How to Write a Canadian Check

Learning how to write a Canadian check is an important skill for anyone in Canada. Banks in Canada process a billion checks every year. Although many people have started using credit cards, prepaid cards have a limited limit and writing a cheque is still a popular payment option. It's easy to make a payment in an amount that matches your bank account balance. Then you can deposit the check into a bank account.

The basic format for a Canadian cheque is very similar to that of a U.S. check. When writing a cheque, you need to write out the dollar amount first. If you're writing a cheque for a smaller amount, you can also write the total in cents by placing the 'xx/100' between the dollar amount. Make sure you spell out the dollar amount first and then list the rest of the information separately.

When you're traveling abroad, you may find it useful to know how to write a Canadian check. While you'll still find some places accepting cheques, you should avoid the more expensive alternatives to Canadian checks. Most banks and commercial entities will accept these as long as the payment is made in the right currency. However, if you have to make a purchase overseas, you may have trouble getting your money.

In addition to the dollar value, you can also write out the date. The date is written on the top right corner, so it's important to match it with the date on the cheque. You can even write 'cash on cheque' if you don't have cash on hand. In this case, you should be sure to make the date on the cheque the same as the date on it. If you're not able to make the payment before the due date, you can postdate it to a later date. The format for post-dated cheques is set by the Canadian Payments Association.