Guides
Check writing guides
Plain-English answers about checks: what each part means, how to endorse, deposit and mail them, how to stop payment and avoid fraud, and how to print your own.
Check basics, explained
- The back of a check: what goes there and what to leave blankWhere to sign, what to write, and the bank-only area on the back of every check.
- Check made out to two people: "and" vs "or"Who has to sign when a check names two payees, and how to deposit it without problems.
- Where is the check number on a check?Find the check number on personal and business checks, and tell it apart from the routing and account numbers.
- Counter checks and starter checksChecks your bank prints on the spot or gives you at account opening, what they cost, and when to use them.
- How long is a check good for?Six months for most checks, one year for Treasury checks, and why stale is not the same as void.
- How to endorse a checkBlank, restrictive, mobile, special and business endorsements: what to write and when.
- How to write a check for cents (or less than a dollar)Write a check for 75 cents the right way, with examples for any amount that includes cents.
- Parts of a check, explainedA labeled diagram of every field on a check, from the payee line to the MICR numbers.
- Post-dated checks: what they are and whether banks honor the dateWhy a future date doesn't stop a bank from paying early, and the notice that does.
- Types of checks: personal, business, cashier's, certified and moreEvery kind of check side by side: who pays, what it's for, and how fast the money is available.
- What is a blank check? (two meanings)A signed check left empty vs blank check stock for printing: the risks, the rules and the uses.
Depositing, cashing and mailing checks
- Can you fax a check?Why a faxed check can’t be deposited, what “checks by fax” really means, and what to do instead.
- Check 21 and substitute checksThe law that lets banks swap paper for images, and your refund rights when a substitute check goes wrong.
- How to cash a check (with or without a bank account)Your bank, the bank on the check, stores and apps: where to cash a check and what it costs.
- How to fill out a deposit slipEvery line of a deposit slip explained, with a worked example and the math.
- How to mail a check safelyFill it out right, seal it, drop it off indoors, and know what to do if it never arrives.
- Ways to deposit a checkTeller, ATM, app or mail: how each works and when the money shows up.
Check safety, fraud and problems
- Check fraud prevention for people and small businessesProtect blank checks, write tamper-resistant checks, mail them safely and catch fraud fast.
- Check security features, explainedPadlock icon, microprinting, watermarks and more: what each feature does and how to check it.
- Check washing: how it works and how to stop itHow criminals erase and rewrite stolen checks, and the simple habits that stop them.
- How to stop payment on a checkExactly what your bank needs, how long a stop order lasts, what it costs, and when it is too late.
- How to verify a check before you deposit itConfirm a check is real with the bank that issued it, and spot fake-check red flags.
- Lost or stolen checks: what to doStep-by-step for a missing checkbook, a check you wrote, or a check made out to you.
- What happens when a check bouncesThe chain of events after a returned check, who pays which fees, and how to fix it fast.
- What is Positive Pay?The bank service that pays only the checks on your list, and how to set it up.
Checks vs other ways to pay
- ACH vs check: which payment should you use?How ACH and checks really move, plus speed, cost, safety and when each one is the right call.
- Cashier's check vs certified checkWho signs, where the money sits, how fast funds are available, and how to avoid fake ones.
- How to pay rent by checkFill out a rent check correctly, deliver it on time, and keep proof that you paid.
- Overdraft protection and checksThe three kinds of overdraft coverage, what they cost, and why the opt-in rule doesn't apply to checks.
- Remotely created checks (check drafts) and checks by phoneChecks the payee prints from your account details: how they work, the risks, and the rules.
- What is a bank draft? (vs a check)A bank-issued check, an autopay, or a demand draft: what the term means and how it compares to a check.
- Direct deposit and the voided checkHow direct deposit works, how to set it up, and how to void a check for your employer.
- Wire transfer vs checkWires are fast and final; checks are slower but can be stopped. Here's when to use which.
Checks for business and bookkeeping
- How to do a bank reconciliationMatch your books to your bank statement, with a full worked example and journal entries.
- Business check vs personal checkSize, stubs, signers and accounts: how business checks differ and when you need them.
- How to balance a checkbookKeep a register, match it to your statement and find mistakes fast, with a worked example.
- How to pay vendors by checkA simple, safe process for paying suppliers by check, from W-9 to reconciliation.
- Outstanding checksChecks you wrote that haven't cleared yet: how to track, reconcile and resolve them.
- Paying contractors by check (and the 1099)W-9 first, the right name on every check, and the 1099-NEC rules for 2026.
Printing your own checks
- How to add a signature to printed checksDraw, upload, type or hand-sign: how to put a clean signature on checks you print.
- The best printer for printing checksLaser vs inkjet, black-and-white printers, MICR toner and a buyer's checklist for printing checks.
- Check layouts: top, middle, bottom, 3 per page and walletTop, middle, bottom, 3 per page or wallet size: which check layout fits your stock and payments.
- Check printing problems and fixesWrong position, faded ink, jams, or a bank rejection: step-by-step fixes for printed checks.
- Check size and dimensionsPersonal and business check sizes in inches, the allowed range, letter-sheet layouts and the MICR band.
- Check stubs and voucher checksWhat goes on a voucher stub, how voucher checks are laid out, and how pay stubs differ.
- Custom checks with your logoPut your logo on business checks: placement, file prep, color choices and printing your own.
- How much does it cost to print your own checks?Cost per check for stock, ink, software and postage, with worked examples and ways to spend less.
- Check PDFs: save, send and print a check as a PDFSave a check as a PDF, send it safely, and print it at true size on check stock.
- Writing a check without a checkbookOut of checks? Print your own, get a counter check, or use one of four other options.
- Where to get checks cheapPrinting your own, check companies, your bank, retail programs and counter checks compared on cost and speed.