memo on cheque?

Can someone please tell me where I would write a memo on a UK cheque?
Thanks

I'm crap at writing cheques and I always have to ask my husbands help, but as far as I can tell, there is no place to write a memo. You don't get your cancelled cheques back with your bank statement either.

In the USA and some other countries, cheques contain a memo line where the purpose of the cheque can be indicated as a convenience without affecting the official parts of the cheque. This is not used in Britain where such notes are often written on the reverse side. For example, TV Licensing ask you to write your licence number and address details there.

ok, thanks.  I'll use the back then.

Even if not asked to, it is a good idea to write some identifying stuff on the back of a cheque, just in case.

You can write a cheque on anything you want and anyhow - the side of a cow story is the most frequently told http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-20434,00.html

I always write the account payee details on the front & the back so it is cleear to me!

Don't forget to write the word "pounds" after the numbers - US checks are pre-printed with the word "dollars" but in the UK this is never the case.  Convention would include writing the currency but it also helps prevent fraud by "closing" the amount.

You can write a cheque on anything you want and anyhow

You can write it, but whether it is negotiable is another matter. The banks are not obliged to accept cheques written on just anything. They may levy an extra charge or refuse it. They usually impose limitations or additional fees in their standard terms and conditions for not using the bank's pre-printed stationery.

The negotiable cow is the common name of a fictitous legal case known as Board of Inland Revenue v Haddock (heard jointly with R v Haddock) written by the humourist A. P. Herbert for Punch magazine as part of his series of Misleading Cases in the Common Law. The case did evolve into something of an urban legend, and periodically assertions are made that it was a true case. Another Herbert story concerned a cheque written on an egg.

Don't forget to write the word "pounds" after the numbers

"Numbers"? There is a box with a £ sign for the amount in figures; but of course for the amount in words it is best to avoid writing "dollars". Many UK banks would treat a cheque with £47.99 in figures and "Forty seven dollars and ninety nine cents" as being negotiable for £47.99, but it could be returned.

prevent fraud by "closing" the amount.

I fill up the blank space to the right of the amount in figures with a double line like this

£47.99======

Some people write the word "only" after the amount in words e.g.

Fifty seven pounds and forty six pence only

Others fill up any blank space left with a line.

Some people write the pence amount as a fraction thus

Ninety nine pounds and (or &) 99/100

Some people write the pence amount as a fraction thus

Ninety nine pounds and (or &) 99/100

I use that method, although with the fractional part before the currency qualifier, e.g.

"Ninety nine 99/100 pounds."

Re memos and other notes, you will find it a very common request on credit-card statements, utility bills, and such like to write your account number on the back.

Thanks for all the replies.  I've learned a lot!