While many people have moved on and have started relying on online banking and payment wallets, businesses in the United States still depend on paper checks. As a business owner, we’d bet you already know the conveniences that come with using checks.
There are many features that finance managers and business owners use that are unique to checks. They include stopping payments, post-dating them, among others. Checks also offer a quicker option when making hundreds of payments to various suppliers while keeping track of the payments.
According to many business owners, the only downside to check payments is the cost of buying them. This can be partly avoided if you order your business checks online. Here are some reasons why ordering business checks online makes sense. Let’s get started:
Banks Charge More
When you order checks from banks, you might end up paying more as compared to when you order online. Why? Because you’ll be required to pay for the profits cuts of your bank as well as the third-party printing company.
For instance, you might be charged from 0.15 to 0.28 dollars per check when you order from a bank. The cost will come down to about 0.02 dollars per check when you order them from an online printing company.
The price difference might seem insignificant for personal use as most people don’t use checks regularly. But for a business that writes many checks every day, it can make a huge difference. That being the case, not all online check printing companies charge a lower price than banks. Be sure to look at the pricing for the checks carefully before ordering.
Banks Don’t Print Checks
Contrary to what many people think, banks do not print checks. When you order checks from your bank, the bank outsources them to third party printers who have the necessary equipment.
Having that banks don’t print checks themselves, they have little control over the price and delivery time.
Security
The main reason why many businesses avoid buying checks online is safety concerns. Ordering from a bank may seem safe and reliable, while buying online may seem a bit risky. However, this can only be the case if you are ordering checks from non-reputable sites. But checks from a reputable check printing website are just as safe and secure as those from a bank.
Most online check firms rely on the same check printers as banks, only that they avoid the middleman.
Of course, you’ll need to ensure that an online check company is safe before ordering your checks. You can achieve this by checking for a padlock icon below the “amount” box. This confirms that the check is approved by CPSA – the same organization that assures the safety of bank checks.
Checks ordered online can even be more secure than bank checks. Most check printers provide an option of buying extra security checks that have additional features integrated into them, such as the chemically reactive paper, thermocon imaging, and microprinting. Of course, you’ll be charged more for this, but the extra security it offers is worth it.
Ease of Ordering
Ordering checks from a bank is easy as the bank already has your financial details, and you don’t have to figure out your routing number or any other information.
But ordering checks online doesn’t take much effort either. After ordering the first time, most online check printing firms hold your information, meaning you can reorder just as quickly, if not faster.
Most check printing firms ask you to provide a voided check so they can verify that all your details are correct.
Integration
If you’re a medium-sized or large company, chances are you aren’t doing your accounting manually. Days are gone when businesses recorded their income and expenses in a large book. A lot of accounting software platforms can allow you to print your checks, but bank checks are often not compatible with specific accounting software packages.
Checks bought online are compatible with all accounting software programs and can be formatted according to the specifications of your software. This way, you can combine your business checks into the accounting process, thus saving time and money.
Online business checks also integrate with accounting software by allowing you to buy blank check paper and then printing them using the software.
Blank checks allow you to print what you need on your business check while maintaining the security of your check.
