Cheque Bounce Notice & Complaint Date Calculator
Enter the cheque and return-memo dates to see the last date for the demand notice, the 15-day payment window, the complaint deadline and the amounts the Act prints for fine, interim compensation and appeal deposit.
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- Instant, on-screen results
- Built by our CA · CS team
- Rules cited on the page
Enter your figures — the result on the right updates as you type.
Dates and amounts
| Step (provision) | Date / amount |
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Get the demand notice drafted and sent in time
We draft the section 138 notice, track the 15-day window and prepare the complaint papers.
Disclaimer: Dates are worked out from the periods printed in sections 138 and 142 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 and amounts from sections 138, 143A and 148. How a court counts the first and last day, holidays and proof of receipt can move a date, so act well before the last date shown. This tool is general information, not legal advice.
Cheque bounce timeline — at a glance
Section 138 makes the dishonour of a cheque for insufficiency of funds an offence only if three conditions in its proviso are met: the cheque was presented in time, a written demand notice was given in time, and the drawer did not pay within the time allowed after receiving that notice. Section 142 then fixes the time for the complaint.
How the dates are calculated
The calculator adds the statutory periods to the dates you enter. The last date for the notice is thirty days after you received the bank's information. The payment window ends fifteen days after the drawer received the notice. The cause of action arises when that window ends without payment, and the complaint period is one month from that date. Under the proviso to section 142(1)(b) a court may take cognizance of a later complaint if the complainant shows sufficient cause for the delay.
Amounts the Act prints
Punishment — section 138
Imprisonment for a term which may be extended to two years, or fine which may extend to twice the amount of the cheque, or both.
Interim compensation — section 143A
The trial court may order the drawer to pay interim compensation that shall not exceed twenty per cent. of the amount of the cheque, payable within sixty days of the order (extendable by up to thirty days on sufficient cause).
Deposit in appeal — section 148
In the drawer's appeal against conviction the Appellate Court may order a deposit of a minimum of twenty per cent. of the fine or compensation awarded by the trial court, in addition to any interim compensation already paid.
Who can complain
Only the payee or the holder in due course of the cheque, by a complaint in writing (section 142(1)(a)).
How the Cheque Bounce Notice Calculator works
4 steps, start to finish — the same order the tool follows.
- 01Enter the cheque amount and the date written on the cheque.
- 02Enter the date you received the bank's information that the cheque was returned unpaid; the tool adds the thirty days in section 138 proviso (b).
- 03Add the date the drawer received your notice to see the fifteen-day payment window and the one-month complaint period under section 142.
- 04Optionally enter the fine or compensation awarded to see the minimum appeal deposit under section 148.
Questions people ask
Short answers on Cheque Bounce Notice Calculator. Tap a question to open it.
01Within how many days must a cheque bounce notice be sent?
Section 138 proviso (b) of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 requires the payee or holder in due course to give a written demand notice to the drawer within thirty days of receiving information from the bank that the cheque was returned unpaid.
02How long does the drawer get to pay after the notice?
Fifteen days from the receipt of the notice. Under section 138 proviso (c), the offence is made out only if the drawer fails to pay the cheque amount within that time.
03What is the time limit for filing the complaint?
Section 142(1)(b) requires the complaint to be made within one month of the date on which the cause of action arises under proviso (c) to section 138. A court may take cognizance of a later complaint if the complainant shows sufficient cause for the delay.
04How much interim compensation can the court order?
Under section 143A the court trying the offence may order interim compensation that shall not exceed twenty per cent of the amount of the cheque. Under section 148 an appellate court may order the convicted drawer to deposit a minimum of twenty per cent of the fine or compensation awarded.
05Who can file a cheque bounce complaint under section 138?
Only the payee or the holder in due course of the cheque, and only by a complaint in writing — section 142(1)(a) of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The complaint must also be made within one month of the date the cause of action arises, which this calculator works out from the date the drawer received your demand notice.
06Who can file a cheque bounce complaint under section 138?
Only the payee or the holder in due course of the cheque, and only by a complaint in writing — section 142(1)(a) of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The complaint must also be made within one month of the date the cause of action arises, which this calculator works out from the date the drawer received your demand notice.
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Disclaimer: This tool gives indicative results for general guidance only and is not professional advice. Please verify with a qualified CA before acting on the numbers.