What is a Cancelled Cheque and How to Write One
June 3, 20263 min read
A cancelled cheque is a cheque with two parallel lines drawn across it and the word "CANCELLED" written on top. It cannot be used for payment — it's used only to share and verify your bank account details.
Why is a cancelled cheque needed?
Organisations ask for it to confirm your account number, IFSC and name — for example when setting up salary/EMI auto-debit, KYC, insurance claims, or linking a bank account.
How to make a cancelled cheque
- Take a blank cheque leaf from your chequebook.
- Draw two parallel lines across the cheque from top-left to bottom-right.
- Write "CANCELLED" in capital letters between the lines.
- Do not sign it. Leave all other fields blank.
Precautions
- Never sign a cancelled cheque — an unsigned cheque can't be misused for payment.
- Only share it with trusted institutions.
Your cheque already shows your account number and IFSC. Learn what an IFSC code is, or explore types of cheques. Print cheques easily with Cheque Print.
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