Cheque Book Request Letter
Asks the bank to issue a new cheque book.
Details
cheque book request letterUploads
Your logo
A photo or picture
Goes on this page only. Drag it anywhere and pull its corner to resize it.
Your signature
Draw it with a finger, a mouse or a trackpad, and it goes on the page like a picture.
Pictures and signatures stay on this device. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
Red highlights mark what is still blank. Click anything on the page to change it. Your draft is kept on this device as you work.
Dear Sir / Madam,
I hold account no. [account no.] with your branch. My present cheque book is nearly exhausted.
I request you to issue a new cheque book of [number] leaves against the above account.
Please despatch it to my address registered with the bank, or intimate me when it is ready for collection at the branch. I would be grateful if you would arrange this at the earliest and confirm once it is done.
What is a Cheque Book Request Letter?
A cheque book request letter asks your bank for a new cheque book. It names the account, says how many leaves you need, and tells the bank where to send the book. Most banks now let you order a book through the app, at the ATM, or with the request slip at the back of your old book. You need the letter when those routes are closed to you. You also need it when the account needs a signed instruction on file.
People write it when the last leaf is used up, when a book is lost, or when a name or address has changed. A business may write one when it needs a bigger book than the standard one. Company secretaries and finance staff write it for current accounts where the mandate calls for signatures. A word on names: a cheque requisition form is a different thing. It is an internal form. An employee or department sends it to their own finance team to ask for a cheque to be written and issued. If that is what you came for, you want a payment request, not this.
How cheques are used depends a lot on where you bank. India runs a positive pay system for high-value cheques. Under it, the person who writes the cheque confirms its details before it is presented. The UK clears cheques by image. The US still uses checks widely, and spells the word that way. Ireland and parts of the EU have cut back cheque use sharply, and some banks no longer issue books at all. Each bank sets the number of leaves, the charge, how long its cheques stay valid and how it sends books out. Ask yours what it offers now. Do not assume last year’s answer still holds.
This letter orders stationery. It does nothing about a cheque that has already gone wrong. If a book is lost or stolen, you need a stop-payment instruction on the leaf numbers involved. Report it at once and on its own. In some places a police report is needed as well. Asking for a new book is the easy half of that job. The letter also does not change the signing mandate, add or remove a signatory, or update the address the bank holds. Each of those is a separate instruction. If you tuck them into a cheque book request, they tend to get missed.
What to put in a Cheque Book Request Letter
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Branch | For example: Dublin Branch |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Account no. | For example: 30412876591 |
| Number of leaves | Free text |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write a Cheque Book Request Letter
Address the branch holding the account
Write to the Branch Manager at the branch where your account is held. Put the branch name and the date at the top. Add your customer ID number if your bank uses one. Books are printed for a set branch and account. A letter that reaches the wrong branch gets sent on inside the bank. That can lose several days before anything is ordered.
Name the account and its holders
Give the full account number, the account type, and the name exactly as the bank has it. For a joint account, name every holder. For a company account, give the registered name and the mandate reference. Do you have more than one account at the branch? Then say which one the book is for. On the clerk’s screen, the two may differ by just one digit.
State the leaves, type and number of books
Say how many leaves each book should have and how many books you want. The form on this page offers 25, 50 or 100 leaves. Say if you need a certain type. That could be order cheques, bearer cheques, multicity or at-par leaves, or a bound business book with counterfoils. Work out roughly how many cheques you write in a year, and order to match. That saves a second request in four months, and a second charge.
Say clearly how you want to get the book
Say whether the book should be posted to your registered address, sent by courier, or kept at the branch for you to collect. Check that the address the bank holds is current. If it is not, update it first, with a separate instruction. A cheque book sent to an old address is a security risk, not just a nuisance.
Sign to the mandate and keep a copy
Sign the way the bank holds your specimen signature. If the account needs two or more people to sign, all of them sign. A single signature on a jointly run account is the most common reason these letters come back. Note the date you hand it in, and ask the branch to stamp your copy as received. When the book arrives, check the leaf numbers against the letter.
Common mistakes
- Signing alone on a jointly run account, so the request comes back unprocessed and the wait starts again.
- Not checking the address the bank holds, so a book with your account details goes to a place you left two years ago.
- Ordering the fewest leaves, so you pay a second charge and wait again within a few months.
- Using this letter to report a lost book, when the urgent step is a separate stop-payment request on the exact leaf numbers.
- Mixing it up with a cheque requisition form for an employer’s finance team, which asks someone else for something else.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an application letter for a new cheque book?
Address it to the Branch Manager at the branch that holds the account. Give your name as the bank has it, the account number and type, and your customer ID if you have one. Ask for a cheque book. State the number of leaves and how many books you need. Say whether to post it or keep it for you to collect. Sign as per the mandate, and date it.
What is the difference between a cheque requisition form and a cheque book request?
They go to different places. A cheque book request goes to your bank. It asks for printed cheques on your account. A cheque requisition form is internal. An employee or department sends it to their own finance team. It asks for a cheque to be written to a named payee, with the amount, the reason and the budget code. One orders a book. The other orders a payment.
How long does a new cheque book take to arrive?
Usually days rather than weeks. But it depends on whether your bank prints books centrally or at the branch. It also depends on how you chose to receive it. A courier to your registered address is often quicker than post. Collection at the branch depends on when the batch arrives there. Ask for an expected date when you hand in the letter. Ask for a tracking number too, if the bank offers one.
Is there a charge for a cheque book?
It varies by bank and by account type. Some banks give a set number of free leaves each year on a savings account, and charge for more. Current and business accounts are often priced differently. The charge usually shows up as a debit on the account. You do not normally pay it at the counter. Ask for the current list of charges when you hand in the letter. This matters most if you are ordering several books.
What should I do if my cheque book is lost or stolen?
Tell the bank at once by the fastest route — phone, app or branch. Ask for a stop payment on the unused leaf numbers. Then send a written instruction that lists those numbers. Some banks, and some places, expect a police report as well. Ask for a new book only once the stop is in place. The two are separate instructions, and the order matters.
How do I request a cheque book for a current account?
The letter is much the same as for a savings account. The difference is that it comes from the business. Put it on the letterhead. Give the current account number and the account name exactly as the bank holds it. Have it signed by the authorised signatories, as the account mandate requires. Say how many leaves you need. Say whether the cheques should carry the business name. Then say whether the book should be posted or collected from the branch.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.