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How to get a void cheque at any Canadian bank

You don’t need a chequebook to give your employer a void cheque. Every major Canadian bank and fintech lets you download one, or a pre-filled direct deposit form, from its app or online banking. Here’s where each one keeps it, what the numbers mean, and how to void a paper cheque properly.

7 min read Checked October 2026

Key findings
  • All the banks in our table offer a downloadable void cheque or direct deposit PDF, usually under the account’s details or direct deposit menu.
  • A void cheque carries three numbers: a 5-digit transit number, a 3-digit institution number and your account number.
  • A direct deposit form shows the same account details as a void cheque, and many employers accept either one.
  • Voiding a paper cheque? FCAC says to write VOID in ink across the front and not to sign it.

Checked October 2026

What a void cheque is for

A void cheque is a cheque with VOID written across it, so nobody can cash it. It exists for one reason: it shows your account details in a format payroll departments, governments and billers trust.

You’ll usually be asked for one when you set up payroll direct deposit with a new employer, a pre-authorized debit for a bill, insurance or investment contribution, or a deposit from a pension or government program.

Where to find it at each bank

These are the menu paths each bank publishes on its own help pages. Menus change from time to time, so if a label looks different, search void cheque or direct deposit in your bank’s app.

Void cheque and direct deposit form, bank by bank
BankIn the appIn online bankingGood to know
RBCAccount › Details › Get a Void Cheque › DownloadAccount Services › View and Print Void Cheque › agree and printThe app PDF can be saved, texted or emailed
TDChequing account › Details › Direct Deposit Info › download the formEasyWeb › Accounts › account › Manage › Direct deposit form (PDF)You can also switch payroll in the app with most employers
BMOAccount › Account Details › Void cheque › DownloadAccount › Account Details box › void chequeSame Account Details path on web and app
ScotiabankChequing account › Manage › Direct deposit/void cheque info › Void cheque › View/PrintAccounts › chequing account › Direct Deposits & Payments › Void Cheque › View/PrintThe payroll form sits in the same menu
CIBCAccount › Account Info › View Cheque › Open PDFAccount › Manage my account › Void cheque/direct deposit info › Open PDFOne PDF covers both; sign it before sending
National BankAccount › More › Void chequeAccount › Download a void chequeSome pages call it a specimen cheque
DesjardinsAccounts › See all › everyday account › Information › Void chequeAccèsD › everyday account › Information tab › Void chequeA paper payroll enrolment form is also available
TangerineChequing Account › 3-dot menu › Void ChequeChequing Account › Void ChequeThe Direct Deposit screen has a Share button
SimpliiUse online bankingOnline banking › pre-filled direct deposit formAccount numbers are under More Services
EQ BankMenu › Deposit Money › Direct Deposit › Download Void ChequeMy Accounts › Direct Deposit › account › DownloadTransit 80002, institution 623
WealthsimpleHome › chequing account › More › Direct deposit info › Download void chequeAccounts › chequing account › Download void chequeInstitution 703, transit 00001
KOHO$ symbol › Set up direct deposit › download void chequeweb.koho.ca › Add Funds › Set up direct depositsThe payee name must match your KOHO account
NeoAccounts › account › Manage › Account details › Download PDFMoney › account › Details › Manage › Account details › Download PDFCheck you have the new Everyday account details

How to read a void cheque

Whether it’s printed or a PDF, the bottom of a void cheque carries the three numbers a payer needs. RBC describes them in the order they appear:

  • Transit number: 5 digits that identify your branch. TD notes that its branch number is the first 4 digits of the transit number.
  • Institution number: 3 digits that identify your bank. Wealthsimple’s is 703 and EQ Bank’s is 623, for example.
  • Account number: your own account. Length varies by bank: TD uses up to 7 digits, Desjardins uses 7 (a 6-digit folio plus a check digit) and EQ Bank uses nine.

Online banks often use a single transit number for every customer, which is why EQ Bank (80002) and Wealthsimple (00001) can publish theirs. Your account number is the only part that’s unique to you.

Void cheque or direct deposit form?

A direct deposit form shows the same transit, institution and account numbers as a void cheque, usually with your name and the bank’s address filled in. CIBC’s PDF is literally both: one document labelled as a void cheque and direct deposit form. TD’s EasyWeb form comes pre-filled with your name, transit and account numbers.

Which one to send depends on the payer. National Bank says a specimen cheque is all most employers need, though some will ask you to sign their own form and attach it. Desjardins offers a payroll enrolment form you can hand to your employer instead. If the request just says banking information, either document normally works.

Some banks now skip the paperwork entirely. TD lets you set up paycheque direct deposit inside its app with most employers, and both TD and Desjardins let you sign up for Canada Revenue Agency deposits from online banking.

How to void a paper cheque

If you still have cheques and the payer wants a physical one, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) gives simple rules for doing it safely.

  1. Take a blank chequeUse one from the account you want the money deposited to or withdrawn from.
  2. Write VOID across the frontUse ink, in large letters, without covering the numbers along the bottom.
  3. Don’t sign itFCAC says not to sign a void cheque. A signature adds nothing and only creates risk.
  4. Hand it over and keep a noteRecord who you gave it to and when, so you can match it to the first deposit or debit.

If the deposit doesn’t arrive

  • Check the name. KOHO says the payee name on a direct deposit must match the name on your account, and your employer must use the exact details on the form.
  • Check the numbers. A single swapped digit in the transit or account number can send the payment back.
  • Ask about holds. EQ Bank says direct deposits have no holds. Neo says employer deposits are typically available right away but may be held for up to 5 business days for review.
  • Send the PDF, not a photo, if the payer accepts uploads. A clean file is easier for payroll to read.

Switching banks to cut fees? Compare no-fee chequing accounts first, then download the new void cheque and update payroll before you close the old account.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a void cheque?

A void cheque is a cheque with VOID written across it so it can’t be cashed. It’s used to give an employer, government or biller your transit, institution and account numbers for direct deposit or pre-authorized payments.

How do I get a void cheque without a chequebook?

Download one from your bank’s app or online banking. At RBC it’s under Details, Get a Void Cheque; at Scotiabank under Manage, Direct deposit/void cheque info; at CIBC under Account Info, View Cheque. Our table above lists the path for each major bank.

Is a direct deposit form the same as a void cheque?

It carries the same account details, so many employers accept either. Some, like CIBC, combine them into one PDF. If a payer asks for one specifically, send that one.

How do you read a void cheque?

Look at the numbers along the bottom. The 5-digit transit number identifies your branch, the 3-digit institution number identifies your bank, and the last group is your account number.

How do I write a void cheque?

Take a blank cheque and write VOID in large letters in ink across the front, without covering the numbers at the bottom. FCAC says not to sign it.

What is a specimen cheque?

Specimen cheque is another name for a void cheque, common in Quebec and at National Bank and Desjardins. National Bank’s app lists it under your account, More, Void cheque.

What information is needed for direct deposit?

Your name, transit number, institution number and account number. A void cheque or direct deposit form shows all of them, which is why payers ask for one.

Can I get a void cheque from an online bank like EQ Bank, Tangerine or Wealthsimple?

Yes. EQ Bank has Download Void Cheque under Deposit Money, Direct Deposit. Tangerine has a Void Cheque button on the chequing account. Wealthsimple has Download void cheque under Direct deposit info.

Where is the transit number on a cheque?

It’s the first group of pre-printed numbers along the bottom of the cheque, according to RBC. It has 5 digits and identifies your branch.

Are direct deposits available right away?

It depends on the bank. EQ Bank says funds are available as soon as they’re deposited. Neo says employer deposits are typically available immediately but can be held for up to 5 business days.

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Sources, checked October 2026

General information for Canadians, not financial, tax or legal advice. Rules and menus change, so confirm details with your bank, lender or the Government of Canada. See our methodology.