You’re standing there, pen in hand, looking at a blank piece of paper that represents a significant chunk of change. Seven hundred bucks isn't exactly "pocket change" for most of us. Whether it’s for rent, a used Facebook Marketplace find, or perhaps a security deposit, you really don't want to mess this up.
Checks feel like ancient technology. Honestly, in a world of instant transfers and tap-to-pay, writing a check for $700 feels a bit like using a rotary phone. But banks still rely on these paper slips, and if you scribble the wrong thing, that $700 might get stuck in limbo or, worse, leave your account twice.
It’s about more than just numbers. It’s about legal authorization.
The anatomy of your $700 payment
Let’s start at the top right. Date it. Use today's date. Some people try to "post-date" checks—meaning they put a future date on it because they won't have the money in their account until Friday. Don't do this. Most banks, like Chase or Wells Fargo, don't actually have a legal obligation to wait for that future date. They can often process it the moment it hits their system, leading to a nasty overdraft fee.
Next, find the line that says "Pay to the Order of." This is where you write the name of the person or business getting the $700. Write it clearly. If you’re paying an individual, use their full legal name, not a nickname. If it's a business, check the invoice. Writing "The Landlord" instead of "Oak Ridge Property Management" is a fast track to getting your payment rejected.
Now for the little box with the dollar sign. Write 700.00. Make sure those zeros are tucked in tight against the 7. You don't want to leave a gap where someone could sneak a "1" in there and suddenly you're out $1,700. It sounds paranoid, but check fraud is still a multi-billion dollar headache for the American Bankers Association.
The hardest part: Writing the words
This is where people usually pause and look at the ceiling. You have to write out the amount in words on the long line below the recipient's name. For a $700 check, you'll write: Seven hundred and 00/100.
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Why the fraction? It’s a standard banking protocol. Even though there are zero cents, the fraction "00/100" tells the bank teller (and the automated scanners) that you didn't just forget to include the cents. It "closes" the amount.
Draw a straight line from the end of your writing to the end of the line. This is a classic security move. It prevents anyone from adding extra words like "and ninety-nine dollars" to the end of your "Seven hundred."
Why $700 is a "target" amount for fraud
Criminals love mid-range checks. A $10,000 check triggers all sorts of red flags at the bank. A $5 check isn't worth the effort. But $700? That’s a sweet spot. It’s enough to be worth stealing but often small enough to slide through automated processing without a human ever looking at the signature.
Use a gel pen. Seriously.
Standard ballpoint pens use ink that sits on top of the paper. Fraudsters use a technique called "check washing" where they use basic household chemicals to erase your ink while leaving the pre-printed check design intact. High-quality gel pens, like the Uni-ball 207, contain pigments that actually trap themselves in the fibers of the paper. It makes washing nearly impossible.
The memo line: Your paper trail
The memo line in the bottom left corner is technically optional, but you should always use it. If this $700 is for "January Rent" or "Car Repair - Invoice #456," write that down. If there is ever a legal dispute later, that memo line serves as a contemporaneous record of your intent.
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Think of it as a gift to your future self. Six months from now, when you're looking at a bank statement and wondering why you sent $700 to some guy named "Dave," that memo line will be the only thing that saves your sanity.
Signing your life away (sort of)
The signature line in the bottom right is the most important part. Without it, the check is just a piece of paper. Your signature should match the one the bank has on file. If you’ve started signing your name as a loopy scribble instead of the cursive you used when you opened the account ten years ago, the bank’s fraud detection software might flag it.
Sign it last. Always.
Never sign a blank check. If you sign it and then lose it before you fill in the "$700" part, whoever finds it can write in whatever number they want. They could drain your entire savings account in five minutes.
Balancing the books in a digital age
Once the check leaves your hands, it isn't "gone" from your account yet. This is the biggest trap people fall into when writing a check for $700. You might hand the check over on a Tuesday, but the person might not deposit it until next Monday.
If you forget about it and spend that $700 on something else, you're headed for a "bounced" check. Most banks charge between $25 and $35 for a "Non-Sufficient Funds" (NSF) fee. Plus, the person you were trying to pay will likely be annoyed and might hit you with their own late fee.
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- Log the check: Write it down in your check register or a budgeting app immediately.
- Subtract the balance: Act as if that $700 is already gone from your available balance.
- Monitor your App: Check your banking app daily to see when the check "clears."
What if you mess up?
If you realize you wrote "Seven hunderd" instead of "hundred" or the numbers don't match the words, don't try to scribble over it. Banks hate alterations. Usually, they'll reject a check that looks like it's been tampered with.
Just write VOID in large letters across the face of the check and start over with a fresh one. It’s better to waste a 20-cent piece of paper than to deal with a $35 bank fee later.
Finalizing the handoff
If you're mailing the $700 check, don't just drop it in a standard envelope. Hold it up to the light. Can you see the check through the paper? If so, wrap it in a piece of printer paper or a "security" envelope with a patterned interior. Mail theft is on the rise, and "fishing" checks out of blue USPS boxes is a real thing.
Actually, if you can, take it inside the post office.
Writing a check for $700 isn't hard, but it requires a level of focus we usually don't apply to our digital lives. Take those extra thirty seconds to be precise. Your bank account will thank you.
Actionable next steps for your $700 payment
- Check your balance first. Verify that you have at least $700 in "available" funds, not just "account balance."
- Use a permanent gel pen. This prevents "check washing" and keeps your money where it belongs.
- Write the words clearly. "Seven hundred and 00/100" followed by a long line to the edge.
- Update your records. Subtract the $700 from your ledger immediately so you don't accidentally spend it elsewhere while the check is in transit.
- Confirm receipt. If paying a person, ask them to let you know when they’ve deposited it so you can track the withdrawal on your statement.