Kuwaiti dinars, Bahraini dinars and Omani rials each divide into 1,000 smaller units (fils or baisa), not 100. So the amount in figures always has three decimal places, and the words give the subunit as a whole number of fils or baisa. KWD 1,250.500 is "One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Kuwaiti Dinars and Five Hundred Fils Only".
Most mistakes come from treating these currencies like dirhams or riyals, which use two decimals. This guide shows the rule, worked examples, the common errors and how to set up printing so the software gets it right every time.
Why three decimals: 1,000 fils and 1,000 baisa
| Currency | Code | Subunit | Subunits per unit | Figures example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuwaiti dinar | KWD | fils | 1,000 | 1,250.500 |
| Bahraini dinar | BHD | fils | 1,000 | 75.025 |
| Omani rial | OMR | baisa | 1,000 | 3,400.750 |
The Kuwait Government Online portal states that the dinar is divided into one thousand fils, and the Central Bank of Oman describes the Rial Omani as divided into 1,000 baisa. The Bahraini dinar works the same way, with 1,000 fils.
The decimal part is a count of thousandths. In KWD 12.5, the ".5" is half a dinar, which is 500 fils. That one fact prevents most errors.
How to write the amount in words
Use this pattern:
[Whole units in words] [Currency name] and [Subunits in words] [Fils/Baisa] Only
- Write the whole units the way you would say them in English, using thousand and million.
- Read the three decimal digits as one number from 1 to 999: .500 is "Five Hundred", .050 is "Fifty", .005 is "Five".
- Give the currency name in full the first time, for example "Kuwaiti Dinars".
- End with "Only" so nothing can be added after it.
Singular and plural
"Dinar" and "Rial" take an "s" in the plural: "One Kuwaiti Dinar", "Two Kuwaiti Dinars". "Fils" is the same in the singular and plural in English, so write "One Fils" and "Five Hundred Fils", never "One Fil". Baisa is also normally left unchanged ("One Baisa", "Seven Hundred and Fifty Baisa"). The CBO's own English sometimes uses "baisas"; either is understood, but use one form consistently.
Omani wording
"Omani Rials" and "Rials Omani" (abbreviated R.O.) are both common on cheques in Oman. Choose one and use it every time.
Worked examples
| Figures | In words |
|---|---|
| KWD 1,250.500 | One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Kuwaiti Dinars and Five Hundred Fils Only |
| KWD 0.750 | Seven Hundred and Fifty Fils Only |
| KWD 2,500,000.000 | Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Kuwaiti Dinars Only |
| BHD 75.025 | Seventy-Five Bahraini Dinars and Twenty-Five Fils Only |
| BHD 1.001 | One Bahraini Dinar and One Fils Only |
| BHD 14,600.050 | Fourteen Thousand Six Hundred Bahraini Dinars and Fifty Fils Only |
| OMR 3,400.750 | Three Thousand Four Hundred Omani Rials and Seven Hundred and Fifty Baisa Only |
| OMR 125.100 | One Hundred and Twenty-Five Omani Rials and One Hundred Baisa Only |
| OMR 1,000,000.000 | One Million Omani Rials Only |
When there are no fils or baisa (.000), leave the subunit out of the words and write "... Dinars Only". Some businesses write "and Zero Fils" or "and No Fils". It isn't wrong, but it adds words where a forger has more room to work.
Some people write the subunit as a fraction, for example "One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Kuwaiti Dinars and 500/1000 Only". Many banks accept this, but practice varies, so ask your bank before using it as your standard.
Common mistakes
Reading .5 as 5 fils
KWD 12.5 is twelve dinars and five hundred fils. It is not twelve dinars and five fils. Writing "Twelve Kuwaiti Dinars and Five Fils" understates the cheque by 495 fils, and the figures and words then disagree. Always pad to three digits (12.500) before converting to words.
Treating the currency as two-decimal
If you write BHD 5.75, a reader sees "5.75". The amount is the same as 5.750, but it looks like a dirham or riyal amount, and an accountant copying it may enter 5.075 or 5.705. Writing three decimals every time removes the doubt. Software is worse: if it is set to two decimals, it rounds, so BHD 5.755 prints as 5.76, which is a different amount.
Hundredths in words
"Seventy-Five Fils" for .750 is wrong. That is how you would read cents. Seven hundred and fifty thousandths is "Seven Hundred and Fifty Fils".
Lakh and crore
Gulf banks use thousand and million. KWD 150,000.000 is "One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Kuwaiti Dinars Only", never "One Lakh Fifty Thousand".
Figures and words disagreeing
If the figures and words differ, the bank may return the cheque or query it. Check both before you sign. Our cheque writing mistakes guide lists the others.
Formatting the figures
- Thousand separators: use commas every three digits before the decimal point (1,250,000.500). Keep the dot for the decimal.
- Always three decimals: 400.000, not 400 or 400.00.
- No gaps: start the figure right at the edge of the box. Printing tamper-proof stars on both sides (**1,250.500**) stops anyone adding digits.
- Currency code: if the box isn't already labelled, put the code before the figure (KWD, BHD, OMR or R.O.).
The general rules that apply in every currency, such as hyphenating "Twenty-Five" and capitalising, are in amount in words rules.
Getting the software to do it
To check a single amount, type it into the free cheque amount in words tool and compare the result with what you wrote.
If you print cheques with ChequeMaster, set it up once:
- Currency: select Kuwaiti dinar, Bahraini dinar or Omani rial, so the words name the right units.
- Decimal digits: set to 3 in Settings. This is a general setting. If you also print two-decimal cheques (for example UAE dirhams or Saudi riyals), switch it when you change currency.
- Number system: choose million/billion, not lakh/crore.
- Style: choose UPPERCASE or normal case, turn on thousand separators, and add the ** tamper-proof marks.
- Test: print a cheque for an awkward amount such as 1,001.005 on plain paper and read both lines before using real leaves.
The settings are explained in general and cheque book settings, and country specifics are in the Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman cheque guides.
