It is extremely important that you fill out a check correctly in order to receive and make payments. Although this is a payment method used less and less in favor of digital ones, it is likely that sooner or later you will receive one. If so, you need to know how to read it to know its value.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding Personal and Bank Information
Step 1. Search for the bank name
You can easily read it on the check itself and it is essential information in case there are problems with payment. The name may be printed in different areas of the check, but it is generally well recognizable. Look for a name that is clearly of a bank or credit institution and not of an individual. It could be that of an important national bank, such as Intesa Sanpaolo, or a smaller institution. Remember that you need to look for the name of a company and not that of an individual. Typically the name is accompanied by the words "bank" or "credit institution".
Step 2. Locate the payer's signature
This is the detail that authorizes you to deposit or exchange the check for cash. The signature should be on the designated line in the lower right corner of the check itself.
Step 3. Read the information about the payer
Most checks include this data in the upper left corner; you can usually read the name and in some cases even the address. If you want to make sure that the signature matches the owner of the check and the holder of the checking account, then these details are very useful.
Part 2 of 3: Read the Check Data
Step 1. Find the check value
This is indicated twice: the first in letters and the second in numbers. First find the amount written in letters.
- In the middle of the check there should be a line above the payee's name with the amount of money listed in full. The payer must indicate it in this way so that there is no ambiguity about the amount and the bank does not make any confusion.
- For example, consider a check for € 400, 00. At the dedicated line, the payer must write "Euro Quattrocento / 00".
Step 2. Make sure that the amount in figures corresponds to the amount indicated in letters
When you have identified the value of the check, make sure that the one written in letters and the one in numbers are identical. In the upper right corner of the check there is a rectangular box with the currency symbol. The payer must write the amount in figures in this space. If you consider the previous example, this box should read the numerical writing "€ 400, 00".
If the two amounts are different, only the amount indicated in letters will be paid. For example, if the check shows the words "Euro Quattrocento / 00" and the amount in figures is "€ 400, 99" then the value paid by the bank will be four hundred euros, the figure expressed in letters
Step 3. See if there is a reason
It is quite rare that checks in circulation in Italy have a space dedicated to the reason for the payment, but abroad it is not so unusual (especially in the United States). If present, the line for the reason is in the lower left corner. For example, a check issued to pay a monthly rent may be labeled "Payment for December rent".
In some cases, the reason given in the reason for payment is legally binding on the person who must cash the check
Part 3 of 3: Read the Numbers on the Check
Step 1. Find the check number
Almost all checks carry a specific number, as they are issued in a booklet and are all numbered. This number indicates which check the payer arrived at when completing it. You can usually read it in the lower part of the check itself, inserted in a series of several numbers or under the heading of the bank preceded by the words "Series and number".
Step 2. Find the issue date
At the top of the check you can read the date indicating the day the payer completed it. It is usually found in a small box preceded by the word "Date". This is an important detail because, although the banks also pay checks older than 60 days (maximum limit within which foreign checks should be collected, the times are shorter for domestic ones), the drawer could order the revocation of the payment order..
Step 3. Distinguish the bank account number from the bank details
In addition to the check number, you will see two other sets of numbers. These represent the bank details and the bank account number of the payer.
- The first number, nine digits long, indicates the bank details. In practice, this is a unique code assigned to each bank. The aim is to be able to track the transaction, understand where the money comes from and where it goes.
- The number next to it, and the length of which can vary, represents the account number. This is the current account number associated with the drawer.
