What is a Cheque Book? Meaning, Uses, and How to Request One

When you open a bank account, your bank sends you a welcome kit comprising a few vital things. These include an ATM-cum-Debit Card, a brochure containing information about the account, a passbook to maintain a record of your transactions, and a cheque book.  As online transactions gain popularity, the cheque book is often ignored. Nonetheless, it is a vital banking instrument. So let’s understand the meaning of a cheque book, its uses, and how to request one. 

A bank cheque book is a booklet or a bound collection of small, pre-printed and detachable forms, known as cheques. Your bank issues a cheque book when you open your savings account, and you can request more each year, based on your usage. 

As an account holder, you can use cheques, to instruct your bank to pay a specified sum to designated beneficiaries or recipients. A cheque book from the bank is thus a payment tool through which you can transfer funds. It serves as a physical record of your transactions.

Every cheque within a bank cheque book is a standardised form that comprises unique, identifiable marks, demonstrating that a cheque is linked to a specific bank account. Each form comprises the following details:

• Date:
  Typically present in the top-right corner, this part of the cheque indicates when a cheque is issued. Cheques are valid for processing within a permitted time frame, i.e., 3 months from the issue date.
  
  
• Pay/Payee:
  This is the part of the cheque where you must mention the name of the intended recipient to whom the cheque is payable. This is the person/entity authorised to receive the funds from your bank account.
  
  
• Amount in Figures and Words:
  You must mention the amount payable in words, and numerically, in figures in the designated sections. This double entry helps prevent fraud and ensures clarity when making payments.
  
  
• Signature:
  The cheque also comprises a signature space, meant to authorise your bank to release funds from your account. Your signature serves as a security measure, and lets banks validate the cheque.
  
  
• MICR:
  Your bank cheque book comprises a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) code, printed at the bottom of each cheque. This code helps your bank process cheques quickly, via automated systems. 
  
  
• IFSC:
  Another critical part of the bank cheque book and each cheque leaflet is the Indian Financial System Code. IFSC helps identify a specific bank branch, ensuring safe and accurate electronic transactions.
  
  
• Cheque Number:
  The cheque number is a unique 6-digit identifier printed on each cheque. It is typically a part of a series(e.g. 500001 to 500025), that helps banks track and record individual cheque transaction.

You can use your bank cheque book to make various kinds of payments. The following are the different reasons to use a cheque book from banks.

• Payments: You can use cheques to securely make payments to individuals and businesses from your accounts. Cheques serve as a written record of transactions for you, as the account holder, and your payees.

• Security Deposits: You can also use cheques to make payments in the form of deposits for rentals or contracts. Cheques serve as proof of your commitment to a payee, who can encash them, if you breach payment terms.

• Post‑Dated EMIs: Lenders and business entities typically accept post-dated cheques, scheduled to be paid on a fixed, later date. Such cheques represent a promise for timely payments for loans or recurring obligations. 

• High‑Value Transfers: Cheques are the ideal instruments for transferring large sums safely. They reduce the risks associated with handling cash, and are necessary when transacting larger sums, exceeding daily online fund transfer limits.

At HDFC Bank, we enable you to apply for a Cheque Book through several different platforms:

• InstaServices Portal
  You can apply through our InstaServices portal by entering your Registered Mobile Number and verifying your DOB, PAN, or Customer ID. The bank sends you an OTP, which you must enter. Then, select your account number, number of cheques required, and submit your request.  
  
  
• NetBanking
  Log in to your account, click on ‘Request’, and select ‘Cheque Book’. Choose your account number, and number of cheques needed, and submit your request.
  
  
• MobileBanking App
  Open the HDFC Bank App on your smartphone, navigate to ‘Service Requests’ and click on ‘Cheque Book Request’.
  
  
• Phone/WhatsApp banking
  You can also request a cheque book through our WhatsApp banking channel by calling or sending a text to 7070022222 and following the prompts.
  
  
• ATM
  Visit an HDFC Bank ATM near you, enter your Debit Card, go to 'More Options' and select 'Cheque Book' Request.
  
  
• HDFC Bank Branch
  You can visit your nearest HDFC Bank branch and fill out a cheque book request from and submit it to a bank official.

You typically get a free cheque book from bank with 10 to 25 cheques per year, when you open a Salary or Savings Account with HDFC Bank. You can also apply for a cheque book each year, at no extra charge. However, if you need an additional cheque book, you need to pay a nominal fee of ₹75 to ₹100 for every extra cheque book comprising 25 cheques, beyond the free annual limit. 

As for Current Accounts, you can get 50-300 free cheque leaves per month, depending on your account type, while a nominal fee of ₹3 per cheque applies to every additional cheque, beyond the free monthly quota. 

1. Enter the date in the top-right corner, next to the section named ‘date’.
2. Enter the name of the intended payment recipient, next to the ‘Pay’ section.
3. Enter the amount in words, i.e., by spelling it out and adding the word only at the end.
   
4. Enter the amount in figures, leaving no space, by adding a forward slash and hyphen (/-).
   
5. Sign the cheque at the bottom-right (or above your name) to authorise the payment.

Note: Depending on the intended recipient, you may have to keep or cross out the word ‘bearer’ and add the words ‘A/C Payee’ in the top-left corner of the cheque.

• Store your bank cheque book in a secure place, e.g., a safe deposit locker at home/office.

• Ensure you always cross cheques (not intended for bearers) to prevent misuse.

• If you lose any cheques, inform your bank about the loss/theft immediately.

• Make sure you never sign any blank cheques in advance. 

• Maintain a record of the issued cheques in the index section.

• Avoid sharing account or cheque details with unauthorised persons.

While you can conduct fund transfers online today, cheques remain vital for high-value transactions, exceeding the daily online transaction limits. At HDFC Bank, we offer a free cheque book, when you open your account. Each cheque book comprises 10-25 cheque leaves, or more, based on your account type. Besides this, you also get a free cheque book each year, which you can apply for online or by visiting your HDFC Bank branch. 

*Disclaimer: Terms and conditions apply. The information provided in this article is generic in nature and for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for specific advice in your own circumstances.