In this QuickBooks video demonstration I will show you how to print checks directly from QuickBooks. I will also talk about the many benefits of printing check from QuickBooks.
Benefits of Printing Checks from QuickBooks
There are many benefits to printing checks from QuickBooks. First, I think it makes your QuickBooks reconciliations much smoother. If you adopt the practice of printing checks all check information will automatically be entered into QuickBooks. You won't have to be searching for or tracking down checks that were manually handwritten. I also think that printing checks makes your bookkeeping system much more efficient. Lastly, by printing checks you will be reducing the chance for bookkeeper fraud.
How to print a check from QuickBooks
In order to print a check from QuickBooks you just need to mark the check to be printed. Open the 'write checks' function from the banking section of the home screen or select banking/write checks from the file menu. Just below the check itself on the right hand side you will notice a box that says 'to be printed.' If you check that box then QuickBooks puts that check into the print queue within the program.
If you go through the pay bills function your first need to select the bill or bills that you want to pay. Then on the lower portion of the screen you will select the payment date, method should be set as check, select to be printed and select the appropriate bank account. Then you just select pay selected bills and the check or checks will go into the print queue.
Now you are ready to print the checks. From the home screen select print checks from the banking section on the lower right hand side of the screen. Make sure to start by selecting the appropriate account you wish to print checks out of. If they are not showing in the account you want to use then you need to go back to the bill payment or check and change the account. Now select the number of checks you want to print, make sure your starting check number matches the actual check you put in the printer and then click ok and print. If the checks don't print correctly you will have to void them and print them again. After a try or two you will have the process down perfectly.
Where to get QuickBooks compatible checks
There are many places that you can order QuickBooks compatible checks from. Many banking institutions offer checks that can be printed from QuickBooks. Intuit is always an option but may not be the cheapest one out there. I have ordered checks from Laser Printer Checks and had good luck.
I have two additional suggestions regarding ordering checks that can be printed from QuickBooks. First, I would suggest that you order checks without lines on them. If your checks have lines often your printer will get unaligned and will print over the lines on the check making for a messy job. The signature lines will always be on your checks so don't worry about that, I am talking about the payee lines and dollar amount lines. I would also suggest getting the checks that are three part checks which include a check and two stubs. One stub should be kept for your records and attached to the invoice or invoices that it paid. The remaining check and stub should be mailed to your vendor. Your vendor will then have a check and a stub which will show all of the invoices you are paying with that particular check payment. I feel it is worth the extra money to buy this style of checks as it makes for good payables procedures on your end and will reduce the amount of questions from your vendors regarding payments. Following those procedures will save you time and money in the long run.
Printing checks directly from QuickBooks is a smart move for your business. It will make your business look more professional, increase the efficiency of your bookkeeping system and reduce the likelihood of your bookkeeper trying to commit fraud on your business.
