For daycares and small shops

Check printing for small shops and daycares

Check Writer 123 is a web app that lets a daycare or small shop print its own checks on blank check stock, pre-printed stock or plain paper, using any printer. Plans start at $9.99 a month for 20 checks, after a 14-day free trial with no card. Save your landlord, suppliers and staff once, put invoice or pay-period lines on the stub, and download a register of every check.

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14-day free trial, no card needed. Prints on blank check stock, pre-printed stock or plain paper, on any printer. Free 14-day trial, no card needed.

Why checks are a chore when you run a small shop or daycare

A few checks a month, but never quite the same few

Rent, the food or stock supplier, utilities, insurance and a cleaner make a short list, yet each check still needs the right payee, date, amount in words and memo. Buying a box of pre-printed checks for that volume, then reordering when the address or bank changes, is slow and fussy.

A small payroll with big consequences

Paying three to ten staff by check means pay-period details on every stub and records that match what your payroll provider tells you. Your payroll provider supplies the figures, so you want a tool that prints the amounts you give it and keeps a clean record.

Refunds that need a paper trail

A parent overpays tuition, a customer cancels a special order, a deposit has to go back. A handwritten refund check with a vague memo is hard to match to the original sale a month later, especially when you are the one answering the phone.

You are the owner, the cashier and the bookkeeper

Checks get written at the end of a long day. Without a register you rely on a checkbook stub and memory, and blank stock tends to end up in an unlocked drawer near the register, which is exactly where you do not want it.

How a daycare or shop owner prints checks in five steps

Most owners set this up once in an evening, then spend a few minutes at the start of each pay period or bill-pay day.

1
Start the free trial and add your bank details
Create an account, enter your routing and account number (the routing lookup checks the number and suggests the bank name), upload your logo, and add your signature or leave the line blank to hand-sign each check.
2
Run a Test Print before you load real stock
Print a free Test Print on plain paper, hold it over a blank check in front of a light, and nudge the alignment until every field lands where it should. The settings are saved for that bank account.
3
Save your regular payees
Add your landlord, food or stock supplier, utility, insurance company and each staff member to the saved vendors and employees list, so every future check takes seconds instead of minutes.
4
Enter the checks and print
Enter the month's checks, add invoice numbers or pay-period details on the stub, look over the live preview and press Print. A check is saved at the moment it is printed.
5
Export the register and lock up the stock
Download the register report as a CSV for your accountant or your own files, then put the unused blank stock back in its locked drawer.

Features that matter when you only write a few checks a month

Plans sized for low volume

The Occasional Pack is $9.99 a month for 20 checks and 2 bank accounts, which covers many small centers and shops. The Mid Tier is $13.99 for 60 checks and 4 accounts. Every plan has every feature.

Saved vendors and employees

Enter the landlord, the supplier or a teacher once and pick them from a list afterward, with the amount in words filled in automatically.

Invoice lines on the check stub

Paste invoice numbers and amounts from a spreadsheet, or enter pay-period details, so suppliers and staff can see exactly what each check covers.

Check register and CSV report

Search every printed check, then download a register report your accountant can open in a spreadsheet at month end.

Reprint, void and Test Print

Reprint a jammed check for free, print a voided check when you need one, and test your alignment as often as you like. Reprints and Test Prints do not count toward your monthly limit.

More than one bank account

Keep an operating account and a payroll or tuition-refund account apart, each with its own saved alignment and check numbering.

Example: a childcare center in a typical month

Picture a center with four employees paid twice a month. Each pay period the owner gets net pay figures from the payroll provider and prints four paychecks, so eight a month. Rent of $2,850.00, a $412.60 food order, an electric bill of $286.15 and an insurance installment of $540.00 add four more.

One parent overpaid by $175.00 and is owed a refund, which makes thirteen checks. That fits inside the Occasional Pack's 20 checks, so the center pays $9.99 a month and has room for seven more. The refund memo reads "Refund, overpaid tuition", and the owner exports the register at month end.

A small gift shop follows the same pattern with different names: it pays its wholesaler $1,850.45 for three invoices on a single check, with each invoice number listed on the stub. All figures here are invented to show the idea.

An illustration with made-up figures, not a real customer.

Which plan fits a daycare or small shop?

Look at your last three bank statements, count the checks you wrote in each month, and use the busiest month as your number. Plans are based on checks printed per month, and a check counts when you press Print.

The Occasional Pack at $9.99 a month allows 20 checks and 2 bank accounts, and a center with a handful of staff plus its bills often fits there. The Mid Tier at $13.99 allows 60 checks and 4 bank accounts, which suits a shop with weekly supplier runs or a larger staff. Unlimited at $29.99 removes the cap on checks and accounts.

Every plan includes every feature, so the choice is only about volume. You can cancel anytime in Settings, and the first payment carries a 30-day money-back guarantee. Full details are on the pricing page.

Reprints and Test Prints do not count toward your monthly limit.
A voided check printed on blank stock does count as a printed check.
Nothing is saved until you press Print, so there are no drafts to clean up.

Can a daycare pay its staff by check from Check Writer 123?

Yes. Your payroll provider or accountant gives you the net pay; you pick the employee from your saved list, enter the net amount, put the pay period on the stub and print on blank or pre-printed stock. Gross pay, withholding, employer taxes and filings stay with your payroll provider or accountant.

The stub can carry the detail. Enter or paste lines such as the pay period, hours and deductions exactly as the provider lists them, so staff can see how the amount was reached. Ask your accountant what earnings information must appear and how long payroll records must be kept. For the full routine, read How Daycares Can Print Checks for Payroll and Bills and How to Print Payroll Checks at Home.

Ask your payroll provider or accountant about payroll, 1099s and tax records.
Batch entry of up to 25 checks and printing of up to 50 selected checks make a pay run quick.
Search the register by employee name to find any past paycheck.
If you void and reissue a paycheck, tell your payroll provider so their records match yours.

How do you keep blank check stock safe in a small shop or center?

Blank check stock is a fraud risk, and in a shop or childcare center it sits near customers, parents, delivery drivers and part-time staff. A locked drawer you actually use beats an elaborate system you skip when you are busy.

Your Check Writer 123 account is protected by your own login, so the person who knows the password is the person who can print. Use a strong, unique password and keep it to yourself.

Store unused sheets in a locked drawer or cabinet away from the front counter, and give the key to one person.
Print only the sheets you need and write down how many remain after each run.
Shred spoiled sheets, or void them and record the number if they were already printed.
Never leave signed checks on the counter or the front desk. Hand them over or mail them the same day.
Have the owner or director look at the register and the bank statement each month.

What it costs

One flat monthly price with every feature on every plan. The plans differ only in checks per month and bank accounts. You also pay for your own paper and ink.

Occasional Pack

$9.99

per month

20 checks a month

2 bank accounts

Mid Tier

$13.99

per month

60 checks a month

4 bank accounts

Unlimited

$29.99

per month

Unlimited checks

Unlimited bank accounts

A check counts when you press Print. Reprints and Test Prints are free. 30-day money-back guarantee on your first payment; see the refund policy.

Frequently asked questions

Can a daycare print its own checks?

Yes. A daycare can print its own checks with a computer, a regular printer and blank check stock, as long as the bank details are entered correctly and your bank accepts the result. Many centers print rent, supplier and refund checks this way. Payroll amounts should come from your payroll provider or accountant, and it is wise to confirm with your bank about printed checks.

Can a small shop print checks to pay its suppliers?

Yes. A shop can save each supplier once, enter the amount, and print a check with the invoice numbers on the stub. Many owners print on one set day each week or month, then mail or hand over the finished checks the same day. The register keeps a record of every check for your accountant.

How much does check printing cost for a daycare that writes only a few checks a month?

The Occasional Pack costs $9.99 a month for 20 checks and 2 bank accounts, after a 14-day free trial that needs no card. You also buy your own blank check stock and printer supplies. If you write more than 20 checks in a month, the Mid Tier at $13.99 allows 60.

Can I print payroll checks for my daycare staff?

Yes. Your payroll provider or accountant gives you the net pay for each person. You pick the employee from your saved list, enter the net amount, put the pay period on the stub and print the check. Save time by entering a whole pay run as a batch. Ask your accountant about payroll records and any tax filings your center owes.

How do I refund a parent or customer by check?

Confirm what was paid and how, work out the refund under your written policy, then print a check payable to the person or business that paid. Put the original receipt or invoice number in the memo and record the refund against the sale. Card payments are usually refunded to the card through your card processor instead.

Where should a shop or daycare keep blank checks?

Keep them in a locked drawer or cabinet, away from the front counter, with one person holding the key. Count the sheets after each print run, print only what you need, and shred spoiled sheets. Blank check stock is a fraud risk, so treat it more like cash than like office paper.

Do I need a laser printer to print checks for my shop?

No. The web app works with any printer, laser or inkjet. The MICR line at the bottom of a check is traditionally printed in magnetic ink or MICR toner, so ask your bank what ink or toner it prefers for printed checks. Run a free Test Print on plain paper first to confirm that every field lines up.

Guides for daycares and small shops

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Print your first check in a few minutes

Start the 14-day free trial, no card needed, and run a free Test Print before you load a single sheet of real check stock.

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