1. Find the denomination printed on the bond. Choose that amount in the checker before entering the serial. A six-digit serial can appear in different denomination pools. Selecting a different amount can answer a different question, even when the six digits are identical. If the amount is marked unavailable, its data has not been enabled for this release.
2. Enter all six digits exactly as printed. Keep zeros at the beginning: 000318 has six digits, while 318 does not. The checker accepts English, Urdu/Persian and Arabic-Indic numerals and displays the normalized identifier. Do not add a denomination, date, prize amount or explanatory sentence to the number field.
3. For several bonds of the same denomination, choose “Paste several numbers” and put each number on a separate line, or separate them with commas. Check up to 20 entries at a time. Duplicates are combined. If an entry is incomplete or invalid, correct it before submitting again; that request has not checked the other entries either. Use a separate check for a different denomination.
4. Read the answer and its coverage together. A record match identifies a number on a dated list; it does not establish ownership or payment eligibility. “Coverage incomplete” means some relevant records are missing or not verified. “Unavailable” means the service could not complete the check. Neither message says that a bond lost.
5. Open a matching draw to inspect the source document, date, denomination and tier. Check the coverage panel for the requested time range, expected and verified events, source-check timestamp and publication version. Include older records only if you want the additional historical search; an old match must not be mistaken for a current payable claim.
6. Save the denomination and number on this device if you expect to check again. Saving is optional and does not create an account or send an alert. If a source is pending, return when the verified publication becomes available. If the site reports a correction, run a fresh check instead of relying on a screenshot of an older answer.
Sources to verify current requirements
These are official starting points, not a claim that every current rule has already been reviewed.