New Specifications for Business Cheques in Canada

The Canadian Payments Association (CPA) is a federally regulated association legislated to establish, operate and control the Canadian cheque clearing system. The CPA has instituted changes to the format of business cheques issued in Canada and strongly recommends that all cheques comply with these new standards by September 2nd, 2008.

Background

The new cheque specifications are a key part of an industry-wide plan to modernize Canada’s cheque clearing system and transition to image-based clearing. The new specifications are designed to ensure that high-quality images can be captured from the cheques for use by financial institutions and businesses to make cheque processing more efficient.

Are your Business Cheques Compliant?

If you have ordered cheques through Meridian [supplied by Davis + Henderson] since April 2005 your cheques already meet the new standards and will not need to be replaced. However, if you have obtained cheque supplies from another source, print cheques in-house or are unsure if they meet the new CPA Standards - compare your cheques to this sample of a compliant cheque.

If the cheque features do not match, contact your local branch and we'll assist you in replacing your cheques through our supplier.

Cheques and Accounting Software

If you use financial accounting software to print cheques, you may need to modify your software or obtain a new version once the software provider has updated the package to reflect the new cheque specifications.

Contact your accounting software provider to make certain their products are in compliance with the new CPA specifications. A complete list of compliant software is available on the CPA website.

Helpful Links

Canadian Payment Association - www.cdnpay.ca
- Cheques & Accounting Software
- Business Cheque specifications
   
Davis + Henderson - www.dhltd.com

We're Here to Help

If you have further questions about the new cheque standards you can visit your local branch for assistance.