HKD amounts in words: examples
Monthly rent
HKD 18,500.00
Eighteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars Only
Open this amount in the converter →A bill with cents
HKD 1,945.86
One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty Five Dollars And Eighty Six Cents Only
Open this amount in the converter →A property deposit
HKD 250,000.00
Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars Only
Open this amount in the converter →In English, end with “Only” and capitalise each word, as the converter does. You may also see cents written as “and Cents Eighty Six Only”. In Chinese, write the amount straight after 港幣 with formal numerals, for example HK$1,945.86 is 壹仟玖佰肆拾伍元捌角陸分, and a whole-dollar amount ends with 正 or 整.
Step by step: a Hong Kong cheque
- Date: local banks use day/month/year. Some US-affiliated banks print month/day/year, so read the label on your own cheque.
- Pay: the payee’s full name or company name as it appears on their account, no abbreviations.
- Or bearer (或持票人): strike it out so only the named payee can collect.
- Amount in words: English or formal Chinese numerals (see below), starting right after the printed “Hong Kong Dollars” / 港幣.
- HK$ box: figures with two decimals, e.g. 18,500.00, then a line to the edge of the box.
- Signature: bottom right, matching the bank’s records. Company cheques usually also need the company chop.
Writing the amount in Chinese
Use the formal (大寫) numerals, which are hard to alter: 壹 貳 叁 肆 伍 陸 柒 捌 玖 拾, with 佰, 仟, 萬 and 億 for hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands and hundred-millions. Dollars are 元 (preferred to 圓), ten-cent units are 角 and cents are 分.
For a whole-dollar amount, finish with 正 or 整 and do not add 零角零分. Write 叁, not 參, and leave no gap after 港幣. Note that Chinese groups large numbers in ten-thousands (萬), so HK$250,000 is 貳拾伍萬元正, not “two hundred and fifty thousand”.
Crossing, alterations and validity
Two parallel lines across the top-left corner make the cheque “crossed”: it can only be paid into a bank account, not cashed at the counter. Adding “Account Payee” or “Not Negotiable Account Payee” between the lines restricts it to the payee’s own account. Once crossed, a cheque cannot be uncrossed without the bank’s approval.
If you change the date or payee, sign next to the change. The amount is different: banks treat an altered amount as invalid, so write a new cheque instead. Hong Kong banks generally refuse cheques more than six months after the date written on them.
e-Cheques
Hong Kong banks also issue e-Cheques, which are PDF cheques sent by email. The HKMA asks you to get the payee’s agreement and correct email address before sending one, and payees must deposit them (online or through the e-Cheque Drop Box) within six months of the cheque date. Don’t print an e-Cheque and take it to a branch; it won’t be accepted as a paper cheque.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write a Hong Kong cheque in Chinese?
Yes. Write the amount in formal Chinese numerals straight after 港幣 and end a whole-dollar amount with 正 or 整. English is equally valid.
How long is a cheque valid in Hong Kong?
Banks generally treat a cheque as stale six months after the date written on it and may refuse to pay it. e-Cheques also have to be deposited within six months.
Can I correct a mistake on a Hong Kong cheque?
A changed date or payee can be countersigned by the drawer, but an altered amount makes the cheque invalid. Cancel it and write a new one.
What does crossing a cheque do in Hong Kong?
A crossed cheque can only be deposited into a bank account, not cashed. “Account Payee” crossings restrict it further to the named payee’s account.
Sources
Rules change, and banks can apply stricter practices than the law requires. Check with your bank before relying on a detail for a large or time-sensitive payment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.