The cheque number is the serial printed on each leaf — typically at the top, and again as the first group of digits in the MICR band along the bottom edge.

It is the identifier for everything you might later want to do with that cheque: query it, reconcile it, stop it.

Where to find it

Two places, and they must agree:

  • Printed on the face of the cheque, usually top-left or top-right.
  • In the MICR band at the bottom, as the leftmost group of digits.

If those two ever disagree, do not use the cheque — take it to your branch.

Numbers run in sequence, and the gaps matter

Cheque numbers are sequential within a book. That sequence is an audit trail: if a business has issued 150301 to 150348 and cannot account for 150335, that is a question worth answering.

So every leaf should end up with a status — issued, cleared, cancelled, returned. A leaf spoiled during printing gets marked Cancelled, not discarded silently.

Why printing software cares

When ChequeMaster prints a cheque, it records the details against the number. That is what makes the history worth anything later — "who did we pay on 150347" has an answer.

Which is also why the number range you enter when creating a cheque book has to match the physical paper exactly. If the software thinks it is printing 150347 and the leaf in the tray says 150349, your records are wrong from that point on and the error propagates through every report.

This is the single most consequential thing to get right during setup. Check it against the book in your hand — see creating a cheque book.

Using it to find things

The cheque number is the fastest search key. In ChequeMaster, typing it into the search box brings up that cheque, and you can print from the results directly — the quickest route from a leaf in your hand to a printed cheque.