stop payment

American  

noun

1. an order by the account holder to the bank not to pay a specified check or other charge.

---

stop payment British  

noun

1. an instruction to a bank by the drawer of a cheque to refuse payment on it

---

stop payment Idioms  

1. Instruct a bank not to honor a check one has drawn, as in If that check was lost, we'll have to stop payment on it before issuing another. This usage was first recorded in 1722.

---

Etymology

Origin of stop payment

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

People who stop payment on their cash advances often say they feel they have no other option.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

They put a stop payment on the check.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 22, 2023

I said, all right, stop payment of the $750 million a year.

From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022

"My next move is to stop payment through my bank or have them pursue the company for restitution," she added.

From Salon • May 17, 2022

Then took place a run upon the banks, some of which, both in London and the country, were obliged to stop payment.

From Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume I Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded in Their Diaries From 1812 to 1883 by Loewe, Louis