Stop Payment Request Letter
Stops payment on a cheque before it is presented.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
I hold account no. [account no.] with your branch.
I request you to stop payment on cheque no. [cheque no.] dated [date] for $ [amount]. Reason: [reason].
Please confirm that the instruction has been recorded, and advise me of any charge applicable. I understand the instruction takes effect only from the time it is registered and cannot stop a cheque already paid.
What is a Stop Payment Request Letter?
A stop payment request instructs your bank not to honour a specific cheque, or a range of cheques, before it reaches the counter. It matters because a paid cheque is very hard to unwind: once the money has gone you are no longer asking your bank to hold an instruction, you are chasing the payee for a refund. Speed and an exact cheque number are what make the instruction work.
Account holders send one when a cheque book or a single leaf goes missing, when a cheque posted to a supplier never arrives, when a cheque was written for the wrong amount or to the wrong name, when goods paid for by cheque are not delivered, or when an account is being closed and unused leaves remain. Businesses use them when a cheque is issued from the wrong account or against an invoice that was already paid by another method.
How long a stop lasts, whether it can be given by phone, and what it costs are set by your bank's terms and by local payment rules. In the United States a stop payment order on a personal check has a limited life under state adoptions of the commercial code and must be renewed to continue. Elsewhere the instruction usually stands until the cheque is stale or you withdraw it. The consequences of stopping a cheque issued for a debt also differ — India's negotiable instruments law in particular attaches specific consequences to dishonour, and that is a question for a lawyer.
Stopping the cheque does not touch what you owe. The underlying debt, invoice or obligation survives, and the payee is free to demand payment by another route or to take action. It cannot recall a cheque that has already been paid. It does not work the same way on a banker's draft, a certified cheque or a demand draft, where the bank has already committed its own funds. And it has nothing to do with card payments, direct debits or standing instructions, each of which is cancelled through its own process.
What to put in a Stop Payment 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 |
| Cheque no. | For example: 004182 |
| Cheque amount | For example: 24,000 |
| Cheque date | Free text |
| Reason | Free text |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write a Stop Payment Request Letter
Quote the cheque details exactly
Account number, cheque number, date, amount and payee name. The bank's system matches on the cheque number and often the amount, so one wrong digit means the instruction sits on file while the cheque is paid. If you do not have the counterfoil, get the details from your statement or your accounting record before you send anything.
Specify one cheque or a whole range
For a lost or stolen cheque book, give the first and last leaf numbers of every unused leaf, not just the one you noticed missing. A stop on a single cheque leaves the rest of the book live. Say clearly that the range is unused and unissued, so the bank does not stop a cheque you have legitimately given someone.
Give the reason in plain terms
Lost in the post, stolen, issued in error, wrong amount, or goods not received. Banks record the reason, and for a theft they may ask for a police report reference. Where the cheque was issued against a genuine debt and you are stopping it because of a dispute, get advice before you send the instruction rather than after.
Use the fastest channel, then confirm in writing
Phone or app first if your bank offers it, so the stop is on the system within minutes, then send the written instruction the same day. Ask for a time-stamped acknowledgement and keep it. If the cheque is paid despite a properly lodged stop, that acknowledgement is the whole of your position.
Tell the payee and arrange the replacement
Contact the payee the same day, explain that the cheque has been stopped and agree how you will pay instead — a transfer is usually cleaner than a second cheque. Ask for the original back if they still have it, or for written confirmation that it will not be presented. Do not simply issue a replacement and hope the first never surfaces.
Common mistakes
- Getting the cheque number or the amount wrong, so the stop never matches and the cheque is paid with the bank pointing at your own instruction.
- Sending the request after the cheque has been presented, when there is nothing left to stop and the money has already moved.
- Assuming the stop lasts indefinitely, so it expires unnoticed and the cheque is honoured when it is presented again.
- Reporting one missing cheque instead of the whole unused range from a lost book, leaving the remaining leaves usable by whoever has them.
- Stopping a cheque given for an undisputed debt without dealing with the debt itself, which invites recovery action and, in some jurisdictions, statutory consequences for dishonour.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a stop payment stay in force?
It depends on the country and the bank. In the United States a stop payment order on a check runs for a limited period under the commercial code as adopted by the state, and lapses unless renewed. In many other systems the instruction stands until the cheque becomes stale or you cancel it. Ask your bank for the expiry date and diarise it.
Can I stop a cheque that has already been deposited?
Once the cheque has been paid, no. Between deposit and payment there is sometimes a short window while it clears, but you cannot rely on it — cheque processing is faster than most people assume. If you think the cheque has already been handed in, phone the bank immediately rather than posting a letter.
Is there a fee for stopping a cheque?
Most banks charge, and the amount is in the tariff or schedule of charges for your account type. Some accounts include a number of free stops. Where an entire book has been lost, ask whether a single fee covers the range or whether it is charged per leaf, because those are very different numbers.
Can I stop a post-dated cheque?
Practically, yes — you instruct the bank in the same way, and doing it well before the date on the cheque gives the instruction time to register. Legally, stopping a post-dated cheque given as security or against an instalment can carry consequences depending on the jurisdiction and on why it was given. Take that question to a lawyer before acting.
Does stopping a cheque cancel what I owe?
No. The cheque is only the method of payment. The invoice, loan, rent or judgment behind it is unaffected, and the payee can pursue it by any route open to them. Stopping the cheque buys you the ability to deal with the dispute or the error; it does not discharge the obligation.
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.