Writing a check feels archaic in the era of instant payments, but for many small US businesses it remains the most practical way to pay vendors, contractors, the IRS, a landlord, or anyone who can't or won't accept ACH. Done correctly, a paper check is a clean, traceable, photographable record of payment. Done badly — with smudged ink, mismatched amounts, or vague payee names — it gets returned, delaying the underlying transaction and irritating the recipient. This guide walks through every field on a standard US business check in the order you should fill them in.
Before you start
Use a pen with non-erasable, non-fading ink — black or dark blue. Banks treat erasable or pencil entries as evidence of tampering and may refuse to process such a check. Have your invoice or payment authorization in front of you, so you can copy the payee name and amount exactly. If the check is for a business expense, decide ahead of time which account category it belongs to so you can write that on the memo line as you fill out the rest of the check.
Step 1 — Date
Write today's date in the upper-right corner. The conventional formats are April 7, 2026 or 04/07/2026. Avoid two-digit years — "04/07/26" is technically valid but creates ambiguity for foreign recipients accustomed to day/month formats. Don't post-date checks more than a few business days into the future. If you do post-date a check, the recipient is not legally required to wait — they can deposit it immediately. If you want to delay payment, hold the check yourself.
Step 2 — Pay to the Order of
Write the recipient's full legal name on the long line. For a corporate payee, copy the legal name exactly as it appears on their invoice or W-9. Examples:
- Good: "Acme Office Supplies, Inc."
- Bad: "Acme" or "Acme Supplies"
For payments to a person — for example a contractor — use their full legal name as it appears on a government ID, not a nickname. After you finish writing the name, draw a horizontal line through the unused space to the right so no one can add additional payees later. If you're paying multiple recipients on the same check, separate the names with "and" — banks will require all named payees to endorse the back. Avoid the word "or" between payees, since it changes the legal interpretation.
Step 3 — Amount in numerals
Write the amount in the small box on the right side. Always include the cents portion, even when the amount is a round dollar figure. Use a comma every three digits. The dollar sign is pre-printed in the box on most checks; if not, write one yourself.
- Good: 1,250.00
- Bad: 1250 or 1,250.
If your amount is less than a dollar, lead with a zero: 0.65, not .65.
Step 4 — The written amount line
Write the dollar amount in formal English on the line that runs across the middle of the check. The format is "<dollar words> and <cents>/100", followed by the printed word "Dollars" at the end. Example: "One thousand two hundred fifty and 00/100 Dollars". The CheckCraft amount-to-words converter renders this line for you. After you finish writing, draw a horizontal line through the rest of the line to prevent anyone from extending the amount.
The written amount controls if it differs from the numeric amount. This is a rule of the Uniform Commercial Code, Article 3, Section 114, adopted by every US state. Banks train tellers to compare both fields before accepting a deposit, and Federal Reserve check sorters route mismatched checks for human review.
Step 5 — Memo
The memo line at the bottom-left is optional but valuable. For business checks, write the invoice number, account number, or service period being paid. Examples: "Inv #20452 — March services", "Q1 estimated tax — EIN 12-3456789", "Rent — April 2026". Your bank stores the front and back image of every cleared check; a clear memo makes it much easier to look up a transaction later for accounting or audit purposes.
Step 6 — Authorized signature
Sign the bottom-right line in the same hand as the signature card on file with your bank. For business checks, this is the signature of an officer authorized on the account's signature card. Many small businesses also require two signatures on checks above a threshold dollar amount; if your business has such a policy, follow it consistently or your bank's Positive Pay system may flag the check. Never sign a blank check — if it is lost, anyone who finds it can fill in the rest and present it for payment.
Step 7 — Record the check in your register
The carbonless duplicate or check register is part of the check, not an afterthought. Record the date, payee, amount, and a one-line description so you can reconcile against your bank statement later. If you use accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero, enter the check number, date, payee, amount, and expense account immediately — it's much harder to reconstruct a missing transaction six weeks later.
What to do after writing the check
If you're handing the check to the recipient in person, hand it to them folded only along the long axis (never across the MICR line at the bottom — folds break magnetic encoding). If you're mailing the check, use a security envelope, place an opaque sheet in front of the check so the routing and account numbers can't be read through the envelope, and consider sending it by certified mail for high-value payments.