Finance

Complete Guide to Writing a Cheque in Hong Kong: Format, Rules, and Crossed Cheques

Author Bowtie 團隊

Updated on 2026-07-29

As one of the most common payment tools in Hong Kong, cheques are widely used for large transactions, rent payments, commercial dealings, and subscribing to new shares. Although electronic payments are becoming increasingly popular, cheques remain an indispensable payment method for businesses and individuals due to their formality, traceability, and legal validity. Filling out a cheque correctly is crucial; any mistake may result in the cheque being returned by the bank or unable to be cashed, causing transaction delays and financial losses. This article will detail the standard format of a Hong Kong cheque, rules for writing in English and Chinese, the purpose of crossed cheques, and numeral-to-word conversion techniques, helping you master cheque writing to ensure every transaction goes smoothly.

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Hong Kong Cheque Format

The standard format of a Hong Kong cheque is largely consistent with international practices, but some local details require attention. A complete cheque should include the following mandatory fields:

Date: Fill in the date the cheque is issued. The standard format is usually Day/Month/Year (DD/MM/YY), such as 28/10/2025. Pay special attention to some American banks that use the Month/Day/Year (MM/DD/YY) format; always check the format instructions on the cheque before writing. The date can be altered, but the drawer (payer) must sign next to the amendment to confirm.
Payee: In the “Pay” or “祈付” field, write the full name of the payee or the company name. This must match their bank account name exactly without abbreviations. If the payee is an individual, titles such as Mr. / Mrs. / Miss / Ms. can be added. To ensure only the named payee can collect the funds, you can cross out the words “or bearer” (或持票人) at the end of the payee line.
Amount in Figures (Small Letters): Write the amount in Arabic numerals to the right of the “HK$” sign. If the amount includes decimals, fill in the two decimal places completely (e.g., HK$1,234.56). For whole numbers, add “.00” at the end. After writing the amount, draw a horizontal line from the end of the numbers to the edge of the field to prevent others from tampering with it.
Amount in Words (Capital Letters): Write the amount in English or Chinese words in the “Hong Kong Dollars” or “港幣” field, which must exactly match the amount in figures. The written amount cannot be altered; otherwise, the cheque will be considered invalid.
Signature: The drawer must sign the bottom right corner of the cheque, and the handwriting must exactly match the authorized signature kept by the bank. For company cheques, a company chop and an authorized signature are usually required.
Cheque Number: Every cheque has a three-digit number printed at the bottom left and top right corners for identification and record purposes. You do not need to fill this in.
Bank Code and Account Number: The bank code, branch code, and account number are pre-printed at the bottom of the cheque by the bank. These details do not need to be filled in.

How to Write a Cheque in Chinese

When writing the cheque amount in Chinese, formal Chinese financial numerals (中文大寫數字) must be used to prevent forgery and tampering.

Chinese Financial Numeral Conversion:

0 = 零
1 = 壹
2 = 貳
3 = 叁
4 = 肆
5 = 伍
6 = 陸
7 = 柒
8 = 捌
9 = 玖
10 = 拾
100 = 佰
1,000 = 仟
10,000 = 萬
100,000,000 = 億

Rules for Writing Amounts in Chinese:

Whole Numbers: The amount must end with “正” or “整” (meaning “exactly”). You cannot write “零角零分” (zero cents). For example, HK$10,000.00 should be written as “壹萬元正”.
Amounts with Decimals: The whole numbers and decimals are separated by “元” (Dollars), while the decimal parts are expressed in “角” (10 cents) and “分” (Cents). For instance, HK$1,945.86 should be written as “壹仟玖佰肆拾伍元捌角陸分”.
Write Tightly: The Chinese amount should be written immediately following the word “港幣”, with no spaces left between characters, preventing others from inserting extra words.
Avoid Typos: The character “叁” cannot be written as “參”. “圓” and “元” are interchangeable, but “元” is recommended.

Common Examples of Chinese Amounts:

HK$100.00 = 壹佰元正
HK$1,000.00 = 壹仟元正
HK$10,000.00 = 壹萬元正
HK$100,000.00 = 拾萬元正
HK$1,000,000.00 = 壹佰萬元正
HK$1,234.56 = 壹仟貳佰叁拾肆元伍角陸分

How to Write a Cheque in English

Whole Numbers: You must add the word “Only” at the end of the amount to prevent anyone from adding extra words. For example, HK$100,000.00 should be written as “One Hundred Thousand Dollars Only”.
Amounts with Decimals: The whole number part and the decimal part are connected by “and”. For the decimal part, write the numbers after the word “Cents” and end with “Only”. For example, HK$1,945.86 should be written as “One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty Five Dollars and Cents Eighty Six Only”. Note that “Cents” is placed before the numbers to keep the format consistent, just as “Dollars” is placed before the numbers.
Capitalise First Letters: The first letter of each main word should be capitalised, such as “One Hundred Thousand”.
Use of Hyphens: Compound numbers between 21 and 99 should be hyphenated, such as “Twenty-One” and “Thirty-Five”.

Common Examples of English Amounts:

HK$100.00 = One Hundred Dollars Only
HK$1,000.00 = One Thousand Dollars Only
HK$10,000.00 = Ten Thousand Dollars Only
HK$100,000.00 = One Hundred Thousand Dollars Only
HK$1,000,000.00 = One Million Dollars Only
HK$1,234.56 = One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty Four Dollars and Cents Fifty Six Only

How to Write a Crossed Cheque

A crossed cheque features two parallel lines drawn across its top left corner, serving the purpose of improving cheque security.

Features of a Crossed Cheque:

Transfer Only: A crossed cheque can only be deposited into a bank account and cannot be cashed out. The bearer must deposit it into their account rather than withdrawing cash directly at the bank counter.
Preventing Fraudulent Claims: If a crossed cheque is lost or stolen, the funds can only be deposited into a bank account even if someone attempts to fraudulently claim it. This allows the transaction to be traced, helping to recover the funds.
How to Cross a Cheque: The drawer, payee, or collecting bank can all cross a cheque. The lines are usually drawn in the top left corner as two parallel diagonal lines.

Types of Crossed Cheques: General crossed cheques come in several forms:

Two parallel lines only, without any other words.
The words “公司” or “& Company” added between the parallel lines (less commonly used now).
The words “不可流通” or “Not Negotiable” added between the parallel lines.
The words “請收收款人帳戶” or “Account Payee” added between the parallel lines.
The words “不可流通，請收收款人帳戶” or “Not Negotiable Account Payee” added between the parallel lines.

The first three types allow the bearer to entrust any bank to collect the payment. The latter two restrict collection strictly to the payee’s own bank account.

A special crossed cheque clearly specifies the name of the receiving bank between the parallel lines, meaning no other bank can collect the funds. For instance, “Account Payee with Standard Chartered Bank, Hong Kong”. A special crossed cheque can only specify one bank and cannot designate more than two (unless one bank acts as an agent for another to collect payment).

Recommendations for Using Crossed Cheques:

To prevent a lost cheque from being fraudulently claimed, it is highly recommended to cross any non-cash cheque.
You can stamp “Not Transferable” or “Account Payee Only” between the crossed lines to further enhance security.
Once a cheque is crossed, the crossing cannot be cancelled unless approved by the bank.

Cheque Writing – Numeral and Word Conversion Guide

The cheque amount must be filled out in both figures (Arabic numerals) and words (Chinese or English). Both must be completely identical, otherwise, the bank will return the cheque.

How to Write the Amount in Figures:

Write Arabic numerals to the right of the “HK$” sign.
If the amount involves decimals, fill in two decimal places completely, e.g., HK$1,234.56.
For whole numbers, add “.00” after the amount, e.g., HK$10,000.00.
Draw a horizontal line from the end of the numbers to the edge of the field.

How to Write the Amount in Words:

The drawer can choose to write in either Chinese or English, as both methods are acceptable, but it must strictly match the amount in figures.

Chinese:

Write in standard print or cursive script.
Add “正” or “整” at the end of whole number amounts.
Express decimals using “元”, “角”, and “分”.
Write immediately after the word “港幣”, leaving no empty spaces.

English:

Capitalise the first letter of each main word.
Add “Only” at the end of whole number amounts.
Connect decimal amounts with “and Cents”.
Use hyphens for compound numbers from 21 to 99.

Numeral and Word Conversion Table:

Arabic Numerals	Chinese Words	English Words
0	零	Zero
1	壹	One
2	貳	Two
3	叁	Three
4	肆	Four
5	伍	Five
6	陸	Six
7	柒	Seven
8	捌	Eight
9	玖	Nine
10	拾	Ten
100	壹佰	One Hundred
1,000	壹仟	One Thousand
10,000	壹萬	Ten Thousand
100,000	拾萬	One Hundred Thousand
1,000,000	壹佰萬	One Million

Common Amount Examples:

Amount	Chinese Words	English Words
HK$100.00	壹佰元正	One Hundred Dollars Only
HK$1,234.56	壹仟貳佰叁拾肆元伍角陸分	One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty Four Dollars and Cents Fifty Six Only
HK$10,000.00	壹萬元正	Ten Thousand Dollars Only
HK$100,000.00	拾萬元正	One Hundred Thousand Dollars Only
HK$1,000,000.00	壹佰萬元正	One Million Dollars Only

For convenience, there are many cheque amount converter tools available on the market. You simply input the Arabic numerals, and they will automatically convert into Chinese and English words, reducing the chance of errors.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need to write a cheque?

In Hong Kong, cheques are still widely used for multiple occasions, particularly for large transactions or when a formal payment proof is needed. This includes property transactions (paying deposits, down payments, and rent deposits), commercial dealings (supplier payments and service fees), government services (applying for Home Ownership Scheme, rates, and licenses), securities trading (subscribing to IPOs and funds), and large personal transactions like buying cars or paying school and medical fees. They are also highly reliable for postal remittances and can be issued to individuals under 18 (by writing the minor’s name along with a parent’s name so it can be deposited into the parent’s account). Note that to write a cheque, you must first open a Current Account with a bank.

How should I write a cheque if the amount has decimals?

If the cheque amount involves decimals, you must fill it out correctly in both figures and words. For the numerical part, write the complete Arabic numerals including two decimal places (e.g., HK$1,945.86, not HK$1,945.8 or HK$1,946). If using Chinese, separate the whole number and decimals with “元”, and express decimals in “角” (0.1 Dollars) and “分” (0.01 Dollars), for example, 壹仟玖佰肆拾伍元捌角陸分. If using English, first write the English numbers for the whole amount followed by “Dollars”, connect the decimal part with “and”, place the numbers after the word “Cents”, and end with “Only”, for example, One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty Five Dollars and Cents Eighty Six Only.

Can I alter the date or amount written on a cheque if I make a mistake?

The date on a cheque can be altered, but the drawer must sign directly next to the amendment to confirm the change. However, the cheque amount cannot be changed under any circumstances once written; if the amount is altered, the cheque will automatically be considered invalid.

Can a crossed cheque be used to withdraw cash?

No, a crossed cheque can only be used for bank transfers and cannot be cashed out directly at a bank counter. The bearer must deposit the cheque into their bank account. This provides a clear transaction record and prevents funds from being fraudulently claimed if the cheque is lost or stolen.