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Can you fax a cheque?
You can fax an image of a cheque, but it cannot be cashed or deposited: a faxed cheque is a copy, not a negotiable instrument under Canadian payment rules. What Canadians actually fax every day, quite legitimately, is a void cheque so an employer or landlord can set up deposits or withdrawals. Sendafax.ca put together this guide to explain why the real cheque still matters, when faxing a void cheque is expected, and how to send banking details without putting them at risk.
Get Started NowWhy you cannot deposit a faxed cheque
In Canada, cheque clearing runs under rules set by Payments Canada, and only the original item or a qualifying electronic image created within the banking system can move money. A fax produced on office equipment sits outside that system: it lacks the original signature, the magnetic ink encoding along the bottom, and the security features in genuine cheque stock.
If someone faxes you a cheque, you hold evidence that a cheque exists and nothing more. To be paid, you need the paper original to deposit at a branch or ATM, or the payer can issue an Interac e-Transfer or direct deposit instead.
Mobile deposit does not change the fax answer
Canadian banks let you deposit a cheque by photographing it in their own mobile app, which may make a faxed image seem equivalent. It is not. Mobile deposit captures the original cheque in your possession, through your own bank's controlled channel, creating an image that qualifies for clearing.
A fax is a second-hand reproduction at degraded resolution, transmitted outside any bank's systems. No Canadian financial institution will accept one for deposit, by fax, scan, or printout of a fax.
When to fax a cheque: void cheques and PAD agreements
The legitimate case is common. Employers ask for a void cheque to set up payroll direct deposit, landlords and gyms attach one to pre-authorized debit agreements, and the CRA and utilities use banking details from one for direct deposit and payments. The void cheque simply shows your institution, transit, and account numbers in a verifiable format.
Write VOID in large letters across the face before copying, and never sign it. A void cheque cannot be cashed, but the numbers on it identify your account, so treat the fax with the same care as the chequebook.
Security tips for faxing banking details
Fax is point-to-point over the telephone network, which is part of why financial offices still trust it. Most of the risk sits at the two endpoints, and a few habits remove most of it.
- Phone the recipient to confirm the fax number before sending; one wrong digit sends your account details to a stranger's machine.
- Add a cover page marked confidential so pages are not left exposed in a shared office tray.
- Confirm receipt and keep your transmission record in case the paperwork is disputed later.
- Never fax a signed blank cheque or your full chequebook details; a void cheque carries everything a PAD form needs.
- Prefer a service with encryption and delivery receipts over a public machine at a copy centre.
Faxing a void cheque from your browser
You do not need to find a machine. With FaxToFax.com you photograph the void cheque, upload the JPG, PNG, or PDF in any computer or phone browser, and send it to your employer's fax number. Transmission is encrypted with TLS 1.2+, documents are encrypted at rest, and a time-stamped delivery receipt is saved with every delivered fax, with an append-only audit log behind it. The service is built with PIPEDA and PHIPA in mind, which matters when the fax is going to a payroll office or clinic.
The first month costs $4.99, then $18.99 per month for 200 pages, with Canadian local or toll-free numbers available and online cancellation any time. For the handful of banking faxes most people send a year, sendafax.ca considers it the safest and simplest route.
Can You Fax a Cheque? Rules for Canadian Banking: questions
Can you fax a cheque to someone so they can deposit it?
No. A faxed cheque image is not a negotiable item under Canadian clearing rules, and no bank will deposit it. The payee needs the original paper cheque, or payment by e-Transfer or direct deposit instead.
Can I fax a void cheque for direct deposit?
Yes, this is standard practice. Employers, landlords, and companies setting up pre-authorized debits routinely accept a faxed void cheque because it shows your institution, transit, and account numbers clearly. Mark it VOID and leave it unsigned.
Why do banks accept photographed cheques but not faxed ones?
Mobile deposit images are captured from the original cheque inside your own bank's app, meeting standards that let them clear through the payments system. A fax is an uncontrolled copy made outside that system, so it does not qualify.
Is it safe to fax a cheque image in Canada?
Reasonably, if you are careful. Fax travels point-to-point over the phone network, so the main risks are a misdialled number and pages sitting on a shared machine. Confirm the number by phone, use a confidential cover page, and keep your delivery receipt.
How do I fax a void cheque without a fax machine?
Use a browser-based service. With FaxToFax.com you upload a photo or PDF of the void cheque from your phone or computer, enter the recipient's fax number, and send; a time-stamped delivery receipt is saved once it is delivered.
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