What this tool actually does for payroll
If you already know the net amount to pay an employee — because a payroll service, your accountant, or your own calculation using IRS Publication 15-T gave you that number — Quick Check Writer lets you write and print the physical check quickly: payee name, amount in numbers and words (the words fill in automatically), date, and a memo. It's a check writer, not a payroll calculator.
This matters because getting withholding wrong has real consequences — underpaid federal or state tax, an employee's year-end surprise, or a penalty for you as the employer. Don't use this app, or any check writer, to guess at net pay. Get the number from a payroll service (Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, ADP, ask your accountant), then print the check here.
Step by step
- Calculate net pay elsewhere — payroll software, your accountant, or IRS Pub 15-T if you're doing it by hand.
- Add your company once in Quick Check Writer: business name, address, bank name, routing number, and account number.
- Enter the employee as the payee, type in the net pay amount, set the pay date, and add a memo like "Pay period 10/1–10/15".
- Use the voucher stub note to record what's covered — pay period dates, for instance. This is a plain text note, not a calculated stub with tax lines broken out.
- Print at 100% scale on your blank check stock, sign (or use a saved signature), and hand or mail it to the employee.
About the stub
A standard payroll stub from a payroll service shows gross pay, each tax withheld, deductions, and net pay as separate line items. Quick Check Writer's voucher stub is a single note field — good for "pay period" or a short description, not a line-by-line tax breakdown. If your employees need a formal pay stub with withholding detail (most do, for their own records and for things like loan applications), get that from your payroll provider and treat the check here as just the payment instrument.
Write your first check free
No download and no credit card. Add your bank once, fill in the check, print or share it as a PDF.
Write your first check freePrinted payroll checks vs. direct deposit
| Printed check | Direct deposit | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | None beyond your bank account and a printer | Employee bank details on file, usually through a payroll service |
| Speed | Employee deposits it themselves, 1–2 business days to clear typically | Funds land on payday, same day |
| Cost | Cost of check stock plus your Quick Check Writer plan | Often a per-run fee from a payroll service |
| Good for | A new hire before their bank info is set up, a contractor, an occasional or one-off payment, an employee without a bank account | Regular recurring payroll at any scale |
| Paper trail | Check register logs every check automatically; mark void and export CSV | Payroll service's own reporting |
Most small businesses running regular payroll are better off on direct deposit through a payroll service — it's faster for employees and keeps tax filing automated. Printing a check makes sense for the gaps: a new hire's first check before direct deposit is set up, a one-time bonus, a contractor payment, or an employee who prefers or needs a paper check.
What this app is not
It doesn't calculate federal or state withholding, Social Security, Medicare, or any payroll tax. It doesn't file payroll tax forms. It doesn't do direct deposit, ACH, or mail checks for you. It's software for printing a check you've already decided the amount for — see printing business checks for the general check-printing workflow this builds on.
Printing it right
Run the alignment test on plain paper before using real check stock, adjust X/Y offsets until it lines up, and always print at 100% scale with headers and footers off. The MICR line (your bank's routing and account numbers) needs to land exactly where the bank's scanner expects it — see our MICR ink guide for whether you need magnetic toner for payroll checks specifically.
Plans
The first check is free. Basic is $1.99/month (one bank account), Personal $2.99/month (two accounts), Pro $4.99/month (up to 10 companies and accounts) — Pro is the practical choice if you're running payroll for more than one business entity. See pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Quick Check Writer calculate payroll tax withholding?
No. It prints the check once you know the net pay amount; get that number from a payroll service, your accountant, or IRS Publication 15-T.
Can I print a pay stub with tax breakdowns?
The voucher stub is a plain text note, not a line-item tax breakdown. For a formal pay stub, use a payroll service.
Is a printed payroll check legal?
Yes — see our guide on whether it's legal to print your own checks. The requirement is a valid routing and account number for an account you own and correct payee/amount information.
Should I use direct deposit instead?
For regular recurring payroll, most businesses find direct deposit through a payroll service faster and less manual. Printed checks are useful for one-off payments, new hires, or contractors.
Do I need MICR ink for payroll checks?
Many banks prefer or require magnetic ink/toner on the routing and account line for faster processing. See our MICR ink guide.
Related guides
- Print business checks
- Do you need MICR ink?
- Blank check stock guide
- Is it legal to print your own checks?
- How to write a check
Sources: IRS Publication 15-T
Last updated October 27, 2026.