traveler's check

Small choices-apostrophe placement, US vs UK spelling, and plural agreement-cause most errors with the phrase for prepaid travel funds. Below are clear rules, focused examples, and ready rewrites you can paste into work, school, or casual writing.

Quick answer

Use traveler's check (singular) and traveler's checks (plural) in most modern American and international contexts. British English traditionally uses traveller's cheque or travellers' cheques; pick one variant and be consistent. Never use an apostrophe to form a simple plural (ATMs, not ATM's).

Preferred (US/international): traveler's check / traveler's checks.
Traditional UK: traveller's cheque / travellers' cheques - OK for a UK audience.
Do not use apostrophes for regular plurals (ATMs, IDs).

Core explanation: meaning and common confusion

A traveler's check is a prepaid negotiable instrument issued to a traveler. Writers get tripped up by three separate choices: where to place the apostrophe, whether to use check or cheque, and how to form the plural and match verbs.

Tackle those choices independently: decide your audience (US vs UK), place the apostrophe before check, pick check or cheque, and make sure verbs agree with singular or plural nouns.

Decision flow: audience → apostrophe before check → check/cheque choice → traveler's check(s) → verb agreement.
Wrong: I bought travellers cheques before my trip.
Right: I bought traveler's checks before my trip.

Grammar: apostrophes, pluralization and verb agreement

Apostrophe: traveler's = a check for the traveler. Plural: traveler's checks. Match the verb to the noun: The traveler's check was issued; The traveler's checks were issued.

Avoid inventing apostrophes for plurals (use ATMs, not ATM's) and avoid dropping the apostrophe (travelers check → incorrect).

Singular: traveler's check. Plural: traveler's checks.
Examples of agreement and corrections:
Wrong: travelers check are safer than cash.
Right: Traveler's checks are safer than cash.
Wrong: The traveler's checks is missing from my file.
Right: The traveler's checks are missing from my file.
Wrong: I deposited ATM's and a travelers check.
Right: I deposited ATM receipts and a traveler's check.

Spacing, punctuation and display issues

Forms and code sometimes squash text (travelers_check, Traveler'sCheck) or strip punctuation. Convert those back to normal words and restore the apostrophe and spacing. Capitalization: title case can show Traveler's Check; sentence case should be traveler's check.

Correct: traveler's check. Incorrect examples you may see: travelers_check, Traveler'sCheck, TRAVELERS CHECK.
Wrong: Please upload a scan of your travelers_check here.
Right: Please upload a scan of your traveler's check here.
Wrong: TRAVELERS CHECKS accepted at front desk.
Right: Traveler's checks accepted at the front desk.

Hyphenation and compound modifiers

Hyphenate compound modifiers before a noun (study-abroad program), but not after it. The phrase traveler's check rarely needs a hyphen, though you might see traveler's-check in a headline-style compound modifier.

Correct: study-abroad program; travel-related expenses.
Headline use only: traveler's-check policy (avoid in body text).
Wrong: I wrote a study abroad essay about travellers cheques.
Right: I wrote a study-abroad essay about traveler's checks.
Wrong: Follow the travel related receipts policy for traveler's checks.
Right: Follow the travel-related receipts policy for traveler's checks.

Spelling and regional choices (US vs UK)

US: traveler's check / check. UK (traditional): traveller's cheque / cheque or travellers' cheques. Many international outlets now use traveler's check. Choose the variant that fits your audience or style guide and apply it consistently.

US standard: traveler's check / traveler's checks.
UK traditional: traveller's cheque / travellers' cheques.
Wrong: We still carry traveller's check - right?
Right: We still carry traveler's checks - right?
Usage (UK): Please bring your traveller's cheques and ID to the desk.Usage (international): Traveler's checks must be listed on the expense form.

Try your own sentence

Test the full sentence rather than the phrase alone; context usually makes the correct form obvious.

Real usage: ready-to-use sentences for work, school and casual contexts

Copy these directly into emails, reports, essays, or posts. Wrong examples show the usual mistakes; right examples are ready to paste.

Work - Wrong: Please attach scans of any travellers cheques to your expense claim.Work -
Right: Please attach scans of any traveler's checks to your expense claim.
Work - Wrong: We accept traveller's cheques for incidentals at the front desk.Work -
Right: We accept traveler's checks for incidentals at the front desk.
Work - Wrong: Traveler's check should be listed on the receipt.Work -
Right: The traveler's check should be listed on the receipt.
School - Wrong: In 1990s field research, students used travellers cheques extensively.School -
Right: In 1990s field research, students used traveler's checks extensively.
School - Wrong: Compare traveller's cheque policies between countries.School -
Right: Compare traveller's cheque policies between countries. (Use UK spelling if your paper requires it.)
School - Wrong: The students recorded travellers cheques in the appendix.School -
Right: The students recorded traveler's checks in the appendix.
Casual - Wrong: Found an old travellers cheque in my drawer. Who cashes these?Casual -
Right: Found an old traveler's check in my drawer. Who cashes these?
Casual - Wrong: Left my traveler's check at the hotel - total nightmare.Casual -
Right: I left my traveler's check at the hotel - total nightmare.
Casual - Wrong: Travellers cheques? Never used them.Casual -
Right: Traveler's checks? I never use them either.

Examples and quick wrong/right pairs (copy these fixes)

Use the right-hand sentences to replace the left-hand mistakes. These cover apostrophes, plural forms, UK/US variants, and related punctuation errors.

Wrong: traveller's cheque are not used much anymore.
Right: Traveler's checks are not used much anymore.
Wrong: travelers check is accepted at most hotels historically.
Right: Traveler's checks were accepted at most hotels in the past.
Wrong: I gave the receptionist 2 travellers cheques.
Right: I gave the receptionist two traveler's checks.
Wrong: Are traveller's cheques still accepted by banks?
Right: Are traveler's checks still accepted by banks?
Wrong: I kept the passport's photo next to the traveler's check.
Right: I kept the passport photo next to the traveler's check.
Wrong: We accepted travellers cheques for the field trip.
Right: We accepted traveler's checks for the field trip.

Rewrite help: quick diagnostic checklist and ready rewrites

Diagnostic checklist: 1) Find the phrase. 2) Decide audience (US vs UK). 3) Place the apostrophe before check. 4) Use check or cheque consistently. 5) Fix plural and verb agreement.

Pick a template below that matches your sentence and paste it.

Rewrite:
Wrong: I gave the receptionist 2 travellers cheques.
Rewrite: I gave the receptionist two traveler's checks.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Traveler's check should be listed on the receipt.
Rewrite: The traveler's check should be listed on the receipt.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Are traveller's cheques still accepted by banks?
Rewrite: Are traveler's checks still accepted by banks?
Rewrite:
Wrong: We accept traveller's cheques at the front desk.Rewrite (UK audience): We accept traveller's cheques at the front desk.Rewrite (general): We accept traveler's checks at the front desk.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Found an old travellers cheque; what bank even cashes these?
Rewrite: I found an old traveler's check - does any bank still cash these?

Memory trick and three quick rules

Mnemonic: "Traveler's check = a check for the traveler" helps place the apostrophe. For the plural, picture many checks in one box: traveler's checks.

Rule 1: Put the apostrophe before "check" (traveler's).
Rule 2: Use check (US) or cheque (UK) consistently; prefer traveler's check for broad audiences.
Rule 3: Don't use apostrophes for simple plurals (ATMs, traveler's checks).

Similar mistakes to watch for

These errors often appear together: apostrophe misuse, mixed US/UK spellings, misplaced hyphens, and incorrect plurals. Fix them across the whole document for a consistent result.

ATM's → ATMs
passport's photo → passport photo
mixing travellers and traveler's in the same document → choose one variant and convert all instances
Wrong: I deposited ATM's slips and travellers cheques.
Right: I deposited ATM slips and traveler's checks.
Wrong: The passenger's list and the traveler's check were attached.
Right: The passenger list and the traveler's check were attached.

FAQ

Is traveller's cheque correct British English?

Yes. Traveller's cheque or travellers' cheques is the traditional British form. Use it for UK audiences or when a style guide requires British spelling; otherwise traveler's check is widely understood internationally.

Should I write traveler's check or travelers check?

Write traveler's check (singular) and traveler's checks (plural). "Travelers check" without an apostrophe is a common typo that should be corrected.

Are traveler's checks still used?

They're less common today because of ATMs and international cards but remain in use in some regions and for certain travelers. Specify the time or context when you mention them.

Do I put an apostrophe in ATM or ATM's?

No. Use ATMs for the plural. Apostrophes are not used to form standard plurals.

How do I fix a sentence that mixes UK and US spelling?

Pick the variant that fits your audience or style guide and apply it consistently across the document (convert traveller's cheque to traveler's check for US spelling, or the reverse for UK).

Fix one sentence now

Run the quick checklist: audience → apostrophe → check vs cheque → plural/verb agreement. Then choose a rewrite template above and paste it into your sentence.

Use a grammar tool to flag apostrophe and regional-spelling mistakes; copy a ready rewrite when you need a fast, correct replacement.