How to Write the Amount in Words on a Cheque

A cheque has two places for the amount: the box for figures and the line for words. The words are not decoration. Under Section 18 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, if the amount is stated differently in figures and in words, the amount stated in words is the amount payable. In practice a bank will usually return a cheque whose words and figures disagree rather than pay the words, so a slip of the pen means a bounced cheque, a returned-cheque charge, and an awkward phone call. This guide shows how to write the words so that never happens. Every example is produced by our number-to-words converter.

The Indian way of grouping: lakh and crore

Indian cheques use the Indian numbering system, not the international one. After a thousand, the groups are lakh (1,00,000) and crore (1,00,00,000):

| ₹1,000 | one thousand | | ₹1,00,000 | one lakh | | ₹10,00,000 | ten lakh | | ₹1,00,00,000 | one crore | | ₹10,00,00,000 | ten crore |

Commas in figures follow the same grouping: ₹12,50,000, not ₹1,250,000. “Million” and “billion” are not wrong in English, but they are not what Indian banks, forms and legal documents expect; write twelve lakh fifty thousand, not one million two hundred fifty thousand.

The standard form: “Rupees … Only”

The accepted form on an Indian cheque is:

Rupees amount in words Only

• “Rupees” first. Most cheque leaves already print “Rupees” or ”₹” at the start of the line; continue from there.
• “Only” at the end. It closes the amount so that nothing can be added after it. Draw a short line through any blank space that remains.
• Capitalise the first letter of each word, or write in capitals throughout; either is fine. Be consistent and legible.

Examples from the converter:

| ₹12,50,000 | Rupees Twelve Lakh Fifty Thousand Only | | ₹50,000 | Rupees Fifty Thousand Only | | ₹1,00,000 | Rupees One Lakh Only | | ₹20,250 | Rupees Twenty Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Only | | ₹1,00,00,000 | Rupees One Crore Only | | ₹99 | Rupees Ninety-Nine Only |

Writing paise

If the amount has paise, write them after the rupees with “and”, and the word “paise” before “Only”:

| ₹1,234.56 | Rupees One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Four And Fifty-Six Paise Only | | ₹1,500.75 | Rupees One Thousand Five Hundred And Seventy-Five Paise Only |

Some people write “Rupees One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Four and Paise Fifty-Six Only”; both orders are understood. What matters is that the paise are written as a number of paise, never as a decimal (“point five six”) and never left out when the figures show them. If the figures are a round amount, do not write “and zero paise”; just end with “Only”. Writing ”/-” after the figures (₹1,250/-) is a common way to show there are no paise.

Writing the amount in Hindi

Cheques may be written in Hindi, and our converter gives the Hindi form, which ends with “रुपये मात्र” (“मात्र” plays the role of “Only”):

| ₹12,50,000 | बारह लाख पचास हज़ार रुपये मात्र | | ₹50,000 | पचास हज़ार रुपये मात्र | | ₹1,00,000 | एक लाख रुपये मात्र | | ₹20,250 | बीस हज़ार दो सौ पचास रुपये मात्र |

Use the same script for the whole amount; do not mix Hindi words with English ones on one line.

Step by step

1. Write the figures first, in the box, with the Indian comma grouping, starting right after the ₹ sign so nothing can be inserted in front. Add ”/-” after a round amount.
2. Type the same figure into the converter and copy the words exactly. Copying beats recalling: “fifteen” and “fifty” are a frequent mix-up.
3. Write the words on the line, starting immediately after the printed “Rupees”, ending with “Only”, and strike through the leftover space.
4. Check the two against each other before you sign: read the words aloud and compare each group (crore, lakh, thousand, hundred) with the figures.
5. Do not overwrite. If you make a mistake, most banks will not accept a corrected amount even with a countersignature; tear the leaf, write “cancelled” across it and use a fresh one.

What Section 18 means for you

Section 18 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 provides that where the amount is stated differently in figures and in words, the amount stated in words shall be the amount undertaken or ordered to be paid. Two practical consequences:

• The words are the legal amount. If you write ₹15,000 in figures and “Fifteen Thousand Five Hundred” in words, the instrument, in law, is for ₹15,500. That is why the words deserve the extra care.
• Expect a return, not a correction. Banks are not obliged to pay the words; they may, and usually do, return the cheque as “amount in words and figures differ”. The payee then bears the delay and you may bear a charge. The rule protects against alteration; it is not a safety net for careless writing.

The same discipline applies wherever an amount appears in figures and words together: demand drafts, bank forms, sale agreements, rent agreements, affidavits and invoices.

Other fields that get cheques returned

The amount is the commonest reason for a returned cheque, but not the only one. Write the date in the format printed on the leaf (DD/MM/YYYY), because a cheque is generally not paid after three months from its date and a post-dated cheque is not paid before it. Write the payee’s name exactly as it appears on their bank account, starting at the left edge of the line, and strike through the leftover space. Add “A/c Payee” between two parallel lines at the top-left corner so the cheque can only be deposited into the payee’s account, not cashed over the counter. Make sure the signature matches the specimen held by your bank, in blue or black ink, without touching the MICR band at the bottom. Finally, never leave a signed blank cheque with anyone; if an amount must be filled in later, write it in words yourself first. Each of these is a small habit; together they mean the cheque is paid the first time.

Common mistakes

• International grouping. “One million two hundred fifty thousand” for ₹12,50,000. Use lakh and crore.
• Dropping “Only”. Leaves room for an addition.
• Starting far from “Rupees”. A gap at the start of the line is where “Fifty” can become “Two Fifty”.
• Writing “and” between thousands and hundreds in a way that creates ambiguity, for example “One Thousand and Fifty Paise”. Keep “and” for the paise only.
• Paise as decimals. “Point five six” is for quantities, not money. Use “Fifty-Six Paise”.
• Hyphen hesitancy. “Twenty-Five” and “Twenty Five” are both accepted; what is not accepted is an illegible scrawl between them.
• Mismatched figures after a correction in the box but not on the line (or vice versa).

Frequently asked questions

What happens if the amount in words and figures differ on a cheque? Legally, under Section 18 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, the amount in words is the amount payable. In practice the bank usually returns the cheque, so write both carefully and check them against each other.

Do I have to write “Only”? It is not required by the Act, but it is the universal practice in India because it prevents anything from being added after the amount. Banks expect it.

Can I write the amount in Hindi? Yes. End with “रुपये मात्र” and use Hindi throughout the line. Our converter gives the Hindi wording for any amount.

How do I write ₹1,00,000 in words? “Rupees One Lakh Only”. Not “one hundred thousand” on an Indian cheque.

Is it “lakh” or “lac”? Both spellings are seen; “lakh” is the standard spelling on official forms and is the one our converter uses.