How To Print Checks In QuickBooks Online: Step‑By‑Step Guide

Printing checks in QuickBooks Online (QBO) lets you pay vendors, employees, or reimbursements while keeping your accounting records in sync. Instead of handwriting checks and then entering them later, you create the check in QBO and print it directly onto preprinted check stock.

This walkthrough covers how check printing works in QuickBooks Online, what you need to set up, and where things can differ based on your printer, check style, and workflow.

What “Printing Checks” Means In QuickBooks Online

In QuickBooks Online, a printed check is really two things at once:

1. An accounting transaction

   • Records a payment from a specific bank account
   • Reduces an open bill (if you’re paying a vendor bill)
   • Shows in your bank register and reports

2. A physical document

   • Printed on blank or preprinted check stock
   • Contains your bank routing number, account number, and check number
   • You sign and mail (or hand) it like any normal paper check

QuickBooks doesn’t talk directly to your bank for check printing. Instead, it formats information to match your paper checks, so they’re accepted just like traditional checks.

What You Need Before You Print Checks

Before you hit Print, a few pieces have to be in place.

1. A Supported QuickBooks Online Plan

You need a QuickBooks Online subscription that includes:

• Expenses / Bills features
• Access to + New → Check and + New → Pay bills

Most business-oriented tiers include this, but the exact plan names can differ by region.

2. A Linked Bank Account

You must have at least one bank account created in QBO to print checks from:

• Go to Settings ⚙ → Chart of accounts
• Make sure your checking account exists and is marked as Bank type
• This account is what will show on the printed check and in your ledger

3. Check Stock and Printer

QuickBooks Online assumes you’re printing on one of these:

• Voucher checks (most common):
  • 1 check on top, 2 stubs below
• Standard checks (three checks on a page, no stubs)

You’ll also need:

• A standard inkjet or laser printer
• Correct page size set in your printer driver (typically US Letter 8.5" x 11" or A4)

If your checks already have your bank information and check numbers printed, QBO will fill in the payee, date, amount, and memo. If you use “blank” secure stock, you may rely more on QBO’s formatting and your printer alignment.

How To Set Up Check Printing In QuickBooks Online

Setting up alignment and layout once will save a lot of frustration later.

Step 1: Open Check Printing Setup

1. Sign in to QuickBooks Online.
2. Select Settings ⚙ → Check printing
   • If you don’t see that link, you can also create a dummy check and click Print, then choose Print setup from that screen.

Step 2: Choose Your Check Style

You’ll usually see something like:

• Voucher – 1 check per page, with stubs
• Standard – 3 checks on one page

Choose the option that matches your physical check stock. If your check paper doesn’t match the type QuickBooks expects, alignment will always be off.

Step 3: Print a Sample and Align

QuickBooks lets you:

1. Print a sample check (often with sample data).
2. Place the printed sample against a blank check page and hold them up to a light.
3. Use the on‑screen alignment tools to nudge the print area left/right and up/down.

Common issues at this stage:

• The amount in numbers doesn’t line up with the box on your check.
• The amount in words overshoots the line or is too low.
• The payee or date is slightly off.

You adjust alignment, print another sample, and repeat until:

• Payee, date, amount, and signature line sit neatly in the intended areas.
• Nothing important prints onto preprinted data like routing/account numbers.

Once you’re satisfied, save your alignment settings. QuickBooks remembers this per browser/print setup, but some changes (new printer, new OS, driver updates) can shift things, so it’s worth rechecking after major changes.

How To Create And Print A Single Check

You can print a check either while paying a bill or making a standalone payment (like a reimbursement).

Step 1: Create the Check

1. Go to + New → Check.
2. Choose the Bank account you’re paying from.
3. Set the Payee (vendor, employee, or other).
4. Enter the Payment date.
5. Add the Amount and Category/Account (e.g., Office Supplies, Utilities).
6. In the Print later checkbox:
   • Check it if you want this check to show up in the “Print checks” queue.
   • Leave it unchecked if you’re recording a handwritten check and won’t print it through QBO.
7. Add a Memo if needed (this often prints on the check).

Click Save and close (or Save and new if you’re entering multiple).

Step 2: Go To The Print Checks Screen

1. Select + New → Print checks (or Expenses → Print checks depending on your layout).
2. Choose the Bank account that matches the checks you’re printing.
3. You’ll see a list of checks marked as Print later for that account.

Step 3: Set the First Check Number

1. In the print checks screen, look for Starting check no.
2. Enter the check number printed on your first physical check in the stack.
3. QuickBooks will automatically increment check numbers for each additional check in that batch.

This step is critical so your QBO register and your actual checkbook match.

Step 4: Select and Print

1. Check the boxes next to the checks you want to print.
2. Click Preview and print (or similar wording).
3. Make sure your printer:
   • Is set to the correct paper size
   • Is not set to “Fit to page” or scaling if that breaks alignment
4. Load your check stock correctly in the tray (check orientation printed on the packaging).
5. Print the checks.

If a check misprints, note its number. You’ll need that when handling reprints or voids.

How To Print Checks When Paying Bills

If you use Bills in QuickBooks Online:

Step 1: Enter Bills

1. Go to + New → Bill.
2. Enter the vendor, amount, and expense account.
3. Save the bill.

Step 2: Pay The Bill By Check

1. Go to + New → Pay bills.
2. Select the Bank account.
3. Check the box next to the bill(s) you want to pay.
4. Ensure Payment method = Check.
5. Ensure Print later is checked to send them to the print queue.
6. Save.

The payments will now appear under Print checks for that bank account, where you follow the same printing steps as above.

Handling Common Check Printing Issues

Even with setup, a few patterns of issues tend to crop up.

1. Misaligned Printing

Typical causes:

• Changed printers without redoing alignment.
• Printer driver using “Scale to fit” or margins that overwrite QuickBooks’ layout.
• Using check stock style (voucher vs standard) that doesn’t match your QBO setting.

Aligning usually means:

• Re-running Check printing setup in QBO.
• Ensuring 100% scaling (no auto-resize) in the print dialog.
• Double‑checking that your paper size matches your checks (Letter vs A4).

2. Wrong Check Numbers

If your printed check number doesn’t match what’s on the physical check:

• You may have entered the starting check number incorrectly.
• Someone may have removed checks from the box / stack.
• You reprinted a check without adjusting the number.

In QuickBooks Online you can:

• Edit a printed check to adjust its check number, or
• Void the wrong transaction and create a new one with the correct number, then reprint.

3. Reprinting Or Voiding A Check

Sometimes a check jams, prints crooked, or gets lost.

• To reprint:

  1. Go to Expenses → Expenses.
  2. Filter by Type = Check and find the check.
  3. Open it and mark Print later (if not already).
  4. Return to Print checks and print again.

• To void:

  1. Open the check.
  2. Use the More → Void option.
  3. The check number stays in the register, but the amount becomes zero.

How you handle this for your records (and whether you manually destroy misprinted checks) is partly a workflow/policy decision.

Factors That Change How Check Printing Works For You

The basic process above is the same for everyone, but several variables shape your exact experience.

Device, Browser, And Printer Setup

Different combinations behave differently:

Some setups require more fine‑tuning of alignment or print scaling than others.

Check Stock Design And Supplier

Not all check paper is identical:

• Thickness and texture can affect how smoothly it runs through your printer.
• Position of fields (date, amount box, memo line) can vary slightly by vendor.
• Preprinted vs blank:
  • Preprinted: you rely on QBO to place text in exactly the right spots.
  • Blank: you may rely on a different template or additional alignment work.

Accounting Workflow And Volume

Your check printing habits also depend on:

• How many checks you print at once:
  • High‑volume users often batch print weekly or monthly.
  • Low‑volume users might print one-off checks now and then.
• Whether you use Bills:
  • Paying from Bills → Pay bills → Print checks keeps payables tightly matched.
  • Using + New → Check directly is simpler but less structured.
• Internal controls:
  • Some teams require one person to create checks and another to print/sign them.
  • That can change who sets alignment and who manages voids/reprints.

Skill Level And Comfort With Settings

If you’re comfortable with printer and browser settings, alignment tweaks are quick. If you’re less technical, even small printing issues can be frustrating, and you might favor simpler setups:

• Printing from a single, always‑used computer.
• Sticking with one browser and one printer to avoid surprises.
• Avoiding advanced printer options that add complexity (like custom page sizes).

Where Your Own Setup Becomes The Missing Piece

The steps to create, align, and print checks in QuickBooks Online are broadly the same everywhere: set up your check style, fine‑tune alignment, mark checks as “Print later,” then batch print them with the right starting check number.

What changes from one business to another is how smoothly that process fits into daily work:

• Your printer model and driver decide how easy alignment is.
• Your check stock style and supplier affect where fields land on the page.
• Your browser, OS, and scaling settings influence whether prints stay consistent.
• Your volume of checks and approval rules shape whether you print instantly, in batches, or with multiple people involved.

Understanding the mechanics of QuickBooks Online’s check printing is the foundation; deciding how to tune it for your devices, paper, and workflow depends on the specific environment you’re working with.