How to Write a Cheque in Australia — AUD Guide

Complete guide to writing cheques in Australia. Learn AUD amount formatting, MICR encoding, APCA standards, crossing rules, and how to avoid bank rejections on Australian cheques.

if you hava question，please email to me：darian1934849492@gmail.com

What is the cheque format in Australia?

Writing a cheque in Australia requires the payee name, date in DD/MM/YYYY format, numeric amount in AUD, and the cheque amount in words on the legal line in dollars. Australian cheques use MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) encoding at the bottom and follow standards set by the Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet), formerly APCA. The legal line must spell out the amount with cents as a fraction: AUD 1,250.75 is written as One thousand two hundred fifty and 75/100 dollars. Crossing a cheque with two parallel lines and writing Not Negotiable restricts it to the named payee's account. Australian banks honour the written amount over the numeric amount if there is a discrepancy, making correct spelling essential.

Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet) cheque standards

How to write a cheque in Australia

  1. 1

    Date and payee

    Write the date in DD/MM/YYYY format. Use the payee's full legal name as it appears on their bank account.

  2. 2

    Numeric amount

    Enter the figure in the amount box in AUD. Use commas for thousands and a decimal point for cents.

  3. 3

    Amount in words

    Write the amount in words on the legal line, e.g. One thousand two hundred fifty and 75/100 dollars. Draw a line to fill any remaining space.

  4. 4

    Sign the cheque

    Sign exactly as per the signature specimen your bank holds. Australian banks verify signatures against their records before clearing.

Common Australian cheque mistakes

Omitting the currency name after the amount in words
End with dollars: One thousand two hundred fifty and 75/100 dollars.
Leaving space after the written amount
Draw a line after the words to prevent insertion, or use the fraction form and XX/100 dollars.

Why use this Australia cheque guide

Australian format

Amounts in words with correct AUD dollar formatting per APCA standards.

Avoid rejections

Spelling and formatting errors are caught before you hand the cheque to the bank.

Free tool

No sign-up needed for unlimited cheque amount conversions.

Full guide

Covers crossing, MICR, and post-dated cheque rules specific to Australia.

Australia Cheque Guide — FAQ