CPA Compliant Cheques

At Print & Cheques Now Inc (Formerly Cheques Now / Cheques Direct Ltd) we ensure that all cheques we manufacture are guaranteed to be 100% CPA 2006 compliant.

To increase your comfort in dealing with our company, we are proud to be one of only a few printers in Canada who are members of the Payments Canada (formerly Canadian Payments Association) “Cheque Printer Self Accreditation (CPSA) Program”. You can view the Payments Canada self-accredited cheque printer directory.

Our Printer ID with the CPA is #1010 as found on their website.

Want the full specification? Payments Canada publishes the official cheque printer guide.

Payments Canada Cheque Printer Guide

If you have any additional questions about our compliance, please contact us directly at
1-866-760-2661.

What Makes a Cheque CPA Compliant?

CPA-compliant cheques are printed to the Canadian Payments Association (now Payments Canada) cheque specification, Standard 006. That standard governs the physical details a cheque needs to clear reliably through Canada’s banking system. Cheques that do not meet Standard 006 can be misread or rejected by bank scanners.

Standard 006 sets out the specifics that let automated clearing equipment read a cheque every time:

• MICR encoding line — the magnetic numbers along the bottom, printed in the exact font, size, and position the banking system reads.
• Magnetic toner and ink — the MICR line is printed with magnetic material so high-speed sorters can capture it.
• Paper stock and weight — cheque stock that meets the standard’s thickness and durability so it feeds through readers without jamming.
• The clear band — the reserved strip across the bottom that stays free of printing so the MICR line scans cleanly.
• Field layout and positioning — date, payee, amount, signature, and account fields placed exactly where the standard requires.

Who Needs CPA-Compliant Cheques

Any organization that issues cheques in Canada benefits from compliant stock, but it matters most for those paying in volume — companies running accounts payable and payroll, accountants and bookkeepers issuing cheques on behalf of clients, law firms handling trust and disbursement accounts, and non-profits managing grants and reimbursements. In every case the cheque has to be accepted and clear without question, because a returned or delayed payment costs time and goodwill.

Why CPA Compliance Matters for Your Business

Using compliant cheques means your payments clear cleanly the first time — no rejected deposits, no processing delays, and fewer openings for cheque fraud. Every cheque we print meets Standard 006, and our Payments Canada printer registration (Printer ID #1010) is your proof that the specification is met.

What Happens When a Cheque Isn’t Standard 006

Cheques that fall short of the standard create problems downstream. The MICR line can be misread or rejected by clearing equipment, deposits can be held or returned, and some institutions charge handling or return fees on cheques that have to be processed by hand. For a business issuing cheques every week, non-compliant stock turns a routine payment into a support problem — the opposite of why you write a cheque in the first place.

How We Verify Compliance On Site

As a member of the Payments Canada Cheque Printer Self Accreditation program, we keep the same MICR and clearing-house verification equipment used at bank cheque clearing houses on site. Every run is checked against the Standard 006 specification before it ships, which is why our cheques do not need to be submitted to your bank for approval first.

Learn more about our Payments Canada accredited printer status, or browse our full range of business cheques. We print Standard 006 cheques in laser cheque formats and can order bank cheques for any Canadian financial institution. You can also explore the full set of cheque security features we build into every cheque.

Cheque Compliance Questions

What is CPA Standard 006?

Standard 006 is the Payments Canada specification that defines how a Canadian cheque must be built — MICR encoding, magnetic ink, paper stock, the clear band, and field layout — so it clears reliably through the banking system.

Are your cheques accepted by all Canadian banks?

Yes. Because every cheque we print meets CPA Standard 006 and we are a Payments Canada registered printer (Printer ID #1010), our cheques are accepted at all Canadian financial institutions.

Do CPA-compliant cheques work with QuickBooks, Sage, and Xero?

Yes. CPA compliance is about how the cheque is manufactured to Standard 006, not the software that fills it in. Our cheques work with QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, and other major accounting packages, whether you print them yourself on laser stock or order them pre-printed.

How do I confirm a cheque printer is accredited?

Check the printer’s ID against the official Payments Canada list. You can view the Payments Canada self-accredited cheque printer directory — our registration appears there as Printer ID #1010.

Is CPA 2006 the Same as Standard 006?

They refer to the same specification. “CPA 2006” is how the Canadian Payments Association cheque standard is commonly named; Standard 006 is the formal number Payments Canada uses for it.