Customer paying by cheque: how to check protests, CAI and bounced cheques

In short: with the cheque number, ABI code and CAB code you can check for free whether a cheque has been reported stolen, lost or blocked, or has already been returned for lack of funds, in the Centrale di allarme interbancaria (CAI) of the Bank of Italy. You cannot, however, find out whether the customer is listed in the CAI: his protests are checked in the Registro informatico dei protesti.

What is the Centrale di allarme interbancaria, and what does it contain?

The Centrale di allarme interbancaria (CAI) is the computerised database of the Bank of Italy on bank and postal cheques and payment cards, established by Legislative Decree 507/1999. It contains the names of those who have issued cheques without authorisation or without funds, and the details of cheques reported as stolen or lost, or blocked.

As of October 2026 the Bank of Italy states the following listing periods, after which the data are deleted:

Data recorded in CAI	Duration	Visible to a third party?
Name of the person who issued cheques without authorisation or without funds	Six months	No, only the person concerned
Cheques issued without authorisation or without funds	Six months	Yes, with number, ABI and CAB
Cheques not returned after revocation of the authorisation	Ten years	Yes, with number, ABI and CAB
Cheques reported as stolen or lost, or blocked for other reasons	Ten years	Yes, with number, ABI and CAB

Who can consult the CAI, and what can a company see about a customer?

Each person can see only the data recorded in his or her own name: an individual directly, a company on the request of its legal representative. Anyone with a legitimate interest, on the other hand, can access non-nominative data, i.e. verify whether an individual cheque is blocked. A company cannot find out whether a customer is listed in the CAI.

Access is free; since 13 April 2026 the online channel is only the Bank of Italy's Portale dei servizi online per il cittadino (online services portal for citizens).

How can I check whether a cheque is bounced before cashing it?

No service can tell whether there are funds in the customer's account today. You can, however, check whether that cheque has already been reported: the Bank of Italy refers to the public service run by Nexi Payments, where you enter the cheque number, the ABI code of the bank and the CAB code of the branch.

The service publishes, without names, bank and postal cheques:

• for which the theft or loss has been reported;
• issued without authorisation or found without funds;
• not returned after revocation of the authorisation to issue cheques.

It also warns that it "NON costituisce garanzia di pagamento" (does NOT constitute a guarantee of payment): a cheque that has never been presented will not show as reported even if the account is empty. For this reason, the check on the customer is also necessary.

What checks should you make when you receive the cheque?

Check that the instrument is complete, made out to your company and, for amounts from €1,000 upwards, non-transferable; then pay it in straight away, within the statutory time limits.

• Mandatory elements: among others, the name of the bank, the date and place of issue, and the signature of the issuer (art. 1 R.D. 1736/1933); without them, save for the cases in art. 2, the instrument is not valid as a bank cheque.
• Non-transferability: bank and postal cheques of €1,000 or more must state the payee and the non-transferability clause (art. 49, para. 5, D.Lgs. 231/2007). They may be paid only to the payee, who may endorse them only to a bank for collection (art. 43 R.D. 1736/1933).
• Time limits: eight days if payable in the municipality where it was issued, fifteen days in another municipality (art. 32); the protest must be made before they expire (art. 46).

Post-dated cheque: what risks for the person accepting it?

A future date does not defer payment: the bank cheque is payable on sight and, if presented before the day stated as the date of issue, is payable on the day of presentation (art. 31 R.D. 1736/1933). The risks lie elsewhere.

• Stamp duty: if the date is more than four days later than the actual date, save for justified cases, the stamp duty on bills of exchange applies, in addition to penalties (art. 121).
• Enforceable title: the cheque has the effect of an enforceable title (art. 55), but loses it if the stamp duty is not in order (art. 118).
• Liquidity: whoever post-dates a cheque signals that funds are not available today. It is a de facto deferral of payment; if it is repeated, see customer who always pays late.

What happens if the customer's cheque is not paid?

Non-payment is established by a protest, by a statement from the bank on the instrument, or by a statement from the Bank of Italy equivalent to a protest (art. 45 R.D. 1736/1933). The customer then has 60 days from the end of the presentation period to pay and avoid penalties and listing in the CAI.

• Late payment: by paying within 60 days the amount, interest, a 10% penalty and the protest costs, the administrative penalties are avoided (arts. 3 and 8, Law 386/1990).
• Notice: within ten days of presentation, his bank notifies him that, without proof of payment, he will be listed in the CAI (art. 9-bis).
• Revocation: listing revokes every authorisation to issue cheques, and for six months no bank may grant a new one (art. 9).
• Protest register: the protest remains visible for five years; for cheques, payment alone does not remove it, rehabilitation is required (art. 17, Law 108/1996).

How do I check a customer's protests before accepting his cheque?

In the Registro informatico dei protesti, kept by the Chambers of Commerce and open to anyone: at the counter of any Chamber of Commerce, or online at registroimprese.it, by searching for the company by name. A recent protest shows that the customer has already left unpaid instruments.

The register does not indicate the creditor. Channels and costs: guide to obtaining a company's protest search; the differences between the data in protests and prejudicial records: what they are.

In what order should the checks be carried out?

1. Check the customer's protests.
2. Check the elements of the cheque, including payee and non-transferability.
3. Check that the cheque is not blocked on the public CAI service.
4. Pay it in straight away, within eight or fifteen days.
5. If it is not paid, have the non-payment certified within the time limit.

What does Veryfy show about a customer's protests?

The micro-product Negatività e procedure concorsuali (€5.90) indicates whether protests and insolvency proceedings recorded against the customer's company are present, with source and date. It shows no CAI data, either about the customer or about the individual cheque.

• Protests: the amount and date of the protest appear only when the source returns them; otherwise the result reports that the record is present.
• Insolvency proceedings: the presence, not the type of proceeding. It is not instant: it is also delivered by email.
• Report Verifica (€19): adds the beneficial owner, the shareholders and an estimated operating credit line.

If your concern is a supplier: checking a supplier's protests.