Banking Guide

How to Cancel a Cheque After You Have Issued It (Stop Payment Guide)

To cancel a cheque you have already issued, place a stop payment instruction with your bank before the cheque is presented. You can do this instantly through net banking or your bank's mobile app, by calling phone banking, or by visiting the branch with a written request. You will need the cheque number, date, amount and payee name. Banks charge roughly ₹100 to ₹300 plus GST per stop payment. Once registered, the bank will return the cheque unpaid if presented.

Looking to make a "cancelled cheque" for KYC, EPF or a loan application? That is a different thing: a blank leaf marked CANCELLED to share your account details. See our cancelled cheque guide for that. This page covers stopping payment on a cheque you already gave to someone.

When should you cancel (stop) a cheque?

• You wrote the wrong amount, payee name or date and the cheque has left your hands
• The cheque was lost in transit or stolen
• A deal fell through after you handed over the cheque (goods not delivered, service not provided, booking cancelled)
• You issued post-dated cheques for a loan or rent agreement that has since been closed or renegotiated
• Your cheque book was lost or stolen (stop the entire unused series)
• You suspect a cheque was altered after you signed it

One situation where you should NOT casually stop payment: to avoid paying a legitimate debt. Stopping a cheque issued against a genuine liability can still attract legal action under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act (cheque bounce law), because "payment stopped by drawer" is treated similarly to insufficient funds when the underlying debt is real. Courts look at whether the debt existed, not just why the cheque returned. If you have a genuine dispute, document it in writing with the payee before stopping the cheque.

How to stop payment via net banking (fastest method)

The exact menu names vary by bank, but the flow is nearly identical everywhere:

Log in

Find cheque services

Common paths: "Service Requests", "Cheque Book Services", or directly "Stop Cheque Payment". (In SBI net banking it is under Requests & Enquiries; in HDFC under Request; in ICICI under Service Requests.)

Select the account

Select the account the cheque was drawn on.

Enter the cheque number

For a series (lost cheque book), enter the start and end numbers of the unused range.

Enter cheque details

Enter the cheque date, amount and payee name if asked. Some banks accept a stop with just the number; providing full details avoids wrong-cheque stops.

Select a reason

Choose: lost, stolen, dispute, or issued in error.

Confirm with OTP

Save the service request number.

Verify status

Check after a few minutes under service request history. The stop takes effect immediately upon registration in almost all banks' core systems.

Other ways to stop a cheque

Phone banking

Call your bank's customer care from your registered mobile number, authenticate, and request the stop. Note the request reference number. Useful when you have no internet access. Some banks register it provisionally and ask for written confirmation.

Branch visit

Write a stop payment letter (or fill the bank's form) with account number, cheque number, date, amount, payee and reason, sign it as per your specimen signature, and collect an acknowledgment. This is the required route for some current accounts with special mandates and for company accounts requiring multiple authorized signatures.

For businesses with maker-checker rules

The stop instruction may need the same signatories as cheque issuance. Check your board resolution/mandate.

Stop payment charges at major banks (approximate)

BankCharge per instrument (approx)

SBI₹100 + GST (free via net banking/YONO for some variants)

HDFC Bank₹100 + GST (₹50 via net banking on some plans)

ICICI Bank₹100 + GST

Axis Bank₹100 + GST

Kotak₹100 + GST

Bank of Baroda₹100 to ₹150 + GST

Range-stops (whole cheque book) are often charged at a flat higher rate, roughly ₹200 to ₹500. Charges change; verify on your bank's current schedule of charges. Many banks waive the fee when the stop is due to a lost cheque book reported promptly.

What happens after the stop payment is registered?

If the cheque is presented after the stop, the bank returns it unpaid with the return reason "payment stopped by drawer". The presenter's bank informs them, and the cheque return will show in their records. Return charges may apply to the presenter.

A stop payment normally remains active until you withdraw it in writing (it does not quietly expire in most banks' systems, though the cheque itself becomes stale 3 months from its date anyway).

If the cheque was presented and CLEARED before your stop was registered, the money is gone through clearing. Stops are not retroactive. This is why speed matters: with CTS clearing, a cheque deposited today can clear by the next business day. See our cheque clearing time guide.

Cancelling an unissued cheque leaf (voiding)

If you wrote a cheque incorrectly but it never left your desk, you do not need a stop payment. Just void the leaf: write CANCELLED across it, do not sign it (or strike through the signature if already signed until illegible), tear off or deface the signature area if you want extra safety, and record the leaf as cancelled in your cheque register so the numbering gap is explained during reconciliation.

Businesses using ChequeGuru mark leaves as cancelled in the software's Manage Cheques screen, which keeps the Chequebook Report accurate: every number shows as used, cancelled or unused. See the Manage Cheques tutorial.

Frequently asked questions

Can I stop a cheque after it has been presented?

Only if it has not yet cleared. Once the amount is debited through clearing, the stop is too late. Between presentation and clearing there is a narrow window where a stop may still catch it; call the bank immediately rather than relying on net banking timing.

How long does a stop payment take to activate?

Via net banking or phone banking, effectively immediate on registration. Branch requests take effect once keyed into the system, usually the same day.

Is stopping a cheque legal?

Yes, it is your right as the drawer. But if the cheque was issued against a genuine debt, the payee can still pursue you under Section 138 of the NI Act after following the notice procedure. Stop payment is an instruction to your bank, not an escape from an underlying liability. See the cheque bounce guide for the legal process.

Can I stop one cheque out of several post-dated cheques I gave?

Yes. Each stop is per cheque number. For closed loans, get a written closure letter and ideally collect your unused PDCs back instead of paying for multiple stops.

What details do I need to stop a cheque?

At minimum the account and cheque number. Ideally also the date, amount and payee name so the bank matches the exact instrument.

I lost a blank signed cheque. Is a stop payment enough?

Place the stop immediately and also report it in writing to the bank; ask them to note a caution on the account. A blank signed cheque is dangerous because the finder can fill any amount. Consider an FIR if theft is suspected; some banks ask for the police acknowledgment for lost-instrument stops.

Does a stop payment expire?

Practically no; it stays until withdrawn. The cheque itself becomes invalid (stale) 3 months after its written date regardless.

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