Using cheques in a digital world

Everything you need to know about the way cheques are processed

The Cambridge is committed to making it convenient for you to pay money into your accounts, helping you manage your finances the easy way. Banks and building societies are required to process cheques in the right way following the formal cheque writing procedure as outlined by Barclays, and this includes how cheques are received by The Cambridge. This guide gives you everything you need to know about the way cheques are processed.

I’ve been writing cheques for years - what changes are being made to the way cheques are processed?

A cheque is a written agreement that tells a bank or building society what account to pay money into and from where the money has been debited. All cheques received by The Cambridge are now processed electronically and we need to make sure you have the right information to be able to make payments into accounts the correct way.

What does digital imaging mean and is it safe?

Digital imaging of cheques is provided by the clearing bank. The imaging of your cheques offers a safer way to protect you against any potential fraudulent activity. It doesn’t require you to take any additional action other than making sure your cheque is written the correct way. Barclays will create a digital picture of the cheques you pay into your accounts when handling the way your cheque is processed.

How should I write a cheque to The Cambridge?

Here’s what you need to include when writing a cheque;

• the amount on the cheque needs to be displayed both written and numerically in the space provided on the cheque including pounds and pence
• make sure the correct date is written on your cheque, in the correct format e.g 1st January 2021 - and that this is clearly visible
• you must include the name of the person the cheque is being paid to and it must be a direct match with the name on the account. Please don’t use any other names the account holder is known by when writing the payees name on the cheque or it may be rejected. For example, if the person’s name is Jonathan Smith and they try to pay in a cheque made out to John Smith – it will be rejected
• once you’ve correctly completed the date of the cheque along with the amount and name of the payee, you just need make sure the cheque has been signed

If you need further assistance learning more about traditional paper cheque clearing to fully digital cheque clearing, our team at The Cambridge will be on hand to support you.