Crossed Cheque — Guide & Tool
A crossed cheque must be deposited to an account, not cashed over the counter. Learn how to draw parallel lines, add Account Payee, and when crossing is standard in the UK, Singapore, and Malaysia.
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What Is a Crossed Cheque?
A crossed cheque bears two parallel transverse lines, usually with “Account Payee” between them. Crossing directs the bank to pay only into the payee’s account, reducing theft if the cheque is lost. Crossed cheques are common in Commonwealth banking; the US rarely uses crossing. The cheque amount in words and payee still must be filled correctly — crossing adds security but does not replace proper spelling.
Crossing rules derive from the Bills of Exchange Act in many Commonwealth jurisdictions.
How to cross a cheque
- 1
Draw two parallel lines
Top-left is typical.
- 2
Add Account Payee
Optional but recommended.
- 3
Fill payee and amounts
Same as any cheque.
- 4
Deposit only
Payee must bank it — no counter cash.
Crossing mistakes
Why cross
Theft protection
Stolen crossed cheques are harder to cash.
Audit trail
Funds pass through a bank account.
Business norm
Expected for B2B in MY/SG/IN.
Account Payee
Extra restriction to named payee account.