Browse Financial Technology

MICR: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition

A process in which ferromagnetic ink is used on cheques and other documents to enable automatic sorting and character recognition by computers.

E-13B Font

  • Description: Used primarily in the United States, the E-13B font includes digits and a few special symbols.
  • Applicability: Standard on all U.S. cheques and documents.

CMC-7 Font

  • Description: Primarily used in Europe and other parts of the world, this font consists of digits and special characters designed for MICR.
  • Applicability: Commonly used in France and other European countries.
  • OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Technology for converting different types of documents into editable and searchable data.
  • Barcode Scanning: A method of automatic identification and data capture for various applications.

What is MICR technology used for?

MICR is used primarily for processing cheques and other financial documents automatically.

How does MICR improve security?

MICR’s magnetic properties make it difficult to forge or alter documents, enhancing security.

Revised on Monday, May 18, 2026