In January 2005, the Canadian Payments Association (CPA) published a new Canadian standard for cheque formats and printing specifications called Standard 006. The new cheque specifications have been developed to ensure images of a consistently good quality can be captured from cheques for clearing and delivery to all Canadian banking customers, and to enhance cheque processing efficiency.

Compliant Cheques

Scotiabank, along with other financial institutions, is providing a transition period until September 2, 2008 to process “old format” business cheques. To accommodate order cycles, we recommend that business cheque orders submitted meet the new specifications. This will also allow you to take advantage of image-based banking services that will be introduced over the remainder of this year and beyond.

The New Specifications at a Glance

1. The date field appears in one of three formats with date field indicators printed below the date field line:
   
   
   • YYYYMMDD (Bilingual date field indicators are accommodated for cheques using the international date format)
   • MMDDYYYY
   • DDMMYYYY
     
     
2. The minimum length of cheques increases to 6.25”, or 15.88 cm.
   
   
3. Positions for key fields on the cheque, such as the date field, are standardized.
   
   
4. Security features must not interfere with key areas of interest prior to or post imaging. In particular, a VOID pantograph must not be visible on images captured from original cheques.
   
   
5. A serial number in the MICR line is mandatory and the MICR encoding area is kept clear.

Note:
Always fill out your new cheques using black or blue ink. Red ink will not appear on the image of a cheque.

How This Affects You

• If you ordered cheques after April 2005 from Scotiabank or Davis + Henderson, our preferred cheque service provider, your cheques already meet the new standard.
  
  
• To order compliant cheques from Davis + Henderson, call 1-866-628-5878.

If you print your own cheques or prefer to use your own cheque supplier:

• Visit www.cdnpay.ca to view the CPA Standard 006 requirements to ensure your next cheque order is compliant.
  
  
• Submit 10 samples of your new printed, but unpopulated, cheque stock to your Scotiabank branch for imageability testing before bulk stock is ordered.

See our Quick Reference Card for a summary of the key changes.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Scotiabank representative.