Q: Should I put my address on my checks?

A: Great question, it is fine to put your home address on your checks and indeed some merchants and banks taking your checks will require it. What you absolutely don’t want to do is put your home phone number and you definitely don’t want to put your social security number on your checks. This give would-be criminals critical pieces of information that you don’t want public. If a merchant insists on your phone number, simply write it on that one check.

Under no circumstance should your write your social security number on the checks even if a merchant insists. It is acceptable to put your social security number on your check if you are paying the Internal Revenue Service or your state or local taxation authority.