Bounce Egypt Prices: What a Bounced Cheque Actually Costs You

If you're writing cheques in Egypt, or chasing someone who gave you one that bounced, the real cost isn't just the face value. It's bank fees, criminal exposure, and a very specific trip through the Economic Court. Here's what bounce Egypt prices look like in practice.

Quick answer

A bounced cheque in Egypt triggers three cost layers. First, the drawer's bank charges a return fee — typically EGP 150-500 per cheque, depending on the bank, plus listing in the Central Bank of Egypt's protest register. Second, the drawer faces criminal liability under Article 534 of the Commercial Law (Law 17/1999): imprisonment and/or a fine between EGP 1,000 and EGP 50,000. Third, civil recovery through the Economic Court, where court fees run roughly 2.5-7.5% of the claim value plus bailiff and expert costs. The bearer usually pays nothing to file the criminal complaint itself.

Bank fees when a cheque bounces

Egyptian banks charge the drawer a return fee the moment a cheque is dishonoured for insufficient funds. The range sits between EGP 150 and EGP 500 per cheque at most commercial banks, though some private banks push higher for corporate accounts.

The Central Bank of Egypt also requires reporting. Under CBE regulations on cheque discipline, repeated bounces land the drawer on a protest list, and the bank may close the account and withdraw the chequebook. That's not a price tag, but it's a cost — losing cheque facility shuts a lot of doors in Egyptian commerce.

The bearer usually pays a small fee too, around EGP 50-150, to collect the official "protest" certificate (شهادة الارتداد) from the drawer's bank. You need that certificate for everything that comes next.

Criminal penalties: the real price

This is where bounce Egypt prices get serious. Issuing a cheque without sufficient funds is a crime under Article 534 of Law 17/1999 (the Commercial Law). The penalty: imprisonment plus a fine of EGP 1,000 to EGP 50,000, or either one alone, at the court's discretion.^[1]

The same article covers related acts — withdrawing the funds after issuing the cheque, ordering the bank not to pay without lawful cause, or signing the cheque in a way that makes it unpayable. All carry the same penalty band.

Prosecutors treat this as a public-right crime, meaning the bearer files a complaint and the Public Prosecution takes it from there. The bearer doesn't pay prosecution costs. The drawer, if convicted, pays the fine to the state, plus the cheque amount to the bearer through the civil claim bolted onto the criminal case.

Settlement is possible. If the drawer pays the full cheque value before a final judgment, criminal action is typically dropped under Article 534 bis, though the bank fees and credit damage stay.

Honestly, most bounced-cheque files settle. Nobody wants prison for EGP 20,000 if they can scrape the money together.

Economic Court fees for civil recovery

Since 2008, bounced-cheque disputes above a certain value go to the Economic Courts (المحاكم الاقتصادية) under Law 120/2008. For civil recovery of the cheque amount, you'll pay:

• Filing fees: a sliding scale under the Judicial Fees Law, roughly 2.5% on the first tranche of the claim, scaling up. For a cheque worth EGP 100,000, expect filing fees in the EGP 2,500-7,500 range.
• Service fees: EGP 100-300 for bailiff service on the defendant.
• Expert fees (if the court orders a handwriting or accounting expert): EGP 1,500-5,000.
• Lawyer fees: unregulated. Private practice ranges from a flat EGP 5,000 for a straightforward cheque claim to a percentage (5-15%) of recovered value for larger matters.

If you win and the drawer has assets, you recover through execution — another layer of fees for attachment, auction, and bailiff work.

Watch out: Filing in the wrong court wastes months. Cheques above the Economic Court's threshold must go there; lower-value disputes may route to ordinary civil courts. Check jurisdiction before you file.

What the drawer pays, start to finish

Add it up for a drawer who bounced a single EGP 50,000 cheque and didn't settle quickly:

• Bank return fee: ~EGP 300
• Criminal fine (if convicted): EGP 1,000-50,000
• Civil judgment: EGP 50,000 (the cheque) + legal interest at 5% commercial rate from maturity
• Court-awarded costs and lawyer fees: variable
• Loss of chequebook facility and CBE blacklisting: priceless, in the bad way

A quick settlement before the first hearing usually caps exposure at the cheque value plus the bank fee and maybe EGP 2,000-5,000 in goodwill to cover the bearer's lawyer. That's why settlement is the overwhelming norm.

For related criminal procedure questions, see our broader coverage at criminal law answers.

What the bearer actually spends

If you're holding the bounced cheque, your out-of-pocket is modest:

• Protest certificate from the bank: EGP 50-150
• Criminal complaint at the police station or prosecution: free
• Civil claim court fees: 2.5-7.5% of claim value, often recoverable from the drawer if you win
• Lawyer: negotiable

The frustrating part isn't the money. It's time. A bounced-cheque criminal case can run 6-18 months to a first-instance judgment, longer with appeals. Civil execution against a drawer who's hidden assets can take years.

Most bearers push for settlement precisely because the alternative is slow, even when the law is squarely on your side.