How to Pay Off Bad Checks

If you have written checks without enough money in your checking account to cover them, those checks are returned to the depositing parties showing that there are insufficient funds to cover the payments. When this happens, you need to pay off these bad checks to the parties to whom you owe the money. You can pay off bad checks with some cash in about two hours.

Scan your bank statements for any checks that were denied processing due to you having insufficient funds in your checking account. Make a list of these checks on a sheet of paper.

Look at the check registry for your checking account for the payment amounts that were rejected for insufficient funds and the names of the parties to whom the checks were written. Make note of these on the list you created in Step 1.

Check the receipts for your purchases from these parties for the names and addresses of the businesses to whom you wrote bad checks. Address envelopes with stamps to each of the parties for whom you need to pay off bad checks.

Go to a local financial institution or check cashing store that sells money orders or cashier's checks and purchase a money order or cashier's check with cash for each of the parties to whom you owe money. When you have written bad checks to parties, proper etiquette is to replace those checks in a timely fashion with money orders or cashier's checks, official forms of payment. Address the money orders or cashier's checks to their corresponding parties.

Make photocopies of each of the receipts for the products or services for which you still owe money.

Write letters to each of the parties to whom you wrote bad checks, addressing each letter to the business and indicating that the enclosed money order or cashier's check is for payment for the enclosed receipt. Write that the original check you wrote was returned to the party because your bank account had insufficient funds to cover the payment. Write that you are asking the business to accept the enclosed money order or cashier's check as payment for the bill of sale. Provide your contact address and phone number in case the party has any questions and sign the letter.

Place each letter with its corresponding money order or cashier's check and receipt copy in the addressed envelope. Seal the envelopes and mail the letters.