AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
You request a First Bank cheque book by completing the bank's Chequebook Request Form, published on FirstBank's download forms page, and submitting it at your branch or through the channel the branch accepts. Cheque books come with current accounts; FirstBank's FAQs say some savings products issue cheques that can only be cashed over the counter. The CBN's Guide to Charges lets banks recover the cost of a cheque book, so the price is the bank's, and FirstBank's pages we read do not publish it.
Cheques are used far less in Nigeria than a decade ago, but they have not gone away. Landlords, schools, some suppliers and government agencies still ask for them, and a cheque is still a common way to give a post-dated payment. If you bank with First Bank and need a cheque book, the process is short, but a few details decide whether it takes days or weeks.
Which First Bank accounts get a cheque book
A cheque book that can be presented for clearing through the banking system belongs to a current account. FirstBank's FAQs say that one savings product, FirstSavings Plus, allows the issue of cheques that are not valid for clearing but can be cashed over the counter. That distinction matters: if the person you are paying banks elsewhere, they need a clearing cheque, which means a current account.
- Clearing cheque
- Drawn on a current account; the payee can lodge it at any bank.
- Over-the-counter cheque
- Can be cashed at First Bank but not cleared through another bank (per FirstBank's FAQ on FirstSavings Plus).
- Counter cheque
- A single leaf issued at the branch, usually for a one-off withdrawal.
If you hold only a savings account and need clearing cheques, ask the branch about opening a current account alongside it.
How to request it
FirstBank's download forms page lists a Chequebook Request Form; the file uploaded in 2024 covers both cheque books and savings withdrawal booklets.
- Download the form or collect one at your branch.
- Enter your account name and number exactly as held, and the number of leaves you want if the form offers a choice.
- Sign with your mandate signature. For a joint or company account, the signatories named on the mandate must sign as the mandate requires.
- Submit it at your branch. Ask whether the branch will also accept the signed form by email from your registered address.
- Ask how long production will take and where you will collect the book, then keep the acknowledgement.
What it costs
The CBN's Guide to Charges (effective 1 January 2020) treats the cheque book as a cost-recovery item: the bank passes on the cost of producing it rather than setting a fixed regulatory price. The same guide sets a counter cheque at ₦50 per leaf. FirstBank's own pages that we read in October 2026 do not publish a cheque book price, so the charge for the size of book you choose is what the branch confirms or what appears on your statement.
The CBN published an exposure draft of a revised Guide to Charges in April 2026. Until a final version is in force, the 2020 guide is the reference.
Worked example
Example only, with invented figures: if a branch quotes ₦1,500 for a 25-leaf book and ₦3,000 for a 50-leaf book, the cost per leaf is ₦60 in both cases. Compare that with ₦50 per counter cheque. If you write a few cheques a year, counter cheques may cost less overall; if you write one a month, a book is easier.
Collection and safety
A cheque book is a security document. When you collect it, check that the account name and number printed on the leaves are correct and that the leaf numbers run in sequence. Store it away from your ID card.
- Write the payee name and the amount in words and figures, and draw a line through unused space.
- Do not sign blank leaves for anyone.
- If a book or a leaf goes missing, report it to FirstContact at once and ask the bank to stop the affected leaves.
- Cross the cheque (two parallel lines) if you want it paid only into an account.
What to check first
- Is your account a current account, or a savings product whose cheques cannot clear?
- Is your account active? A dormant account may need reactivation first; see reactivating a dormant First Bank account.
- Does your signature on file match the one you will use? If not, update it before you request the book.
- Do you need a cheque at all? Many payees now accept a transfer with a dated receipt.
If the payee will take a transfer, our guides to First Bank transfer charges and NIP instant payments explain what the transfer will cost and how quickly it arrives.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme does not issue cheques. Where a landlord or school asks for a cheque mainly as proof of payment, a transfer backed by a verifiable receipt can do the same job: through Pryme's partnership with VerifyDoc.ai, anyone you give it to can check the receipt is genuine and unaltered. See receipts and statements.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to get a First Bank cheque book?
FirstBank's pages we read do not give a turnaround. Ask the branch when you submit the Chequebook Request Form and keep your acknowledgement.
Can I request a First Bank cheque book on the app?
The FirstBank pages we read describe a paper form. If the FirstMobile app shows a cheque book option when you sign in, that is the current route.
How much is a First Bank cheque book?
The CBN treats cheque books as a cost-recovery item, so the price is the bank's. FirstBank's pages we read do not publish it; the branch or your statement will show it.
Can a savings account have a cheque book at First Bank?
FirstBank's FAQs say FirstSavings Plus allows cheques that are not valid for clearing but can be cashed over the counter. For clearing cheques you need a current account.
Sources
- FirstBank: Download forms · accessed Oct 2026
- FirstBank: Frequently asked questions · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN: Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial and Non-Bank Financial Institutions (effective 1 Jan 2020) · accessed Oct 2026
- TechCabal: CBN exposure draft of the 2026 Guide to Charges (Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.