What if you won the lottery and got one of those giant cardboard checks…..could you deposit it at the bank? Yes, if the proper information is written on it. In fact, a check doesn’t necessarily have to be written on paper. There are instances where checks have been written on the backs of shirts, on skin, and even on watermelon rinds. If they’re written in the right format, they could be cashed. Brian Black, Managing Director of Operations and Technology for the Bank Administration Institute explains that a check has to contain certain features, but it can be written on anything. “As long as it has the elements, the surface doesn’t make a difference. A check is an order to pay someone, that’s all it is,” said Black. Keep in mind that just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s advisable. When a lottery or sweepstakes or golf tournament winner gets one of those giant checks printed on cardboard or posterboard, it's obvious that the check doesn't conform to standards of size or paper type. They’re just for show and can’t actually be cashed. Most winners keep their giant check as a souvenir, while lottery winnings are normally issued through bank-to-bank transfer.
