You can print checks without accounting software by using a check printing tool for the paper and a simple spreadsheet for the books. The tool prints each check and keeps a register, the spreadsheet tracks your balance and categories, and once a month you reconcile both against the bank statement. It is a workable system for a small business as long as you record every check the day you print it.
Who can run checks without accounting software?
Plenty of small businesses run on a spreadsheet and a bank statement, especially sole proprietors, small service businesses and side businesses with a few dozen transactions a month. This approach suits you if you write a modest number of checks, have a handful of expense categories, and have an accountant who prepares taxes from your records at year end.
It stops working well when you need invoicing, inventory, multiple users entering transactions, or reports that your accountant asks for each month. At that point, accounting software starts to pay for itself. Until then, a disciplined spreadsheet is fine.
What do you need for a spreadsheet and check printing system?
- A check printing tool or template that prints on your check stock, adds the amount in words and keeps a register of printed checks.
- A spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets for your cash ledger.
- Check stock and a printer, with a locked place for the stock.
- Your monthly bank statements, on paper or downloaded.
- A place to file invoices and receipts, marked with the check number.
A word processor can lay out a check, but it will not count or total anything for you. If you are weighing that route, read how to print a check from Microsoft Word first.
How should you set up the spreadsheet ledger?
Keep it simple. One row per transaction, with columns that match what you will need at reconciliation and at tax time.
| Column | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Date | The date on the check or deposit | 11/15 |
| Check or reference number | Check number, or DEP for a deposit | 1048 |
| Payee or source | Spelled the same way every time | Harbor Supply Co |
| Memo | Invoice number or purpose | Inv 20418 |
| Category | Rent, supplies, utilities, contractors | Supplies |
| Payment | Amount going out | 1,150.00 |
| Deposit | Amount coming in | |
| Cleared | Mark when it appears on the statement | Y |
| Balance | Running total | 8,420.55 |
Use a formula for the running balance so you do not do arithmetic by hand. Start the sheet with the bank balance on a specific date, and add rows below it. A separate tab for each bank account keeps things tidy.
How do you print a check and record it, step by step?
- Gather and approve the invoice or bill. Write the approval date and your initials on it.
- Enter the check in your check printing tool: payee, amount, date, memo. Check that the words match the number.
- Test print on plain paper, then print on check stock at 100 percent (Actual size) and sign.
- Note the check number the tool assigned.
- Add a row to your spreadsheet ledger right away, with the same check number, date, payee, amount and a category.
- Write the check number and date paid on the invoice and file it.
- Mail or hand over the check.
Doing step 5 immediately is what keeps the system honest. A ledger that is updated once a month from memory will not reconcile.
How do you keep a check register?
A register is the list of checks you have written, in number order. Your check printing tool may keep one for you, and a good one lets you search, print and export it. Treat that register and your spreadsheet as two views of the same facts. The register shows what was printed; the ledger shows the money and categories. They should list the same check numbers, dates, payees and amounts. For what to keep, how long and how to back it up, see how to keep a digital record of printed checks.
Include voided checks in the register, marked voided, so every number is accounted for. A gap in the sequence with no note is the first thing to chase when something looks off.
How do you reconcile at month end?
Reconciliation is how you confirm that your records and the bank agree. It takes about half an hour for a small account once it is a habit.
- Get the bank statement and note its ending balance and the statement date.
- Go through the statement line by line. For each check that cleared, mark Y in the Cleared column of your ledger, matching by check number and amount.
- Do the same for each deposit.
- Note anything on the statement that is not in your ledger, such as bank fees, interest or automatic payments. Add rows for them.
- List the outstanding checks: checks in your ledger that have not cleared yet. Add them up.
- List deposits in transit: deposits you recorded that are not yet on the statement. Add them up.
- Calculate: bank statement ending balance, plus deposits in transit, minus outstanding checks. The result should equal your ledger balance on the same date.
- If it does not match, look for a transposed number, a check recorded for a different amount, a check printed but not recorded, or a duplicate row.
- Save the finished reconciliation with the statement.
A check that stays outstanding for months deserves a call to the payee. It may have been lost, and it may need to be voided and reissued under a new number.
What should you do at year end?
- Export your check register and save a copy with your yearly records.
- Add up spending by category in your spreadsheet and compare the totals with what your accountant needs.
- Total payments to each contractor for any reporting your accountant says you need to file.
- Keep invoices, bank statements, ledgers and register exports together. Ask your accountant how long to keep each type of record.
- Review the year. If the spreadsheet has become hard to maintain, that is a sign to try accounting software.
What are the common mistakes?
- Printing checks without recording them. This is the main cause of overdrafts.
- Using different payee spellings so totals by payee are wrong.
- Overwriting the running balance formula with a typed number.
- Forgetting bank fees and interest, which makes the reconciliation off by small amounts.
- Keeping stock unlocked. Blank checks are a fraud risk.
- Not backing up the spreadsheet. Save a copy somewhere other than the one computer.
Check Writer 123 keeps a searchable register of every printed check, with a printable report and a CSV download, which you can open in Excel or Google Sheets alongside your ledger. It does not track balances, categories or reconciliation, so those stay in your spreadsheet.
Next steps
Set up the ledger columns, enter your opening bank balance, and print one test check on plain paper. Then work through the routine for a month: record each check as you print it, and reconcile when the statement arrives. If you find yourself wanting invoices, reports or several people entering data, that is the point to compare accounting tools. Until then, the broader choices for check payments are laid out in check printing for small businesses. If you already use QuickBooks for your books, see how to print checks without QuickBooks.