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Safeguard Your Cheque Book

(1)   Please always keep your cheque book in a safe place (such as locked cabinet), and check regularly that no individual cheque has been removed.

(2)   Always verify the details of your account statement. In the event that any suspicious transaction is found, please notify the Bank immediately.

(3)   Upon receipt of your new cheque book, you should instantly check the serial numbers, account number, your printed name and the page number of the cheques. Please promptly inform us of any irregularities.

(4)   When any signed or blank cheque / cheque book is lost or stolen, you must immediately report to the Bank via the branches or telephone at (852) 2616 6628, or instruct the Bank to stop payment of such cheque(s) through letter/Internet Banking/Mobile Banking. For details regarding a lost cheque or the need to stop payment on a cheque, please refer to item (11) of “Issue Cheques”.

Issue Cheques

(1)   Please ensure that there are sufficient funds in the account before issuing cheques.

(2)   Blank cheques should not be signed in advance.

(3)   Please write the payee's full name and cross out any blank space. Do not leave gaps between the words or figures, and write 'Only' after the amount (e.g. One Thousand Dollars Only).

(4)   Use non-erasable ink / ballpoint pen for writing cheques. For cheque issuance via computer, please do not use printers with erasable ink.

(5)   Changes on the cheque must be counter-signed by the cheque issuer beside the alteration.

(6)   A Bearer Cheque is a cheque drawn payable to "bearer", "cash" or that is left in blank. Any holder of this cheque can cash it. If it has been crossed, it can be deposited into any account. Take extra care when using Bearer Cheques as anyone can cash them. Do not send Bearer Cheques through mail.

(7)   After "or bearer" clause is deleted, the cheque becomes an Order Cheque, which means that only the payee and named person can cash it. Order Cheques give more protection to the named payee than that of Bearer Cheques.

(8)   A cheque can be crossed by drawing two parallel lines "//" across the front. Crossed cheques must be deposited into a bank account.

(9)   For cheques that are crossed with "account payee only", they have to be deposited into the payee's account. The payee cannot pass the cheques to another recipient by signing on their back.

(10) Cheques drawn on a bank in Hong Kong deposited on a day where there is inter-bank clearing and settlement of funds in Hong Kong for collection before the cut-off time will usually be cleared at about 3 p.m. on our next business day. For cheques deposited on Friday, the time will be 3 p.m. on our first business day in the following week. The relevant funds collected may not be used or withdrawn pending clearance. If Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above and/or Black Rainstorm Warning is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, or an "Extreme Conditions" is announced by the HKSAR Government, cheque processing and clearing arrangement may be different. For details, please refer to item(12) of “Issue Cheques” or contact our staff at (852) 2616 6628.

(11) If a cheque is lost or you need to stop payment on a cheque, you should immediately arrange at our branch or call (852) 2616 6628 to stop payment on the cheque (this is only applicable if the cheque has not yet been paid). When our staff are verifying the information, please provide the details of the cheque (including: account number, account name, cheque number, issue date, payee, amount, and reasons for stopping payment, etc.). Customers may also stop payment on cheques through letter/Internet Banking/Mobile Banking. A handling fee is required to stop payment on a cheque. For details, please visit our Bank’s website > Personal Banking > Schedule of Charges > “the General Banking Service Charges”.

(12) Paper Cheques (Deposited at bank counters or Cheque Deposit Machines): When severe weather remains for the whole day, the Bank will not provide clearing service. Relevant funds of paper cheques deposited before the cut-off time on the previous business day will generally be available for use or withdrawal on Severe Weather Trading Day. When our branches have been opened for business on Severe Weather Trading Day, relevant funds of paper cheques deposited before the cut-off time on the same day will generally be available for use or withdrawal on the next business day; and relevant funds of paper cheques deposited before the cut-off time on the previous business day will generally be available for use or withdrawal on Severe Weather Trading Day. Electronic Cheques: The Bank will provide relevant services as usual on Severe Weather Trading Day. Electronic cheques deposited before the cut-off time on Severe Weather Trading Day will be cleared on the same day and settled on the next business day. Relevant funds of electronic cheques deposited before the cut-off time on the previous business day will generally be available for use or withdrawal on Severe Weather Trading Day. For details, please visit our Bank’s website > About Us > Notice > “Notice of Banking Service Arrangements during Severe Weather Trading Day“.

(13) A cheque may be dishonored if there are insufficient cleared funds (or overdraft facility) in your account. Charges may apply. Prior advice may not be given. We may choose to pay (without advice). If we do so, you will repay the resulting debit, interest and charges. We may return a cheque unpaid if it is incorrectly completed, altered without your full signature, post-dated or out-of-date (e.g., 6 months old). Charges may apply.

(14) For other information related to cheques, please visit our Bank’s website > Personal Banking > Other Services > Conditions and Rules for Services and other Information >“General Information”.