How to Stop Payment on a Check

A stop payment tells your bank not to pay a check you have written. It works, it costs about $30, and it fails entirely if the check has already been presented — which is the part people discover too late.

When it is the right move

• A check was lost or stolen in the post
• You wrote the wrong amount or the wrong payee
• The goods or services were never delivered
• A dispute broke out after you sent payment
• You wrote a duplicate payment by mistake

It is not a way to get out of a debt you legitimately owe. Stopping payment does not cancel the obligation, and the payee can still pursue it — now with evidence you tried to avoid paying.

How to place one

Speed is the whole game. Most banks let you do this in the app or online in under a minute, which is faster than calling.

1. Act immediately. The order only works if it reaches the bank before the check is presented for payment.
2. Gather the details: your account number, the check number, the exact amount, the date written, and the payee's name.
3. Place the order in the app, online, by phone, or in branch.
4. Get the exact amount right. A stop payment matched on amount will miss a check written for $250.00 if you told the bank $250. Give the check number too, which is the more reliable match.
5. Confirm in writing if you placed it verbally. A verbal order lapses after fourteen days.
6. Tell the payee. They will find out anyway, and a returned check with no warning turns a dispute into a worse one.

Cost and duration

Two things worth knowing about the fee. It is charged whether or not the check ever turns up, so a stop payment on a check nobody presents still costs you. And on a small check it can exceed the amount you are protecting — stopping payment on a $20 check is usually not worth $30.

Set a reminder for the expiry. Six months on, the order lapses silently and a check that has been sitting in a drawer becomes payable again.

What you cannot stop

A cashier's check, certified check or money order is drawn on the bank's funds rather than yours, and the bank has already guaranteed payment. You generally cannot stop one.

If one is lost or stolen, the process is a declaration of loss: a sworn statement, sometimes an indemnity bond, and typically a 90-day wait before the bank will reissue. That delay exists so the original has time to surface.

Automatic payments are different

An ACH debit is not a check and the process differs. Revoke the authorisation with the company in writing, then give your bank a stop payment order at least three business days before the scheduled date. Your bank must honour it.

If a company keeps debiting after you revoked authorisation, that is a violation, and the complaint goes to the CFPB.

Related

If it is already too late, see what happens when a check bounces. For guaranteed payments that cannot be stopped, see money orders and cashier's checks.

Common questions

How much does a stop payment cost?

Typically $30 to $35 at a large bank, often less at a credit union, and occasionally free on premium accounts. It is charged whether or not the check is ever presented.

How long does a stop payment last?

A written order is generally valid for six months and can be renewed. A verbal order lapses after fourteen days unless you confirm it in writing.

Can I stop payment on a cashier’s check?

Generally no. A cashier’s check is drawn on the bank’s own funds and the bank has already guaranteed it. The remedy is a declaration of loss, which typically involves a 90-day wait.

What if the check has already been cashed?

Then it is too late and a stop payment cannot be placed. The fee may still be charged for the attempt.

Can I stop an automatic payment the same way?

Similar but not identical. ACH debits are stopped by revoking authorisation with the company and giving your bank a stop order at least three business days before the payment date.