If you keep your books in QuickBooks Online, you can print checks with Check Writer 123 and record each one in QuickBooks the day you print it, using the check number from the printed check. Download the register as a CSV to compare against your entries, then reconcile monthly. Your books stay in QuickBooks and your printing stays quick.
This workflow gives each tool one job. QuickBooks Online holds your vendors, bills, categories and bank feed. Check Writer 123 prepares and prints the paper check on the stock you choose. A short, consistent routine ties the two together.
Why keep QuickBooks for the books and print checks separately?
- Your accountant and tax records stay where they already are.
- You choose the paper: blank check stock, pre-printed stock or plain paper.
- Printing is quick in a browser, on Windows, Mac or Chromebook, with whatever printer you own.
- You can print on more than one bank account and keep each one set up with its own details and alignment.
- A second record of every check, in a register, gives you a useful cross-check.
What do you need before you start?
- A QuickBooks Online company with the bank account you write checks from.
- A Check Writer 123 account with the same bank account added, including bank name, routing number, account number, logo and signature.
- Check paper: blank check stock is recommended, or pre-printed stock if you already have checks with your bank details on them.
- A printer, plus a few sheets of plain paper for a Test Print.
Add your regular vendors to the saved vendors list once so you can pick a payee in a couple of clicks instead of typing it every time.
What is the step-by-step workflow?
- Approve the payment in QuickBooks Online. For a bill, confirm the bill, due date and amount. For a direct expense, confirm the vendor, category and amount.
- Open Check Writer 123, choose the matching bank account and enter the payee, amount, date and memo. The amount in words fills in automatically.
- Add invoice details to the check stub if you want them. You can paste invoice lines from a spreadsheet.
- Check the live preview, run a free Test Print on plain paper if this is a new setup, and then load your check paper.
- Press Print. The check is saved and numbered, and that number is printed on the check.
- Record the payment in QuickBooks the same day, using that check number. Details are below.
- Mark the invoice as paid in your own system and file any supporting document.
How do you record the check in QuickBooks Online?
Screen names change from time to time, but the idea is stable. There are two common ways, depending on whether you enter bills in QuickBooks.
| Situation | Where to record it | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| You enter bills in QuickBooks | Pay bills, with Check as the payment method | The bill, the bank account, the payment date and the printed check number |
| You pay without a bill | Create a check or an expense | The payee, the bank account, the category, the amount and the printed check number |
| Several bills for one vendor | Pay bills, selecting each bill | One payment, the total and the printed check number |
Whichever route you use, make sure QuickBooks does not leave the check waiting in a print queue. If your screen shows a print-later option, leave it turned off, since the check has already been printed. Enter the same date, amount and payee as the check, so QuickBooks matches your bank feed cleanly.
The number is the key. Use the number printed on the check, because that is what appears on your bank statement. Check Writer 123 assigns numbers in order as you print, so copying each number across keeps both records in step.
How do you handle a bill run with many checks?
When you pay many vendors at once, enter up to 25 checks in a single batch screen, review the list, and print up to 50 selected checks together. The batch route fits a weekly or twice-monthly bill run and saves repeated clicks.
- In QuickBooks, pull up the bills due and decide which ones to pay.
- In Check Writer 123, enter the checks in a batch, one row per payee.
- Run one Test Print on plain paper and compare it with your check stock.
- Load the right number of sheets and print the batch.
- Open the register, sort by check number and note the numbers of the batch.
- Back in QuickBooks, pay the bills and enter the matching check numbers one by one.
For more on volume printing, see how to print multiple checks at once and how to print vendor checks.
Which paper should you use?
| Paper | What prints | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Blank check stock | The whole check, MICR line included | Checks you hand or mail to vendors |
| Pre-printed check stock | Date, payee, amount, amount in words, memo and signature | Checks you already have, with your bank details on them |
| Plain letter paper | One complete check at the top of the page | Deposits you make yourself or by mobile deposit |
Blank check stock is the recommended choice. Whether any bank accepts a particular printed check is up to the bank, so confirm with yours. Learn more in what blank check stock is.
How do you reconcile at month end?
- Open the register report in Check Writer 123 for the month and download it as a CSV.
- Open the CSV in a spreadsheet and sort by check number.
- In QuickBooks, open the reconcile screen for the same bank account and statement date.
- Tick each cleared check in QuickBooks, comparing check numbers, dates and amounts with the CSV.
- Look for checks printed but not yet recorded in QuickBooks, and for QuickBooks entries with no printed check.
- Finish the reconciliation when the difference is zero.
Outstanding checks that have not cleared are normal. A check that is much older than the rest is worth a call to the payee, in case it was lost or never deposited.
What about voids and reprints?
If a check jams or smudges, reprint the same saved check for free, and the number stays the same. If you must cancel a check, write VOID across it, keep it with your records and void the matching transaction in QuickBooks instead of deleting it, so the history stays clear. Issue the replacement under a new number. See how to void a printed check and how to reprint a check.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Recording the check in QuickBooks days later, after you forget which number it was.
- Using a different date or amount in each place, which breaks the match on your statement.
- Entering a printed check twice in QuickBooks, once as a bill payment and once as an expense.
- Skipping the Test Print after changing printers or paper.
- Leaving blank check stock in an unlocked drawer. Read check fraud prevention for small business.
Check Writer 123 is made by the publisher of this site. It runs in the browser on Windows, Mac and Chromebook, shows a live preview, fills in the amount in words, and prints on blank stock, pre-printed stock or plain paper. The register has search and CSV download, and each plan includes multiple bank accounts. Start with the 14-day free trial, no card needed, and see check printing for bookkeepers.
Next steps
Set up your bank account in Check Writer 123, print one Test Print, then run a real check and record it in QuickBooks Online the same day. After a month, reconcile with the CSV and adjust your routine. For the wider business setup, read how to print checks for your business, and for record keeping, how to keep a digital record of printed checks.