Check printing software for QuickBooks users
If your books live in QuickBooks, you have three ways to print checks: QuickBooks' own printing, an integrated add-on, or standalone software. Standalone software like Check Writer 123 prints the check and keeps a register, and you record each check in QuickBooks with the same number.
14-day free trial. No card needed. Works alongside QuickBooks.
Three ways to print checks when you use QuickBooks
QuickBooks is built for bookkeeping, and printing a check is only one part of it. Depending on how many checks you write and how you like to work, there are three sensible choices.
QuickBooks' own check printing
QuickBooks can print checks onto check stock that you buy for it, straight from the payment screens. It is already part of what you pay for, and nothing connects to anything else.
Fits when the layouts and check stock it supports already work for you.
An integrated add-on
Add-ons connect to your QuickBooks company file or QuickBooks Online account, pull the payments you have entered and print them, often on blank check stock. The payment is recorded once, in QuickBooks. They are usually priced per user or per QuickBooks company.
Fits when you pay many bills from QuickBooks every week and want no re-typing.
Standalone check printing software
A separate tool such as Check Writer 123 prints the check, keeps its own register, and works with any accounting system or none at all. You record each check in QuickBooks yourself, using the same check number.
Fits when you write a modest number of checks, use more than one system, or want a simple flat price.
The honest trade-off
An integrated add-on saves typing. Because it reads the payment straight from QuickBooks, you enter a payment once. If you pay many bills from QuickBooks every week, that matters. Standalone software means one extra step: you record the check in QuickBooks yourself. In return you get a simple flat price, no link to one accounting product, and a tool that is just as easy for a landlord, church or small shop that does not use QuickBooks at all.
A simple workflow with Check Writer 123 and QuickBooks
- 1
Write the check in Check Writer 123
Choose the bank account, payee, amount, date and memo, and add invoice lines to the stub if the vendor needs them. Check the live preview and print. The check gets the next number automatically.
- 2
Record the same check in QuickBooks
Enter the payment in QuickBooks with the same check number, date and amount, so your books match the check that went out. Mark it as a check you print yourself rather than one QuickBooks will print.
- 3
Use the register to keep both in step
Download the register as a CSV file for any month or bank account. It opens in Excel or Google Sheets, so you can compare it with your QuickBooks register or hand it to your bookkeeper.
- 4
Tick checks off as they clear
When a check appears on your bank statement, mark it cleared in the Check Clearing page. Charts show how many checks and how many dollars are still outstanding, which helps when you reconcile in QuickBooks.
For more detail, read how to print checks if you use QuickBooks Online, or see check printing for bookkeepers who manage several clients.
What you get with Check Writer 123
- Prints on blank check stock, pre-printed stock or plain paper, from any printer, with nothing to install.
- The amount in words, check number and bank number line (MICR) are generated for you.
- Multiple bank accounts, saved vendors and employees, and batch printing for a weekly bill run.
- A searchable register with CSV export and a clearing tracker for checks the bank has paid.
- Plans from $9.99 a month with no per-check fee, and a 14-day free trial with no card.
Using Quicken instead? See check printing for Quicken users and what it costs to print your own checks. Compare online and desktop check printing software, or read the complete guide to check printing software.
Frequently asked questions
Does Check Writer 123 connect to QuickBooks?
No. There is no direct QuickBooks connection. You keep your books in QuickBooks, print the check in Check Writer 123, and record the same check in QuickBooks with the same check number. The register's CSV download helps you compare the two when you reconcile.
Why would I use separate software instead of a QuickBooks add-on?
Integrated add-ons save re-typing if you pay a lot of bills from QuickBooks every week. Separate software suits people who write a modest number of checks, use more than one accounting system or none, or want a simple flat price. Choose by how many checks you write and how much typing you are willing to do.
What does Check Writer 123 cost compared with a per-company add-on?
Plans start at $9.99 a month with no per-check fee: Occasional is $9.99 for 20 checks and 2 bank accounts, Mid Tier is $13.99 for 60 checks and 4 accounts, and Unlimited is $29.99 with no limit. Add-on prices vary by product and by the number of users or QuickBooks companies, so compare the current price of each.
Can I use it for payroll checks?
Check Writer 123 prints and records checks. It does not run payroll or calculate wages and taxes, so use your payroll provider, QuickBooks Payroll or your accountant for that, then print the finished check here if you wish. The stub can show details such as the pay period.
Does it work with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop?
Because nothing connects, it works alongside either one. You write the check here and record it in whichever QuickBooks you use. It also works the same way with other accounting software such as Xero or a spreadsheet.
Can I try it before I switch my workflow?
Yes. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial and no card is needed. Run a free Test Print on plain paper to check alignment, write a few real checks, and see whether the two-step workflow suits you.
Try it alongside QuickBooks
Start your 14-day free trial, print a test check on plain paper, and see how the workflow fits. No card needed.