How to Mail a Check Safely

By Dan Miller. January 24, 2025 · 7 minute read

This content may include information about products, features, and/or services that SoFi does not provide and is intended to be educational in nature.

How to Mail a Check Safely

Mailing a check safely involves filling it out accurately, selecting the right envelope, and sending it via a secure method. These steps, among others, can help you avoid having a check get lost or stolen when mailed.

While electronic forms of payment are increasingly popular, there is still a fairly robust market for sending payments via check. According to a recent GOBankingRates survey, more than half of all Americans wrote a check last year. However, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has seen an uptick in mail theft in recent years, meaning for those who do write checks, taking extra care when writing and sending checks can be a wise move. Learn the how-tos here.

Key Points

•   To mail a check safely, fill out checks accurately, use secure envelopes, and opt for secure mailing methods to prevent loss or theft.

•   Security pens with non-washable ink deter fraud by making checks difficult to alter.

•   Concealing checks using security-lined envelopes or additional paper can protect them from being identified and stolen.

•   Certified mail or tracking services can enhance security by providing proof of delivery and requiring a signature upon receipt.

•   Consider electronic payments as an alternative to mailing checks to eliminate associated risks.

Preparing the Check

There are a few things you can do to help make sure any checks you write from your checking account are safe, even before you put it in the mail:

Filling Out the Check Correctly

The first thing to do to help ensure your checks are safe in the mail is to fill the check out correctly. This includes making sure all the information is accurate and that you don’t leave any areas of the check blank.

If you’re writing a check and there’s blank space between the amount and the part of the check that is typically printed with the word “dollars” to the right, you can fill that in with a horizontal line. That can help prevent someone from altering the amount.

Adding Security Features

If the check is for a high value or you have reason to be nervous about its safety, you can also use something called a security pen. Unlike a traditional pen whose ink can be washed away, security pens inject non-washable ink into the check, making it harder or even impossible for it to be used fraudulently.

You can also write “For Deposit Only” on the back of the check (underneath where it will be endorsed), which can make it more challenging for someone other than the intended recipient to cash or deposit the check.

Choosing the Right Envelope

When you opened your bank account, you may have been given the opportunity to order check accessories, such as opaque or security-lined envelopes. These are specially designed so that a person holding the sealed envelope can’t easily tell that there’s a check inside.

If you didn’t order these envelopes when you first opened your account, it can be a wise move to purchase these security envelopes, available at many big box and office supply stores as well as online retailers.

If you don’t have this kind of envelope handy, it can be wise to fold a piece of blank paper around the check, making it less visible through a standard envelope.

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Addressing the Envelope Properly

One key detail in mailing a check safely doesn’t involve the check itself at all. Instead, it focuses on making sure you address the envelope properly. You’ll want to write the recipient’s address in the correct format, with all possible details (such as apartment numbers), and with clear handwriting. Making sure you do so can help ensure that your check gets to its destination vs. getting lost in the mail.

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Secure Sealing Methods

In addition to addressing the envelope properly, it’s important to seal your envelope securely. Simply licking the envelope or sealing it with water may not be sufficient — instead, consider securing your envelope with tape or security seals. Just be sure you don’t tape over the stamp; that can invalidate the postage.

Mailing Options

You also have several options for mailing a check, and the choice can affect how secure your check will be when mailed.

Regular Mail vs. Certified Mail

One choice you have is whether to send your check via regular mail or certified mail. Certified mail provides proof of delivery (and optional signature confirmation), so it may give you additional security and peace of mind regarding someone stealing the check and trying to commit bank fraud. However, it does come with an additional cost.

Using Tracking Services

You can also use a tracking service when mailing a check. Both the USPS as well as private carriers such as UPS or FedEx allow you to purchase tracking services and often have the option of requiring a signature upon delivery, further enhancing security. This intel will help you know where your check is and when it’s been received by the payee. If you have multiple bank accounts, using a tracking service may help you stay organized with which checks from which accounts have been received.

Additional Safety Precautions

Some additional safety precautions that you might take would be avoiding any outdoor mailboxes (whether at your home or a blue USPS box in the community), hand-delivering your check to the post office, and/or informing the recipient to be on the lookout for your check, perhaps with information on when and from where it was mailed.

If you do find that your account has had fraudulent activity, contact your bank’s customer service department as soon as possible. They may be able to figure out what happened, reverse the charges or, in a worst-case scenario, close your bank account and reopen it with a new account number.

Alternatives to Mailing Checks

While there may be some scenarios where you absolutely must mail a physical check, it is becoming increasingly accessible to transfer money between banks electronically.

Taking advantage of ACH transfers or other electronic payments possible with online banking, as well as peer-to-peer payment apps, can help to eliminate the risks of sending a check payment through the mail.

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The Takeaway

If you need to mail a check, taking a few simple precautions can help it arrive safely. These include filling out the check and the envelope correctly, using a security pen and/or secure envelopes, and taking advantage of services such as certified mail, tracking, and proof of delivery. While these precautions may come with added cost and effort, they may pale in comparison to the cost of dealing with your check being intercepted and used fraudulently.

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FAQ

Should I use a special pen when writing checks for mailing?

You can use a special kind of pen called a “security pen” to enhance security when writing checks. The ink from a traditional pen can be washed away, leaving fraudsters with a blank check that they can make out to a different name and for whatever amount they please. Security pens infuse checks with non-washable ink, which makes it difficult or impossible for fraudsters to get access to your check.

Is it safer to mail checks from a post office rather than a mailbox?

Yes, generally it is safer (and recommended) to mail checks from a post office rather than from your mailbox or an exterior blue Post Office mailbox. While taking your checks inside a post office building doesn’t guarantee something won’t go wrong, it does cut down on the risk that someone will intercept your check before it gets to the post office.

What precautions can I take when mailing a check internationally?

There are a few precautions that you can use when mailing a check internationally. One is to conceal the check within an additional layer of paper or a secure envelope, as you would in the U.S. You can also use a secure pen to write your check and consider trackable options for sending it overseas. You could also reach out to the payee to see if there is an alternate electronic way to make the payment.


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