03.21.08
Printing Your Own Personal Checks
Check ordering is one of the biggest hidden costs of having a checking account. In order to turn a profit banks may offer free checking, but you pay dearly for the checks. By actually check printing yourself, you can save those costs and benefit financially.
There are a few precautions that you should take before you start spitting out your own checks. It’s not as simple as just having them come out on a piece of paper. There are quite a few really good and inexpensive programs to help with check printing, so purchasing one of those isn’t a bad idea. Beyond that, here are some things to know.
What is Required?
To print your own checks, there is some important equipment to acquire if you want to achieve a professional finished product. This is in addition to the software already discussed. Conveniently, you can use your own home printer. Purchasing magnetic ink should definitely be on your to-do list, however. It can sometimes be difficult to find this ink, so be prepared for some searching.
In addition to the magnetic ink, it would be wise to use special paper, to prevent your checks from being easily manipulated. There are many online and offline retail stores that sell check stock paper. You can buy blank check stock in sheets of hundreds, and these will last for a really long time for anyone that doesn’t write a large amount of checks. This paper will closely resemble the checks that your bank uses.
The most important aspect of these checks is that they incorporate full security features, making it difficult to be subject of manipulation and theft. You can also purchase checks for Quicken or other programs, if you are using a money management program. For certain expenses that are a part of your bookkeeping program, you can automatically print checks with this kind of check stock, since it is primarily created for such programs.
More on Magnetic Ink
Magnetic ink is imperative for numerous reasons. Most importantly, after you write a check, it will subsequently be run through a reader and non-optical readers can only read checks printed in magnetic ink. If you don’t print with magnetic ink the bank will have to manually process the check. This can lead to delays and additional fees, defeating the purpose of saving money.
What are MICR Fonts?
Have you ever given any thought to why exactly the bank account information and the routing data printed upon your check look so peculiar? It is due to the fact that they are written in what is called an MICR font. For most banks to consider honoring a check, the numbers must either be printed in the MICR or a similar font, known as E-13B. These fonts often require a laser quality printer in order to print properly, so you should check the compatibility of your printer first.
In addition, it will be less complicated to print these fonts on laser stock paper. If you tend to write a large number of checks, then you can save money by check printing from home. The benefits of check printing outweigh the initial cost of extra equipment. All these security measures must be taken seriously. Without doing so, you could fall victim of theft since the checks could be so easily manipulated.
03.11.08
4 Safety Tips for Writing a Personal Check
For anyone that has little experience in check writing, it is strongly recommended that you read on. Although, safely writing a check may not be the hardest thing you’ll ever do, it is one of the most important.
Use Ink Only
Always use a pen to write a check to prevent any kind of tampering with the check. Never use a pencil when you are check writing because someone whod prefer to fill in the blanks with the amount they’d like to receive could easily erase your pencil marks. To avoid dishing out blank checks to people, be sure to use some kind of ink. Although a pen is acceptable according to most people, it is wise to use a permanent marker if possible. This is significant due to those occurrences in which people have committed “check washing”, which is a process in which criminals use chemicals to remove checks’ ink. A permanent marker prevents this possibility.
Dating and Identifying Tips
Upon first glance at the check, it might seem complicated to the inexperienced. If you know all of the information, however, the blanks are very easy to fill out. To start with, enter the current date on the check. It is illegal to post-date a check so always recheck the date that you put on the check. Once this has been completed, be certain to write the name of the person who shall be the recipient of the check on the “pay to the order of” line of the check. Make sure that you’ve accurately written the business name or the person’s first and last name.
Filling in the Amount
The foremost piece of information on the check is the amount of money you want the Bank to pay. This information will need to be inputted twice. The first place to put the information is in the dollar amount line. You’ll find this just under the line that says “PAY TO THE ORDER OF.” Include the full amount and any cents that are involved in the transaction. You need to complete this portion of the check thoroughly to avoid another from changing your numbers. Look at the right side of the check. Put the numbers you see there in the amount box.
Sign the Check Properly
Signing the check may be the last but not the least part of check writing. Be absolutely certain to sign the check with your own unique, standard signature, very stylistically similar to the one printed on your driver’s license. You could face the hassle of questions and accusations about fraud if you don’t sign the check with your standard signature. Deviations can cause the bank to red flag your check. Given how much check fraud and forgery is going on these days, banks are vigilant against suspicious-looking signatures that do not match up against your normal signature. The info section is somehow optional. Many people elect to make a quick note of what the check was for, just to keep their own bookkeeping records straight. Speaking broadly, you will be better off providing as much information as possible.
In general, it isn’t difficult to write a check. However, check writing isn’t something that should be taken lightly. Be certain to take a great deal of care in filling out each section of the check as carefully and completely as possible, so as to minimize the possibility that your check will be manipulated. This will prevent future headaches from occurring.
To save money on your next personal checks purchase, look for designer checks coupons that can be used for a discount when ordering online.
