Cheque Cancellation / Stop Payment Letter
Issued by an account holder to their bank to stop payment on a cheque that has been lost, stolen, damaged, or is no longer required. UAE banks require a formal written request for stop payment.
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What is Cheque Cancellation / Stop Payment Letter?
Generate a cheque cancellation / stop payment letter for UAE banks. Stop payment on lost, stolen, or unused cheques at Emirates NBD, Mashreq, ADCB and other UAE banks.
When do you need it?
Issued by an account holder to their bank to stop payment on a cheque that has been lost, stolen, damaged, or is no longer required. UAE banks require a formal written request for stop payment.
What should this document include?
- • Bank Name
- • Branch Name
- • Account Name
- • Account Number
- • IBAN
- • Cheque Number
- • Cheque Date
- • Cheque Amount (AED)
- • Payee Name
- • Reason for Cancellation
- • Detailed Explanation
- • Account Holder Name
- • Account Holder Position
- • Contact Phone
- • Contact Email
- • Letter Date
How to prepare and submit this document
- 1 Report the loss or theft to police if applicable. If the cheque was stolen, file a police report first. UAE banks require a police report number for stolen cheques — without it, they may refuse the stop payment request.
- 2 Fill in the exact cheque details. Enter the cheque number, date, amount in AED, payee name, and your account number exactly as they appear on the cheque. A single digit error in the cheque number means the bank cannot locate the cheque to stop it.
- 3 State the reason clearly. Choose the correct reason: lost, stolen, damaged, or no longer required. The reason affects the bank's processing — stolen cheques trigger fraud alerts, while unused cheques are simpler to cancel.
- 4 Submit to your bank branch and get confirmation. Visit your bank branch with the letter and your Emirates ID. Ask for a written confirmation or reference number. The stop payment is active until you revoke it in writing — it does not expire automatically.
Common mistakes that get this document rejected
- ✕ Stopping payment on a cheque that has already been presented and cleared — the 6-month presentment window starts from the cheque date, and once cleared, it cannot be reversed
- ✕ Not getting a police report for stolen cheques — the bank will treat it as a civil dispute and may not act
- ✕ Assuming the stop payment expires after 6 months — the 6-month rule is the cheque presentment window, not the stop payment validity; the instruction stays active until you revoke it
- ✕ Stopping payment in bad faith to avoid a legitimate debt — this remains a criminal offence in the UAE even after the 2022 bounced-cheque decriminalisation
Frequently asked questions
How long does a stop payment instruction last?
Indefinitely, until you revoke it in writing. The 6-month period often quoted is the cheque presentment window (how long the cheque is valid for payment from its date), not the duration of the stop payment instruction.
Can I stop payment on a cheque I issued but no longer want to honor?
Only if the cheque is lost, stolen, or damaged. Stopping payment on a validly issued cheque to avoid a debt is considered bad faith and can lead to criminal charges under UAE law, even though bounced cheques themselves were decriminalized in 2022.
What happens if someone tries to cash a stopped cheque?
The bank will reject it and return it marked "payment stopped." If the payee presents it knowing payment was stopped, they may face fraud charges. If the payee did not know, they can still pursue you for the underlying debt through civil courts.