same example, you will write out “One Thousand Dollars”. You could also write out “One Thousand Dollars and zero cents” if you want to be very precise.
Step 5 – Write a Note or Memo For Yourself
This is an optional step. Most bank checks will have a section typically on the bottom left corner which you can use to leave a note for yourself. The reason this exists is so that you can keep track of why you wrote the check. This way if you look back at the account months or years later and can’t remember why you wrote a particular check, the memo section can help.
Step 6 – Sign the check
This is the final step – sign the check. This is just your official signature. It’s a good idea to make sure it matches other checks you’ve signed and your ID. This way if someone gets a hold of your checks and commits fraud, the bank will be able to determine what’s real and fraudulent.
Closing Thoughts
Hopefully this was a quick a painless step by step guide on how to write a check for 1000 dollars. We are indeed living in an increasingly cashless world. But checks continue to play a role in how many people, vendors and businesses transact. Therefore knowing how to write a check properly, continues to remain relevant and important.