Recently, while at a casa de cambio (money exchange house) in downtown Guadalajara, I began writing a personal U.S. check and accidentally wrote the date and amount in Spanish.
The clerk assured me, “No problem. U.S. banks accept checks written in Spanish.” However, in Mexico, checks must be written in Spanish — English or any other language isn’t accepted.
At this newspaper, we often receive checks for advertising payments and encounter common errors from expats who haven’t quite mastered writing checks in Spanish. Here’s a helpful guide to avoid mistakes and save yourself the hassle of redoing checks.
1. The Date
Remember, Mexico follows the Day-Month-Year format (e.g., March 2, 2013, would be written as 2-3-13). In Spanish, the date would be written as 2 de marzo de 2013.
2. Postdated Checks
Don’t assume banks will respect a postdated check. If you need the check cashed after a specific date, attach a note with a clip stating when the check may be deposited.
3. No Staples
Banks are strict about torn or punctured checks because of check-reading machines. Avoid stapling notes to checks, or they may be rejected.
4. Payee Name
Write the full, correct name of the person or business. For example:
José Luis Pérez Martínez (both first and last names).
Promotor Cultural GDL Chapala S.A. de C.V. — without the S.A. de C.V., the bank may reject the check.
5. Amount in Numbers
For amounts over a million pesos, use an apostrophe after the million and a comma for the thousands (e.g., 1’000,000.00). Always use a period before the centavos (e.g., 1’000,000.00). Do not use “/100” or write words like pesos, MX, or MN in the numbers section.
6. Amount in Words
Use Un before amounts like one million (un millón) or one thousand (un mil) pesos to prevent fraud.
For 100 pesos, write cien pesos. For amounts over 100, the word changes (e.g., ciento diez pesos for 110 pesos or doscientos diez pesos for 210 pesos).
Write the word pesos after the amount and before the centavos (e.g., $1,191.99 becomes un mil ciento noventa y un pesos 99/100).
Avoid writing Mil, Cien pesos followed by a line and xx; this is not acceptable. Instead, draw a line after the 00/100 or centavos amount.
Tip: Keep a chart of Mexican number words handy. Some tricky numbers are:
500 pesos = quinientos pesos (not cinco cientos pesos).
900 pesos = novecientos pesos (not nueve cientos pesos).
A useful list can be found here: spanish.cl/vocabulary/notes/numeros.
7. The Signature
Sign your check exactly as the bank has your signature registered; otherwise, it may be rejected.
8. Mistakes
If you make an error, cancel the check and write a new one. Banks will likely reject a corrected check, causing inconvenience for you and the payee.
9. Avoid Overwriting Numbers
Don’t sign or mark over the numbers printed at the bottom of the check, as these need to be machine-read.
By keeping these guidelines in mind, you can avoid common pitfalls and ensure your checks are processed smoothly in Mexico.