Overview

With the introduction of Cheque Imagine and Truncation System in 2006, LankaPay replaced the previous time consuming and tedious physical cheque clearing system with an image based cheque clearing system bringing down the clearing cycle to the next business day (T+ 1 clearing). With that Sri Lanka became the first in South Asia and second in the world to adopt such an advanced cheque clearing system in the world.

With CITS, LankaPay turned around the previous process where the physical cheque needed to be transported from place to place which took nearly 5 to 7 days for a cheque to be realized.

Member Banks

• Amana Bank PLC
• Bank of Ceylon
• Bank of China Ltd
• Cargills Bank Ltd
• Central Bank of Sri Lanka
• Citibank N.A.
• Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC
• Deutsche Bank AG
• DFCC Bank PLC
• Habib Bank Ltd
• Hatton National Bank PLC
• Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd
• Indian Bank
• Indian Overseas Bank
• MCB Bank Ltd
• National Development Bank PLC
• Nations Trust Bank PLC
• Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC
• People's Bank
• Public Bank Berhad
• Sampath Bank PLC
• Seylan Bank PLC
• Standard Chartered Bank
• State Bank of India
• Union Bank of Colombo PLC

Useful Tips When Writing Cheques

• Always write legibly or print your cheques on a cheque writer to prevent unauthorized alterations.
• Write the amount of the cheque in figures as close as possible to the ‘Rs’ sign
• It is a good practice to include the word ‘’only’’ after the amount in words.
• Draw a line through all unused space after the payee’s name, the amount in words and figures.
• Ensure that you write the name of the payee clearly and correctly as close as possible to the word ‘pay’.
• If you are drawing a cheque payable to bank, always make sure that you provide sufficient details of the payee.(Eg : ABC Bank Card Center , Card no xxxx,xxxx,xxxx,xxxx)
• If you want to make an amendment, you may do so by crossing through the error and thereafter, authenticating it by placing your signature.
• Never sign blank cheques.
• Report any misuse of cheques to your bank immediately.
• Use cheque book counterfoils to record details of cheques issued.
• Keep your cheque book in a safe place and do not keep a specimen of your signature with it.
• Keep the cheques clean and tidy to ensure the smooth processing a cheque clearing.
• Do not write anything on the lower part of the cheque to word covering MICR font.
• Use dark and non-erasable ink to write or print cheques.

FAQs

1. Why is there a single size for personal and corporate cheques within CITS?
With the implementation of the Cheque Imaging and Truncation System (CITS), all cheques are transmitted by image. Therefore, submission of difference sizes of cheque are immaterial in the cheque verification process. .

2. Can I use rubber stamps for "account payee”?
To ensure that all elements of the cheque are captured during the scanning process do not place stamps across the face of the cheque as the Payee, cheque amount and signature must be fully legible on the image as well.

3. What can I do if I misplace a cheque/ representable cheque rerun notification (CRN)?
Contact your bank immediately and instruct them to stop payment.

4. How long does it take to realize a cheque?
From the time a cheque image reaches LankaPay from banks, it is processed within one business day, so that that cheque could be realized on the next working day.

5. Can I write a cheque in my native language?
In Sri Lanka, cheques written in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages are considered valid.

6. What are the Dos and Don’ts related to cheques?

• Please do not write cheques with pencils
• Do not fold the cheque
• Do not write anything on the MICR line
• Do not keep signed blank cheques
• Please keep the cheque book in a safe place
• Always use the counterfoil to write the details of the cheque for later reference
• Carryout regular bank reconciliations to keep a proper track of the issued cheques

7. How can I get a certified image of a cheque?
Contact your bank immediately and request for a certified image from LankaPay

8. Is a certified image of a cheque accepted -under court of law?
Yes

9. Can a private sector customer draw a check value over Rs.100Mn?
Private sector customer cannot draw a cheque value equal or over Rs.100Mn. An exception has been given only to cheques drawn by Government Departments

10. In what circumstances can a cheque be dishonored/returned?
A cheque can be returned due to multiple reasons. Below are the return codes and the corresponding reasons.

11. How do I issue a cheque to pay someone?
Write the full name of the payee as per payee's bank records on the 'Pay' line. Cross out the 'Bearer' word on the cheque and double cross on the top left corner of the cheque if it has to be paid only to the said payee.

12. Can I present a torn or damaged CRN?
No. You should ask the drawer for a new cheque.

13. What should I do if I have misplaced or lost CRN that can be presented?
CRN is a substitute of the dishonored cheque, you should treat a misplaced or lost CRN as if it were a lost cheque. You should ask the drawer for a new cheque. Also, drawer should also place stop payment instructions for the lost cheque.

14. If a CRN that is presented and returned, will the same CRN be used again?
A new CRN will be issued for each return of the same cheque. Hence, if a CRN is presented and subsequently returned, another CRN will be generated stating new return reason.