Voided check
A check with the word "VOID" written across the front so it cannot be cashed or deposited, used purely to share your bank details. Because it still shows the printed routing number, account number, and account holder name in the MICR line, it is a common way to prove account information when setting up direct deposit or an ACH payment. Voiding it makes the check itself unusable while leaving those numbers legible — and you can produce one even without a checkbook by using a generator.
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What is a voided check?
A voided check is a check with the word VOID written across the front so it can never be filled in or cashed. It still shows your bank's routing number and your account number, which lets an employer or biller set up direct deposit or automatic payments without you authorizing any money to move.
Getting a voided check with no checkbook
If you bank with Chime, Varo, Cash App, Ally, or SoFi, you have no paper checks to void — but you do not need one. Most online banks generate a pre-filled direct deposit form in-app, and that form, your routing and account numbers, or a bank verification letter give an employer the same proof.
Is it safe to give a voided check?
Giving a voided check to a legitimate recipient is reasonably safe: it exposes your routing and account numbers, name, and often address, but not your password, PIN, or login. Those numbers cannot drain your account directly, though in the wrong hands they could seed an unauthorized ACH debit you can dispute.