Source Technologies 1352 MICR 40 manual Account Title, Memo Line, Check Serial Number, MICR Line

Section 3: MICR Check Design

Account Title

The account title is normally printed in the upper left corner of the check. It includes the name of the account holder and other information such as addresses, telephone numbers, and logos. The data in the title should be legible and sufficiently complete so that if the MICR data account number is destroyed, the drawee institution can refer to the account title in order to trace the account number.

Memo Line

This line is located in the lower left quadrant of the check, and is not required. Data printed here does not contain any legal significance. Printing in this area with magnetic toner should not extend downward into the MICR clear band which is 5/8ths of an inch above the bottom of the check.

Check Serial Number

The check serial number is generally printed in the upper right quadrant of the check. Although the check number is not required for the check to be negotiable, the account holder and financial institution use these numbers to reconcile statements and stop payments. The check serial number should also appear a second time in the MICR line, and these numbers should match. The number of digits in the check serial number is controlled by the financial institution and the MICR line format. Consult your banking institution for their requirements.

Fractional Routing Number

The fractional routing number should be printed in a fractional format in the upper right quadrant of the check. This number is assigned to identify the Federal Reserve District and drawee institution. Consult with your bank for the proper routing number and format for each of your accounts.

MICR Line

Accurate high-speed processing of your checks by financial institutions is enabled by the accuracy and integrity of the data in the MICR line. Refer to figure 3.1 for the location of the following MICR line fields. The MICR line is read from right to left with position one being the right most position proceeding to position sixty-five on the left. The MICR line must be printed at exactly eight characters per inch.

Auxiliary On-Us Field Positions 65 to 45

This field usually contains the check serial number for commercial size checks and possibly account control information. It is bounded by On-Us symbols. (;). It is not included on personal, small size checks.

External Processing Code (EPC) Field Position 44

This one digit field is position 44 of the MICR line. This field is usually left blank. The use of this field is controlled by the ASC X9B Standards Committee.

Secure MICR Printer User’s Guide July 2003

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