Void Cheque: What It Is and How to Get One Online From Your Bank

A void cheque is the standard way to hand over banking details in Canada: an employer, the CRA, Service Canada, a landlord or a lender reads three numbers off it and sets up deposits or pre-authorized debits. This page explains what those numbers mean, how to download a void cheque from each major bank without a chequebook (every set of steps below comes from the bank’s own help page, linked in each section), and when a direct deposit form or online sign-up makes a void cheque unnecessary. It is general information, not financial advice; the banking app or the payer’s instructions are the final word for a specific account.

What is a void cheque?

A void cheque is a blank cheque from a chequing account with the word VOID written across the front, so it can never be filled in and cashed. Its only job is to show the banking information printed along the bottom edge. Banks now also generate a void cheque as a PDF in online banking, which carries the same numbers without using up a paper cheque.

Payers ask for one because it shows the numbers exactly as the bank printed them. The federal government’s own direct deposit form, for example, lets people either attach a blank cheque with VOID written on it or copy the numbers into the form themselves.

What do the numbers on a void cheque mean?

The line of digits at the bottom of a Canadian cheque holds four pieces of information. Only three of them matter for direct deposit, as the Government of Canada’s enrolment-form instructions spell out.

How to read this table: read the numbers left to right along the bottom edge of the cheque. The branch number is also called the transit number.

Position (left to right)	What it is	Length	Needed for direct deposit?
First set	Cheque number	Not stated	Not required for direct deposit
Second set	Branch (transit) number	5 digits	Required
Third set	Institution number	3 digits	Required
Last set	Account number	Various lengths	Required

Source: Canada direct deposit enrolment form completion instructions (Canada.ca); Canada direct deposit enrolment form completion instructions (Canada.ca) — digits at the bottom of a cheque; Canada direct deposit enrolment form completion instructions (Canada.ca) — timing of a paper enrolment; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca); Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — CRA account steps; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — processing and old accounts; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — Canadian account required; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — missing payment; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — CPP, OAS and EI are separate; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — no Canadian account; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — signing up through a bank; Direct deposit for Service Canada (Canada.ca); Your guide to the Employment Standards Act — Payment of wages (Ontario.ca); Your guide to the Employment Standards Act — Payment of wages (Ontario.ca) — direct deposit conditions. In effect from September 30, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.

The branch (transit) number identifies the specific branch that holds the account, the institution number identifies the bank or credit union, and the account number identifies the individual account. TD’s own direct deposit form, for example, shows TD’s institution number as 004; the transit number guide explains the branch code in more detail and lists the institution number for each major bank.

How do you get a void cheque online at each bank?

Every bank below offers a downloadable void cheque, a pre-filled direct deposit form, or both. The table gives the path inside online banking and the app; the sections after it add details from each bank’s help page.

Swipe to see all columns →

Menu names change when banks redesign their apps, so the bank’s help page is the place to check if a label has moved.

How do you get an RBC void cheque?

RBC’s void cheque tutorial gives two routes.

RBC Online Banking:

1. Sign in and select Account Services from the My Services box on the right side of the page.
2. Select View and Print Void Cheque from the menu on the left.
3. Select the account.
4. Agree to the terms and select View and Print.

RBC mobile app:

1. Sign in and tap the account the void cheque is for.
2. Select Details, then tap Get a Void Cheque.
3. Tap Download to get a PDF, which can be saved to the phone, texted or emailed.

RBC describes the result as having three sets of pre-printed numbers: a 5-digit transit number for the branch, a 3-digit institution number for the bank, and the account number.

How do you get a TD void cheque?

TD answers this in its Ask Us help page on void cheques. Without a paper cheque, TD says the easiest option is its pre-filled Direct Deposit/Pre-Authorized Debit payment form, which TD says “can be used in place of a void cheque.” It fills in the 5-digit transit (branch) number, the 3-digit institution number (004) and the 7-digit account number.

TD EasyWeb:

1. Select the account the direct deposit information is for.
2. Select the Manage tab.
3. Select the “Direct deposit form (PDF)” link on the right side of the page.

TD app:

1. Select the account.
2. Select the Details tab, then Direct Deposit Info.
3. Select Download Form to get the filled-in PDF.

TD customers who do have a chequebook can simply write “void” across a cheque in large letters, or give the payer the numbers from the bottom of the cheque; TD notes that the cheque number is not needed.

How do you get a void cheque from CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank or National Bank?

CIBC. CIBC’s void cheque and direct deposit how-to says to sign on to Online Banking, select the deposit account, open the account-management dropdown menu on the Deposit Account Details page and select “Void cheque/direct deposit info”, then select Open PDF. In the CIBC Mobile Banking app, select the account, open the Account Info tab, select View cheque and then Open PDF. The PDF can be downloaded or printed.

BMO. BMO’s direct deposit quick-start guide (PDF), an older guide still posted on bmo.com (its print code reads 03/22), shows the steps: in Online Banking, select the account and choose Void Cheque from the Account Details box, then open the downloaded file. In the BMO Mobile App, select the account, select Account Details, scroll to Void cheque and select Download. The same guide points to BMO’s CRA direct deposit option for government payments.

Scotiabank. Scotiabank’s download a void cheque guide covers both. On the web, select the chequing account from the Accounts page, select Direct Deposits & Payments, go to Void Cheque and select View/Print. In the Scotia app, tap the chequing account, tap Manage, tap Direct deposit/void cheque info, tap Void cheque, then View/Print. Scotiabank suggests downloading a copy to share electronically instead of using up a paper cheque.

National Bank. National Bank’s help centre says to sign in to online banking, select the account and select Download a void cheque. In the National Bank app, select the account, then More, then Void cheque.

How do you get a void cheque from Tangerine, Simplii or Wealthsimple?

Online-only banks have no branches to visit, so the download is the main route.

Tangerine. Tangerine’s void cheque FAQ says to log in, select the Chequing Account and select the Void Cheque button to get a printable PDF. In the app, select the Chequing Account, tap the three dots in the top corner, select Void Cheque and follow the prompts. Tangerine’s direct deposit FAQ adds that selecting Direct Deposit on the Chequing Account shows the institution, transit and account numbers, which Tangerine describes as suitable for setting up deposits with the CRA or an employer.

Simplii Financial. Simplii’s direct deposit page points to a pre-filled direct deposit form under “More Services” in online banking: print it, sign it and give it to the employer or issuer. Simplii notes the account, branch and transit numbers can also be found in online banking or the mobile app, and customers with a chequebook can write VOID across a blank cheque.

Wealthsimple. Wealthsimple documents a void cheque for its chequing account on its direct deposit page:

1. In the app, tap the Home tab and select the chequing account.
2. Tap More, then Direct deposit info.
3. Select Download void cheque, then download or email the PDF.

On desktop, open the chequing account under Accounts and select Download void cheque on the right side of the page. Wealthsimple lists its institution number as 703 and its transit (branch) number as 00001, supports direct deposit from Canadian payrolls only, and notes that an employer’s payroll system may need updating if it does not accept Wealthsimple’s institution number. For anyone moving a paycheque to a new chequing account anyway, Wealthsimple’s chequing account is one option; the Wealthsimple chequing account review covers the account in more detail.

How do you void a cheque?

Voiding a paper cheque takes about as long as signing one. The steps:

1. Use a blank cheque from the right account. The numbers along the bottom must belong to the account the money should go into or come out of, usually a chequing account.
2. Write VOID across the front in large letters, with a pen. TD’s wording is to write “void” across it “in large letters.”
3. Keep the bottom line readable. The branch, institution and account numbers are the whole point, so do not write over them.
4. Do not sign it and leave the payee and amount blank.
5. Record it. Note in the cheque register that this cheque number was voided, so it does not look missing later.

A cheque that was already signed can still be voided, but a fresh unsigned cheque, or a downloaded PDF, is the safer choice.

How do you write a cheque in Canada?

Writing a cheque uses the same fields a void cheque leaves blank. From the top:

1. Date: the date the cheque can be cashed, in the format printed on the cheque.
2. Pay to the order of: the full name of the person or organization receiving the money.
3. Amount in numbers: in the box on the right, written close to the dollar sign so nothing can be added.
4. Amount in words: on the long line, with cents as a fraction over 100, then a line through the unused space.
5. Memo (optional): an invoice number, rent month or account number for the recipient’s records.
6. Signature: matching the signature the bank has on file.

Many payments that once needed a cheque now go by Interac e-Transfer or a transfer between banks, which need no cheque at all.

What do employers, the CRA and Service Canada use a void cheque for?

All three use the numbers on a void cheque to set up direct deposit, but each has its own route, and not all of them need the cheque itself.

How to read this table: the CRA and Service Canada are separate systems: the CRA does not administer CPP, OAS or EI, so updating one does not update the other.

Payer	How direct deposit is set up	Is a void cheque needed?	How long it takes
Canada Revenue Agency (benefit, credit and other payments the CRA sends individuals)	Online in your CRA account (My Account, Profile, Direct deposit, Edit) or through your bank's online banking. Not by phone.	Not needed online. A void cheque or the account details go on the paper Canada direct deposit enrolment form.	Next business day after consent online; up to 3 months or longer by mail
Service Canada (Employment Insurance, CPP, OAS and other ESDC programs)	Social insurance number, bank name, branch transit number and account number, taken from the bottom of a cheque or from online banking	Optional: the numbers can come from a cheque or from online banking; people without a chequing account can ask their bank	Not stated on the Service Canada direct deposit page
Paper Canada direct deposit enrolment form (federal payments currently received by cheque, for the programs listed on the form)	Attach a blank cheque with VOID written on it, or fill in Part C (branch, institution and account numbers). The account must be in your name; a joint account is acceptable.	Either a VOID cheque or Part C	About three months after the form is received
An employer in Ontario (payroll)	The employer chooses cash, cheque or direct deposit (which includes Interac e-Transfer). With direct deposit, the employee picks the account.	Not addressed in the Employment Standards Act guide; set by the employer's payroll process	Set by the employer's pay schedule

Source: Canada direct deposit enrolment form completion instructions (Canada.ca); Canada direct deposit enrolment form completion instructions (Canada.ca) — digits at the bottom of a cheque; Canada direct deposit enrolment form completion instructions (Canada.ca) — timing of a paper enrolment; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca); Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — CRA account steps; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — processing and old accounts; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — Canadian account required; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — missing payment; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — CPP, OAS and EI are separate; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — no Canadian account; Direct deposit for individuals – Payments the CRA sends you (Canada.ca) — signing up through a bank; Direct deposit for Service Canada (Canada.ca); Your guide to the Employment Standards Act — Payment of wages (Ontario.ca); Your guide to the Employment Standards Act — Payment of wages (Ontario.ca) — direct deposit conditions. In effect from September 30, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.

The CRA. Direct deposit of CRA payments such as the GST/HST credit and the Canada child benefit needs a Canadian bank or credit union account; without one, the CRA pays by cheque. The fastest route is online, either in the CRA account (My Account, then Profile, Direct deposit and Edit) or through a participating bank’s online banking; the CRA updates the information the next business day. For the bank route, the CRA asks that a tax return already be filed. Direct deposit can no longer be started or changed by phone. Only the paper Canada direct deposit enrolment form uses a void cheque, and the CRA estimates up to 3 months or longer for it. The CRA payment dates guide lists when each benefit lands once direct deposit is set up.

Service Canada. Employment Insurance, CPP and OAS are run by Employment and Social Development Canada, not the CRA. Service Canada asks for the social insurance number, the bank’s name, the branch transit number and the account number, and says these can be found at the bottom of any cheque or in online banking; people without a chequing account can ask their bank. OAS recipients can also change banking details in My Service Canada Account after a one-time activation, while CPP recipients use a call-back request, a Service Canada office or the call centre. The CPP and OAS payment dates page covers when those deposits arrive, and the EI calculator estimates weekly EI before a claim.

Employers. Payroll teams ask for a void cheque or direct deposit form so the first paycheque lands in the right account. In Ontario, the Employment Standards Act lets the employer choose between cash, cheque and direct deposit (which includes Interac e-Transfer), but since June 21, 2024 the employee picks the account, the account must be in the employee’s name, and nobody else can access it unless the employee authorizes it. Other provinces and federally regulated employers have their own rules.

What can you use instead of a void cheque?

A void cheque is one way to pass on the numbers, not the only one. The main alternatives:

• A bank’s direct deposit form. TD, Simplii and others generate a pre-filled form with the same numbers; TD says its form can be used in place of a void cheque.
• The numbers themselves. Many payroll systems and the CRA account only need the transit, institution and account numbers typed in; they appear in the account details of most banking apps. The same three numbers are what a bank asks for when linking an account at another bank, as the guide to transferring money between banks explains.
• Online sign-up with the payer. For CRA payments, signing up in the CRA account or through the bank skips the cheque entirely.
• Asking the bank. Service Canada notes that people without a chequing account can ask the bank for the information.

Newcomers with a first Canadian account get a void cheque or direct deposit form the same way, through online banking or the app; the newcomer bank account comparison covers which accounts suit a first Canadian payroll, and the SIN application steps cover the other number every employer asks for.

Is it safe to share a void cheque?

A void cheque cannot be cashed, but it does reveal the account number, branch and bank, which is enough to set up deposits and, with authorization, pre-authorized debits. Share it only with an employer, government program or company that has a real reason to pay into or debit the account, and send it through the payer’s own portal or payroll team rather than to an address that arrived in an unexpected message. Service Canada states that it will never ask for a password or personal information by email, text message or links.

What are the common mistakes with void cheques?

• Sending the wrong account. A void cheque from an old account, or from a different account than intended, sends pay to the wrong place. Download it from the account the money should reach.
• Closing the old account too early. The CRA advises keeping the old account open until the first payment reaches the new one; the same caution applies to payroll changes.
• Writing over the numbers. VOID should go across the middle of the cheque, not the bottom line.
• Signing the cheque. The payer needs the numbers, not a signature, so leave it unsigned.
• Assuming one update covers every payer. Updating direct deposit with the CRA does not change it for CPP, OAS or EI, or for an employer.
• Mixing up the codes. The transit number is 5 digits and the institution number is 3; swapping or mistyping them is an easy error to make. Once deposits start, the GST/HST credit payment dates and Canada child benefit payment dates show when government deposits should appear, and the Canada deposit codes guide explains the labels those deposits carry on a bank statement.