Blog
Learn Accounting Online for Free
This notification must describe the check with reasonable certainty, including the check number, payee, date, and amount. The bank must be given a reasonable opportunity to act on this notice before the check is presented for payment. Without such notification, the bank can process the check immediately upon presentation.
Checking Account Tips
Writing a post-dated check carries risks if the bank is not properly notified. If the check is presented and processed before the intended date without prior bank notification, it can lead to an overdraft if sufficient funds are not yet available in the account. An overdraft can trigger fees from your bank, ranging from $25 to $35, and may also result in payee charges for a returned check. Repeated overdrafts can negatively impact your financial standing with your bank and affect your ability to open future accounts.
This act is considered a form of check fraud because it involves deception to obtain goods or services. If a check is deposited early and the account lacks sufficient funds, the check will bounce. This can trigger a non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee, though many large banks have eliminated these charges.
Since a time lag exists between when a person writes a postdated check and when a banker cashes it, sensitive information can remain exposed and vulnerable for days, weeks, or even a month. Identity theft occurs when someone obtains personal or financial information of another person in order to assume that person’s identity to make transactions or purchases. In order to keep balanced books, businesses keep detailed records of both revenue and expenses.
- As long as there’s enough money in your account to cover the amount of the check, it should clear without any issues, even if the check is postdated.
- If you forget to notify your bank, they may cash the check before the date, leading to potential overdrafts if funds are insufficient.
- A certified public accountant and certified financial manager, Codjia received a Master of Business Administration from Rutgers University, majoring in investment analysis and financial management.
- Be cautious when using or accepting them, and always have a backup plan in case the check bounces.
Nowadays, while opting for a loan, lenders usually ask to pay advance cheques according to the loan tenure. Thus, if you opt for a loan with a tenure of 3 years, you need to provide 36 post-dated cheques. These cheques are then further deposited into respective accounts each month for easy collection of loan EMIs. Hence, these post-dated cheques guarantee future payments without the need for regular reminders. At a young age, you may have seen your parents write a cheque for a future date. Such cheques are known as post-dated cheques, where the payee (the person to whom money is to be paid or the person encashing the cheque) can encash it at a later period.
In other words, the date that appears on the check is after the date when the check was written. Even with a future date appearing on the check, the check could clear (be paid from) the bank account prior to that date. The legal framework surrounding post-dated cheques creates both opportunities and challenges. From a legal standpoint, issuing a post-dated cheque creates a binding obligation to ensure sufficient funds are available on the maturity date.
If a post-dated check (or any check) bounces, it’s important to take steps to remedy the problem right away, so that it’s clear there was no intent to defraud. But when someone does intend to honor a check and post-dates it to make sure they can cover it, they haven’t committed any crime. That said, there might still be some things to think about when it comes to post-dating checks, as noted below.
Penalty for Dishonouring a Post-Dated Cheque
- Understanding these applications helps appreciate why they remain popular despite the rise of digital payment methods.
- This practice helps manage cash flow effectively, ensuring financial obligations are met without immediately depleting current account balances.
- Essentially, it’s a way to ask the payee not to cash the check until the indicated date.
A post-dated check is a check written with a future date, indicating that it should not be cashed or deposited until that specified date arrives. Many people believe such checks cannot be processed before their stated date, intending for the funds to be available at a later time. However, the legal framework governing checks often allows for earlier processing, creating potential financial implications for both the writer and the recipient. This article explores the realities of post-dating checks and the considerations involved.
If you have other options, such as scheduling a payment through online banking or setting up automatic payments, it may be safer and more reliable than using a postdated check. They also help you avoid unexpected problems with timing or insufficient funds. Realistically, the recipient of a post dated check may never notice that the check has been post dated, and so will record and deposit it at once. The bank is also unlikely to notice the date on the check, and in any case may have a policy of honoring all checks at once, irrespective of the check date.
Writing a postdated check could give you more time to make a deposit to your bank account to cover the check. But again, there’s no rule that says the person receiving the check has to wait to cash it or deposit it in their account. If you need more time to pay, there are a few things you can try in place of a postdated check.
In addition, frequently writing checks without sufficient funds can damage your credibility and relationship with payees, as well as potentially lead to legal consequences. Checks are generally payable on demand, and neither payees nor banks are required to delay cashing postdated checks1. Most banks explain their policy regarding postdated checks in their account agreements. Some, including PNC Bank, specifically state that they will not be held liable for cashing postdated checks before the check date2.
Ensure your signature matches the one registered with your bank to avoid rejection. For example, if the payment is Rs. 10,000, write « Ten Thousand Only » on the amount line and « Rs. 10,000 » in the numeric box. With $0 minimum to open online and Low Cash Mode® to help avoid overdrafts. If you’ve postdated a check and the recipient cashes it early, there are a few different scenarios that may occur.
From the perspective of the recipient, there should be no entry to record the increase in cash until the date listed on the check. Thus, the date on the check effectively postpones the underlying accounting what is a post dated check transaction. The validity of a post-dated check is only good for three months after the date printed on the document.