Writing Bank Checks

[Pravda]

I had a check to the phone company bounce because it was written in a deep red color- Noodler's Red-Black.

 

I went and argued with the company, being a former banker myself, that any check with the name and amount and signature clearly visible should be paid on presentation irrespective of ink color.. I tried to plead that no color is more 'official' than another and that if its clearly legible they should accept it.

 

It didn't work and they said that they believe checks should only be written in either blue or black, and maybe with an ink that is a variant of that..

 

What do you all think?

 

 

 

[OldGriz]

I had a check to the phone company bounce because it was written in a deep red color- Noodler's Red-Black.

 

I went and argued with the company, being a former banker myself, that any check with the name and amount and signature clearly visible should be paid on presentation irrespective of ink color.. I tried to plead that no color is more 'official' than another and that if its clearly legible they should accept it.

 

It didn't work and they said that they believe checks should only be written in either blue or black, and maybe with an ink that is a variant of that..

 

What do you all think?

 

I think they are full of it... but then again each country has it's own set of regulations.. it might also be the reg for the company.

Remember that some colors do not copy well at all... they might be copying all payment checks and want them to clearly copy.

Here in the US, as long as it the recipient's name, the amount and my signature, the bank gladly takes the check and cashes it...

 

 

[Richard]

I write cheques with whatever ink happens to be in the pen I pick up, and we receive cheques from clients written in all colors of the rainbow. Our bank (a credit union, actually) hasn't kicked yet. And they're less likely to kick now than ever, as they've rolled out Web-based scanning software so that we can submit front-and-back scans of cheques for deposit. They never even see the paper copies.

[Pippin60]

With OCR and todays scanning technology it is possible depending upon the pigment saturation that some optical scanners won't pick up some colors. Basically if a photo copy machine can pick up the color and print it in black and white you should be fine.

Edited December 15, 2008 by Pippin60

[Pravda]

I know that my bank cashes them for a fact because if I write in that color to individuals, i.e. my mechanic he accepts it and gets paid immediately.. I wonder why the telecom company and a few others don't however.. maybe because of copying like you said I haven't thought of it.. but still a red-black ink that is almost as dark as black even darker than blue I would imagine it would copy well. Suffice to say this sucks because now I worry that some bounce and have resorted to writing most of my checks in black just to be on the safe side.. ifftt..

 

 

 

 

 

[Titivillus]

In this day and age the scanners and copiers should be able to pick up every color of ink out there except maybe some of those yellow and oranges!

 

It might have more to do with a dusty old rule than and actual issue with the ink.

 

I use Stipula green and have had no issues

 

K

[JohnS-MI]

Did your bank decline the check, or did the phone company refuse to attempt deposit?

 

If it were the bank, my answer would be "My new bank will accept it." I have written holiday checks in both red and green ink (but very saturated colors that copy to black or near black when scanned), and never had a problem. I think my bank would only complain if they couldn't scan the check well.

[christob]

If I am being _very_ charitable: Perhaps their refusal could be connected to the base-color of the checks they issue? I.e. red-black does not give enough contrast on their checks, even though it does on other banks'. ?

 

But as always I find myself wondering when on earth are the Americans going to modernize their banking systems? I mean, really, come on guys, Checks !???

On the other hand, it is nice to know we still have a few competitive advantages in "old Europe".

 

 

[wrath186]

When I first started in banking the only two acceptable forms of ink for bank documents were Black and Blue. Customers could use whatever ink they wanted, but if a check came back they would be charged for it. I remember a manager telling me the reasons for this were two fold. First, black and blue are not as easy to "play" with if someone is trying something funny. Second, at the time, proof machines and operators could smudge or smear another type ink making the dates, amounts, body and signature of the check illegible and comprimise it. Now everything is done by scanner and very few hands ever touch a check so the problem has been eliminated for the most part.

 

It my new profession I know that it's a big no-no to write in red ink. Our R&D people, chemical engineers and lab people use red for various reasons, that's why it's off limits for everything else. I still use it to sign my name though.

[JohnS-MI]

But as always I find myself wondering when on earth are the Americans going to modernize their banking systems? I mean, really, come on guys, Checks !???

On the other hand, it is nice to know we still have a few competitive advantages in "old Europe".

 

The OP is not in the US.

 

We actually have online banking available here too. However, some people prefer to write checks (at least some of the time.) Since banks are a dime a dozen here and fight with gas stations for street corners, they have to figure out what features attract or retain customers. "Catering to preference" usually works.

[WillSW]

I've deposited many a check written in Red-Black, as well as a variety of other bulletproof inks. Sounds like you just got a stickler.

[fastercat]

I've used all sorts of colors to write checks and have never had a problem. Having been in the industrial check scanning business in a prior life, the only reason I could see is perhaps they had a problem with some ink that didn't show up well on the camera. We used special lighting to try and make most of the background clutter go away to make OCR easier. Although we used hundreds of 'fake' checks and various 'faults' to test the system and I don't recall ever having that problem.

 

 

[Michael W]

In this day of the internet while I do not get my cashed cheques back I can see them online after they have been cashed. What I have noticed is that they are all scanned in B/W perhaps other colours do not photochopy well and for record purposes the bank does not like non--traditional colours. Just my 2 cents worth! Cheers Mike Canada

 

edited can't spell

Edited December 15, 2008 by Michael W

[Pravda]

Did your bank decline the check, or did the phone company refuse to attempt deposit?

 

If it were the bank, my answer would be "My new bank will accept it." I have written holiday checks in both red and green ink (but very saturated colors that copy to black or near black when scanned), and never had a problem. I think my bank would only complain if they couldn't scan the check well.

 

No my bank accepts and cashes those checks fine its the phone company that refused to even attempt depositing the check.

 

And that was exactly what I had told them, that my bank will accept it- they took it at the end telling me that this should be a one-off and from now on I should go back to writing them in blue or black.

 

 

 

[Chris]

I'd write them a nice letter in that same colour saying your new phone company accepts this colour perfectly well

 

And perhaps, since you have offered payment in a perfectly legal format, thank them for the free service if they are declining to forward your cheques.

 

Chris

[zquilts]

Poppycock!

If it is an issue with machine readers then they should have told you that, but I doubt that it is !

[thibaulthalpern]

But as always I find myself wondering when on earth are the Americans going to modernize their banking systems? I mean, really, come on guys, Checks !???

On the other hand, it is nice to know we still have a few competitive advantages in "old Europe".

 

The OP is not in the US.

 

We actually have online banking available here too. However, some people prefer to write checks (at least some of the time.) Since banks are a dime a dozen here and fight with gas stations for street corners, they have to figure out what features attract or retain customers. "Catering to preference" usually works.

 

I believe he is referring to the fact that cheques are basically obsolete in western Europe (with the grand exception of the UK).

 

In Japan, credit cards aren't popular either and it's mostly cash.

 

I don't think this has much to do with "consumer preference". The banking sector can totally eliminate cheques and set a new trend on money transactions in the U.S.

[thibaulthalpern]

In this day of the internet while I do not get my cashed cheques back I can see them online after they have been cashed. What I have noticed is that they are all scanned in B/W perhaps other colours do not photochopy well and for record purposes the bank does not like non--traditional colours. Just my 2 cents worth! Cheers Mike Canada

 

edited can't spell

 

Well, scanning in colour takes up a lot more data storage than in black and white. In addition, there is no reason a bank should scan in colour for their archival purposes since the colour information is not needed as part of a cheque's authenticity.

[Pink Ink]

The only inks I can think of that don’t scan well are pastels and metallics. Pastels need some tinkering with the settings to come through but then everything else looks dark too. As for metallics, they don’t scan at all because they just simply reflect off the light.

 

Otherwise, I think your phone company is bs-ing you.

[hardyb]

Show up with your payment in the smallest/lowest value denomination of coinage possible and as loose change. Explain that the choice is theirs, accept your check as is or start counting. Insist on a second count if they choose to count.