The Cheque Was in the Post After All. Sadly...

• It wasn't signed, or
• It wasn't dated, or
• It was wrongly dated, or
• Words and figures did not tally.

It is possible for an unsigned cheque to be sent out in error, so you shouldn't assume that this is just another delaying tactic. You might, in any event, be able to present an unsigned cheque if your customer agrees to speak to the bank and request its acceptance of the cheque.

If you receive an undated cheque you can simply add the date, but wrongly dated cheques can be more difficult to deal with.

Cheques that are wrongly dated in error tend to turn up at the turn of the year, and there is no alternative but to send them back and ask that the customer amend the date. Cheques written by people to whom the English dating system (day, month, year) does not come naturally may also need to be sent back for amendment if the date is written in figures - 5/9/09 rather than 9/5/09 for example.

It is, of course, possible just to present wrongly dated cheques and hope that they clear - but it's a bad idea because it can cause unnecessarily long delays in payment if the cheque is dishonoured by the bank.

If the words and figures on the face of the cheque don't agree, it is possible just to claim the lower amount, but again it's better just to send the cheque back for amendment.

ALWAYS TAKE A PHOTOCOPY OF A CHEQUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RETURNED TO A CUSTOMER FOR AMENDMENT. The photocopy cheque is important evidence of the customer's acceptance of its indebtedness and of its intention to pay your account.