Help with cheques

When writing a cheque, you need to include these details:

• date
• payee
• amount both written and numeric
• your signature.

Ideally you should include the name of the account holder’s bank or building society next to their name (for example, Nationwide John Smith). This helps protect your account against fraud.

This is an example of a correctly written cheque for John Smiths' Nationwide account:

A corporate cheque is a guaranteed payment method. If you've received a corporate cheque from Nationwide, it's valid for 6 years.

The funds are debited from your savings or current account at the time you request the cheque. Not when it is paid in. Corporate cheques can be requested in Branch or online.

Cheques paid into or written from your account are usually paid for up to 6 months after the date on them.

You must pay a cheque into your Nationwide account within 6 months from the date on it, as we may not be able to collect funds after then. Even though the cheque is legally valid for up to 6 years, the bank or building society the cheque is drawn on may not release the funds after 6 months. After that, you may need to ask the person or organisation that gave you the cheque to give you a new one.

It’s better not to write a cheque with a future date. That’s because the recipient may try to pay it into their account early. We do our best to spot future dated cheques. But sometimes they are processed. If that happens and you don't have enough money to cover it, the cheque might be refused. And that could mean you have to pay charges.

You'll need to print, complete and post a form to request a cheque withdrawal. Please make sure your form is signed and dated before sending it to us.

We'll post your request to the address registered to your account within three days of receiving it. It may take longer, if we need to contact you and verify the transaction.

To request a cheque withdrawal form online:

1. Log in to the Internet Bank (opens in a new window)
2. Select Move money – tab located at the top of the page
3. Select Other payments
4. Select Withdraw funds as cheque
5. Use the link Request a cheque
6. Follow the instructions.

If you don't bank online, you can visit us in branch to request a copy of a cheque, otherwise:

1. Log in to the Internet Bank (opens in a new window)
2. Select the View Accounts tab
3. Use Your Account link
4. Select Other Account Services
5. Find Account Services
6. Use the link Request a Copy of a Cheque
7. Follow the instructions.

You can pay in a cheque written to you using a Nationwide cash machine or over the counter at your nearest branch. If you need any help, just ask the team there.

To pay in a cheque by post, complete our paying in cheques form, then print it and post it to your local branch along with the cheque(s) you want to pay in.

Before you send your cheques, please make sure:

If you can’t print the form, write these details on to the back of each cheque, on the right-hand side only:

The left-hand side needs to be left unmarked so we can process the cheque. Without all these details, your cheque may be rejected.

Please send completed cheques to your local branch.

For cheques paid in at:

• a Nationwide branch, or cash machine inside a branch, before 7pm (Monday to Friday), your cheque will be deposited immediately and cleared by 11:59pm the next working day.
• a cash machine outside a Nationwide branch, your cheque will be deposited when the branch next service it and will clear after another 2 working days.

If any cheque is paid in on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, then the day of deposit will be the next working day.

For cheques paid in by post:

• you'll be able to access your money 2 working days after we receive your cheques, so you’ll need to take postage time into account
• you might see the amount pending in your account before it becomes available.

You’ll need to ask whoever wrote the cheque to issue you a new one. We’ll usually write to explain why this has happened. That way you have all the details you need when you speak with them.

However, if you haven’t heard anything after 10 days, and it isn’t showing in your available balance, please contact us:

If you’d like to cancel a cheque or a chequebook, you can do so by calling us or visiting your nearest branch.