How to Write 500 Dollars on a Check
Accurately write monetary amounts on checks. Follow our guide for clear, secure check completion and to avoid common mistakes.
Writing a check requires precision, particularly when indicating the monetary amount. Correctly completing a check ensures that financial institutions can process payments accurately, preventing delays or potential issues. Understanding how to properly write out the sum is a foundational aspect of managing personal finances effectively.
Writing the Numerical Amount
The numerical amount for $500.00 is placed in the small box typically located to the right of the “Pay to the order of” line on a check. Write “500.00” clearly within this space. Always include the cents, even if the amount is a whole dollar, by writing “.00” to prevent fraudulent alteration of the amount. To further enhance security, fill the entire numerical box, or draw a dash after the “00” to leave no room for additional digits to be added.
Writing the Word Amount
The word amount, “Five Hundred and 00/100 Dollars,” is written on the long line below the payee line. Begin writing the amount as far to the left as possible on this line. This phrasing, “Five Hundred and 00/100,” indicates the whole dollar amount and absence of cents. Including “00/100” or “no/100” is standard practice to specify the absence of fractional cents.
After writing the full word amount, draw a continuous line from the end of your writing to the pre-printed word “Dollars” or the end of the line. This prevents any additional words or numbers from being inserted, protecting against unauthorized changes to the check’s value. The numerical amount and the word amount must match precisely for the check to be valid and processed.
Avoiding Common Errors
Leaving blank spaces before or after the numerical or word amount is a common mistake that can expose a check to fraudulent alteration. Such gaps could allow someone to add extra digits or words, changing the intended payment. Another frequent error is omitting the cents, such as writing “500” instead of “500.00” or “Five Hundred Dollars” instead of “Five Hundred and 00/100 Dollars.” This oversight can lead to confusion during processing or create opportunities for the amount to be manipulated. Discrepancies between the numerical and word amounts can cause a check to be rejected by the bank.