Citibank Canada

INCOMING CLEARING SERVICES – M.I.C.R. SPECIFICATION SHEET FOR CANADIAN DOLLAR ACCOUNTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Complete separate form for

each instrument type.
2. Insert X’s for serial number
Citibank Canada beginning in space 46 and fill
123 Front Street West sufficient spaces to the left
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2M3 indicating the total number of
digits required to a maximum of
10 digits.
3. Insert your transit number in
spaces 38 to 42. Commence
with space 38 and insert the
number from right to left. Insert
zeros to the left where
necessary to fill any blank
spaces.
4. Insert account number
beginning in space 21, moving
left.

BL BL ІІ"
 Appendix I

• Increase in the minimum length of a cheque from 6” to 6 ¼”, or 15.88 cm, to ensure sufficient
space to accommodate the mandatory serial number in the MICR line;
• Standardized positions for key fields on the cheque, such as the date field and the amount in
figures;
• Adoption of a numeric date field in one of three specified formats (YYYYMMDD, MMDDYYYY or
DDMMYYYY). Field indicators must be printed below the date field to indicate which format is
being used. Bilingual date field indicators are accommodated for cheques using the ISO date
format (Y/A M/M D/J);
• A mandatory serial number in the MICR line encoded on the bottom of the cheque (until now the
serial number has been optional);
• Disallowance of elements that may hinder the capture of images or data from the cheques (e.g.
inverse printing, italics or slanted fonts, a bottom border printed below the MICR line, background
screening in the MICR band and the use of black carbon on the reverse of cheques will not be
permitted);
• A provision to ensure that security features do not interfere with key data, or “areas of interest” as
defined in the standard, either prior to imaging or post imaging. In particular, if pantographs are
used, they must not be visible on images captured from original cheques;
• New printing requirements on the reverse of the cheque so that image capture can be verified; the
phrase “Back/Endos” will be printed 2.54 cm (1”) from the aligning edge, to be used as a reference
point for verifying usability of the image of the back of the cheque;
• New specifications for backgrounds, and technical specifications (e.g. reflectance, Print Contrast
Signal (PCS) and Paxel Count) to ensure high-quality images;
• The line for payee endorsement on the back of the cheque shall have a standardized location, and
the phrase “Endorsement – Signature or Stamp” (in French; endossement – Signature ou Timbre)
shall be printed below it;
• The requirement that placement of informational printing on the back shall not interfere with the
legibility of endorsements or FI identifiers on cheque images.
Cheque printers, software providers and organizations that print their own cheques must provide pre-
production samples of their new cheques to Citibank Canada to verify compliance with the new
specifications.