Post date definition

What is Post Date?

Post date refers to the writing of a future date on a check. By doing so, the maker wants the payee to wait until the check date before cashing the instrument. This action effectively delays the payment of cash to the payee.

Why Post Date a Check?

The intent behind post dating a check is to force the payee to wait until the post date arrives before cashing the check. There are two reasons for doing so, which are as follows:

  • Not enough cash on hand. The payer does not currently have sufficient cash in his checking account, and so sets a future date in the expectation of adding more cash to his checking account that will then be used to fund the check.

  • More efficient payments. The payer cannot be bothered with a series of check payments to the payee, and instead issues all of the checks at once, with each check post dated to a successively later date. For example, a tenant could write 12 checks to his landlord at the beginning of the lease year, with each one dated to cover the check payment for each successive month of the year. The landlord is then instructed to cash the checks as they come due.

Example of Post Dating

For example, someone writes a check that is dated March 31, even though the current date is March 15.

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