What do the numbers on the back of a cashed check mean? Is that the account number? If not where is the account number?
In some cases a bank will write the depositor's account number on the back of a check when that check is cashed or deposited. In the event that check is returned from the bank it was drawn on, this provides a reference to the person/account cashing the check. Because the check was returned, the bank will reverse the transaction and go to the referenced account to recover the money.
Problems arise when the person holding the check has no bank account and they go with a friend to their bank. The friend asks that the check be cashed and they allow their account to stand good for that check. If the check is returned, that deposit account is now at risk and the bank customer may claim foul because they received no benefit. In fact, they agreed to this when it was endorsed by them. Other information may be entered on the back of a check, but the depositor's account number is common.
On the face of a check there are numbers at the bottom. These are, left to right, a series of numbers known as the routing number, the bank account number, and then on the far right the amount of the check. The routing number is your bank's address, then your account number says where the money for the check comes from, and finally the amount of the check. These are magnetically encoded numbers, so they can be processed by high speed machines.
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In some cases a bank will write the depositor's account number on the back of a check when that check is cashed or deposited. In the event that check is returned from the bank it was drawn on, this provides a reference to the person/account cashing the check. Because the check was returned, the bank will reverse the transaction and go to the referenced account to recover the money. 