Cheque amount in words
Cheques still exist, and banks still bounce ones where the words and figures disagree. Type the amount, copy the words, written to UK convention.
Guide
How to use it
- Type the amount in figures, currency mode is already on.
- Copy the words line onto the cheque’s long line, ending with "only" (or draw a line through the leftover space), so nothing can be appended.
- Write the same amount in figures in the box, close to the £ sign, no gap for an extra digit.
- Words and figures must agree. Where they differ, UK banks treat the words as the amount (Bills of Exchange Act 1882, s.9), or more usually return the cheque.
Examples
Written correctly
"One thousand, two hundred and fifty pounds and fifty pence only". Pence written in full, the fraction style ("and 50/100") is American, UK banks want words or "50p".
"One hundred pounds only". No pence means no pence mentioned, "and zero pence" invites confusion, "only" closes the line.
"Seventy pounds and five pence only". Small pence amounts are where handwriting goes wrong, five pence, not "five p" and not a floating 5.
Method
How it works
The converter renders pounds and pence in full UK style, "and" between hundreds and remainder, pence as words, "only" appended, which is the belt-and-braces convention taught by every UK bank.
The rules exist against alteration: an amount ending mid-line can gain a word, "seventy" can become "seventy seven" in a gap. Words-in-full plus "only" plus a line through spare space defeats the biro of anyone who finds your chequebook.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do words or figures win if they differ?
Legally the words (Bills of Exchange Act 1882), in practice banks usually return the cheque as "words and figures differ". Either way, agreement avoids the fee and the fortnight.
Is "only" actually required?
Not by law, by convention, and banks recommend it: it terminates the amount so nothing can be added. A drawn line does the same job.
How do I write pence?
In words: "and fifty pence". Writing "50p" is accepted by most banks, the fraction form "50/100" is a US habit that confuses UK processing.
Capital letters or small?
Either, legibly. Starting with a capital and keeping the rest lowercase (as this tool outputs) is the common style.
Are cheques even valid still?
Fully. UK cheques cleared 1.9 days after imaging (the 2-4-6 timescales ended with image clearing in 2019), and there is no expiry in law, though banks treat six months as stale by convention.
What if I make a mistake writing it?
Small corrections need your full signature beside them, banks reject initialled or messy alterations. Two mistakes, tear it up and write the next cheque.
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