How to Stop Payment on a Cheque in Canada: Fees at 4 Big Banks
You wrote a cheque and now want it stopped because it was lost, it has an error, or the deal fell through. Whether that works, and what it costs, depends on timing, the details you give and how you ask.
- Fees checked November 6, 2026
- By Krish Paul
- 7 min read
On this page
- The short answer
- Stop payment fees at the big banks
- What you need before you ask
- Worked example: three post-dated rent cheques
- Stale-dated cheques: the six-month rule
- Post-dated cheques cashed too early
- Stopping a cheque does not cancel what you owe
- How to stop a cheque, step by step
- Frequently asked questions
Below are the stop payment fees at RBC, TD, Scotiabank and CIBC, taken from their own fee pages, plus the rules for stale-dated and post-dated cheques.
The short answer
You can ask your bank to stop payment on a cheque you wrote, as long as it has not been cashed yet. Have the cheque number, the exact amount, the payee's name and the date on the cheque ready. At the big banks the fee is $0 to $30 per request, and asking online is never more expensive than asking in a branch.
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) says not every financial institution offers stop payments and you usually pay a fee. A stop payment is a request, not a guarantee. If the cheque is cashed before your bank processes it, you are still responsible for the amount.
Stop payment fees at the big banks
| Bank | Online or app | Branch or phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RBC | $12.50 | $12.50 | One fee per request; some premium packages are free |
| TD | $12.50 | $25.00 | EasyWeb or TD app, or a branch or EasyLine agent |
| Scotiabank | $0.00 | $30.00 | Digital self-serve versus an assisted request |
| CIBC | $12.50 | $12.50 | $20.00 if full details are not provided |
Fees per request from each bank's own fee page, checked November 6, 2026 (TD's schedule is effective March 5, 2026). RBC and CIBC list one fee with no channel split. We could not access BMO's current fee booklet, so BMO is not listed.
The channel matters most at Scotiabank and TD. Placing the stop yourself in the app saves $30.00 at Scotiabank and $12.50 at TD compared with asking an agent. RBC exempts a few packages from the fee, including Private Banking and the Ratelink Essential arrangement. The fees at TD and CIBC cover pre-authorized debits as well as cheques.
CIBC's fee goes up in January
CIBC charges $12.50 when you give full details and $20.00 when you do not. From January 16, 2027, those become $15.00 and $25.00, increases of 20% and 25%. CIBC also charges $3.50 to stop an Interac e-Transfer.
One exception sits in CIBC's footnotes. Recurring payments set up with your CIBC Advantage Debit Card details are not covered by its stop payment service. You have to tell the merchant to stop charging you, and CIBC says it may be able to work with Visa to request a refund if that fails.
What you need before you ask
The FCAC lists four details your bank will want:
- the cheque number
- the amount in dollars and cents
- the name of the payee on the cheque
- the date on the cheque
Get these right. The FCAC says a stop payment can fail when the bank has incomplete or wrong information about the amount, the date or the payee. TD's account terms go further: TD is not responsible for the stop if you gave incorrect information, left out information it asked for, or the payment was already final.
Before you pay a fee, look at your account history. If the cheque has already cleared, a stop payment will not bring the money back.
Worked example: three post-dated rent cheques
Say you gave your landlord post-dated cheques, moved out early, and agreed that the last three will not be cashed. To be safe, you stop all three. Here is what that costs if each cheque counts as a separate request.
| Bank | Three stops online | Three stops by branch or phone |
|---|---|---|
| RBC | $37.50 | $37.50 |
| TD | $37.50 | $75.00 |
| Scotiabank | $0.00 | $90.00 |
| CIBC, until January 15, 2027 | $37.50 | $37.50 |
| CIBC, from January 16, 2027 | $45.00 | $45.00 |
Hypothetical example using the full-details fee for each cheque. Ask your bank whether it treats a series of cheques as one request, which would cut the cost.
The gap between the cheapest and dearest option is $90.00 for the same three cheques. Placing the stops yourself online is the simplest saving.
Stale-dated cheques: the six-month rule
The FCAC says banks usually treat a cheque as stale-dated after six months and do not have to cash it. Payments Canada adds an important detail: stale-dated means old, not invalid. A bank may still honour the cheque, it just has no obligation to.
Some items never go stale. Certified cheques, Government of Canada cheques, money orders and bank drafts do not stale-date. Cheques from provincial governments are treated like regular cheques and may be considered stale after six months.
So a cheque you wrote on May 6, 2026 reaches six months on November 6, 2026, but it can still be cashed after that. If you have since spent the money, the FCAC suggests keeping track of uncashed cheques so you can cover them and avoid NSF fees. If you do not want an old cheque paid, stop it.
Writing "void after 30 days" on a cheque is not a reliable shortcut. Payments Canada says financial institutions are not obligated to follow conditional statements on cheques, though some offer it as a service.
Post-dated cheques cashed too early
A post-dated cheque should not be deposited before its date, but Payments Canada says some slip through automated processing. If that happens, your bank can return the cheque up to and including the day before the date on it.
Take a cheque dated Tuesday, December 1, 2026 that the payee deposits on Friday, November 20. You would need to contact your bank by Monday, November 30. The FCAC says to ask your bank to put the money back and to make the request before the date on the cheque.
Stopping a cheque does not cancel what you owe
A stop payment blocks one way of paying. It does not settle the debt behind it.
- Tell the payeePayments Canada says a returned cheque cannot be deposited again, so the payee has to ask you for payment another way.
- Arrange a new paymentIf you still owe the money, pay by e-Transfer, a new cheque or another agreed method.
- If the stop failedThe FCAC says you are still responsible for the cheque. Ask the payee to return the money.
How to stop a cheque, step by step
- Check your account. Confirm the cheque has not already cleared.
- Gather the four details. Cheque number, exact amount, payee name and the date written on the cheque.
- Use the cheapest channel. At Scotiabank and TD, placing the stop online or in the app costs less than a branch or phone request.
- Keep a record. Save the confirmation or reference number, and note the fee charged.
- Contact the payee. Explain the stop and agree how they will be paid, if you still owe them.
- Ask about the fee if the stop failed. The FCAC says some institutions may reimburse the fee for an unsuccessful stop payment. If your bank will not help, use its complaint process.
If the problem is a pre-authorized debit that has already come out, see our guide to reversing a pre-authorized debit. For an Interac payment sent in error, see getting back an e-Transfer sent to the wrong person.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop payment on a cheque in Canada?
Contact your bank before the cheque is cashed and give the cheque number, the exact amount in dollars and cents, the payee’s name and the date on the cheque. Some banks let you do it in online banking or the app, which can cost less than a branch or phone request.
How much does it cost to stop a cheque?
On November 6, 2026, the fee for one request was $12.50 at RBC, $12.50 online or $25.00 in a branch or by phone at TD, $0.00 online or $30.00 assisted at Scotiabank, and $12.50 at CIBC with full details or $20.00 without. CIBC’s fees rise to $15.00 and $25.00 on January 16, 2027.
Can I stop a cheque that has already been cashed?
Usually not. The FCAC says your bank needs time to process a stop payment before someone cashes the cheque, and if the stop does not work you are still responsible for the amount. Your option then is to ask the payee to give the money back.
Does a cheque expire after six months in Canada?
Not exactly. Banks usually treat a cheque as stale-dated after six months and do not have to cash it, but Payments Canada says they may still honour it. Certified cheques, Government of Canada cheques, money orders and bank drafts do not stale-date.
What if someone deposits my post-dated cheque early?
Contact your bank before the date written on the cheque. Payments Canada says your bank can return the cheque up to and including the day before its date, and the FCAC says you must ask before that date.
Does writing void after 30 days on a cheque work?
Not reliably. Payments Canada says financial institutions are not obligated to follow conditional statements like that, although some offer it as a service. If you want a cheque stopped, ask your bank for a stop payment.
- Sources, checked November 6, 2026: FCAC: Paying by cheque (modified 2026-03-12); Payments Canada: Issuing or receiving cheques; RBC: Stop Payment Service Charges; TD: About Our Accounts and Related Services (effective March 5, 2026); TD: Financial Services Terms (effective August 10, 2026), section 2.6; Scotiabank: Bank account fees; CIBC: Banking fees and service charges, stop payment table and footnote 5.
- Method: Three-cheque totals were calculated in Python by multiplying each fee by three and re-checked by summing three single fees. CIBC increases are (15.00 minus 12.50) divided by 12.50 and (25.00 minus 20.00) divided by 20.00. Dates were checked against a calendar in Python.
Important: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Fees change, packaged accounts may include free stop payments, and credit unions set their own fees. Gizly is not paid by any bank mentioned here. See our affiliate disclosure.
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How this page was made: Gizly uses AI tools to help research and draft its guides. Krish Paul, the editor, is responsible for what Gizly publishes. Spot an error? Tell us and we will fix it.
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