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The memo line on a check allows you to state the purpose of the payment you’re making, which may help as you’re managing your finances.
While checks might not be used as often today as they were in the past, they are still an important way to transfer funds. Understanding the different areas of a check, including the check memo, and how to fill them out can help individuals keep track of their money.
Read on to learn more about a memo on checks and how to use it.
Key Points
• The memo line on a check is a blank space in the lower left corner where a person can write the purpose of their payment.
• Writing a memo on checks can help individuals keep records of their spending, potentially making it easier to track and categorize financial transactions.
• A clear memo line provides helpful context for the person receiving the check, explaining what the payment is for.
• A check memo can include details about the payment’s purpose, but sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers should be avoided.
• While the memo line is useful for record-keeping and clarifying payments, it is not typically legally binding and banks do not use it to process the check transaction.
What Is the Memo Line on a Check?
The memo line on a check is typically a line in the lower left corner of the check. This blank space allows individuals to note the purpose of the check. For instance, you might write that the payment is for your share of a baby shower gift, a purchase at a crafts fair, or anything else.
Understanding checks and how to write them is part of managing a checking account.
Where Is the Memo Line Located?
As noted above, the memo line is usually found at the lower lefthand corner of a check. This area allows you room to jot down the purpose of the check. Even if a person chooses a new color, typeface, or design for a check, the memo line will almost always be in the same place, regardless of where you have a bank account.
Why Write a Check Memo?
Although writing a check memo is optional, it can be helpful when managing money, such as clarifying expenses when you reconcile your checking account at the end of a month. These are a few key benefits of filling out the check memo line.
Personal Record Keeping
One key reason to write a check memo is that it can aid in keeping track of the money flowing in and out of a person’s checking account. For instance, if you make out a check to “J&J Services,” you may not remember in the future if that was a car tuneup or an electronics repair.
Similarly, if you write checks regularly (perhaps for fitness classes or to a dog walker), the memo can confirm which time period you are paying for. You might put, “Yoga, week of 8/3” or “Walking Bailey, August.”
Clarity for the Payee
Beyond helping you keep track of your money, a check’s memo line may help the payee on a check organize their finances as well. It lets them know what the payment is for. This could help avoid any confusion over whether or not you paid a bill, since the person receiving the check has the notation on the memo line to fill in any gaps.
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How to Fill Out a Check Memo
Filling out a check memo is one aspect of how to write a check. Consider these guidelines to help familiarize yourself with the process.
1. Identify the Reason for Payment
You can use a check memo to state the reason for a payment. This may jog your memory if you later review a check and aren’t sure why you were paying a certain vendor or service person. If the memo line was blank, you wouldn’t necessarily remember what you paid for.
2. Write a Clear and Specific Note
To write a clear check memo line, you might jot down something like “Share of Tom’s birthday dinner” if you split a bill and are repaying a friend. Or it could be “June rent” if paying your landlord. These notes can make it easier to recall what you paid for.
What’s more, notes on a check memo line may help individuals separate different kinds of expenditures during tax season (such as charitable donations and expenses, for instance). They might even provide critical information if there was a dispute with a payee in the future.
3. Review for Sensitive Information
It’s important to make sure that a check memo line doesn’t reveal any sensitive information. For instance, if a vendor were to ask for your Social Security number, don’t put that in writing on a check. It could potentially lead to fraud or identity theft.
Recommended: What Is a Cashier’s Check?
Examples of What to Write in a Memo
As mentioned above, it can be helpful to write a specific note in a check memo that states exactly what the payment is for. This can provide a reminder to you of what the payment was for, and may even help you organize your finances. It could do the same for the person receiving the check. And, if necessary, it could provide evidence about what you paid for.
Here are examples of what you might write before sending out a check or doing a paper or mobile check deposit:
• Balance due for powerwashing patio
• Sweet 16 birthday gift
• Johnson client lunch on Feb. 16
What Not to Write on a Check Memo
It’s wise not to put any sensitive information on a check memo. A check can be viewed by a number of people as it is deposited and processed. Therefore, it’s generally best not to include such details as your Social Security number, driver’s license number, or phone number.
Joking comments should be avoided as well. If you were to have a dispute with the payee, you want the check memo to clearly reflect the purpose of the payment.
Recommended: ACH vs. Check: What Are the Differences?
Is the Memo Line Legally Binding?
Generally speaking, the memo line of a check is not legally binding. While a memo line can help provide background information if a dispute were to arise between the person writing the check and the party receiving the check, it may not prove anything in a court of law. It can be helpful to understand this limit of the check memo.
The Takeaway
A check memo line can provide a valuable service, clarifying the purpose of a payment for both the payor and the payee.This may aid an individual in tracking their money and reconciling accounts. Beyond using checks, it can be worthwhile to know what other tools your bank offers to make managing your money easier.
Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with eligible direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.
FAQ
Can you leave the memo line blank on a check?
Yes, you can leave the memo on checks blank. However, you might choose to use the check memo line to state the purpose of a payment, which may be useful in organizing your expenses and managing your money.
Does a bank use the memo line to process checks?
No, a bank typically does not use the memo line when processing a check. Instead, the routing number, account number, check number, and amount the check is written for are key pieces of information for the bank. However, it’s worth noting that a check can be viewed by several people when being deposited and processed, so it’s wise not to include any sensitive details on the memo line.
What happens if you make a mistake in the check memo?
If you make a mistake in the check memo, the error will not impact the deposit or processing of the check. That said, if you notice the mistake prior to handing the check off, you might cross it out and write in the correct information, if there’s room.
Can you write a memo on a mobile deposit check?
If you receive a check that you are going to add to your account via mobile deposit, you can typically write a note to yourself about its purpose to serve as a memo on checks. It will not impact the processing of the check.
Where is the memo on an electronic check?
If you are filling out an electronic check, there is typically room for a memo line along with the other required details such as the amount the check is for, and the routing and account number of your bank account. The exact wording can vary; it often may say “memo,” or perhaps “note” or “description.”
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