Payroll Checks: Where to Buy Payroll Checks & Paper

Payroll checks are only valid if printed on paper stock containing security features to prevent fraud. Many sellers supply options from sterile payroll check stock to brightly colored newspaper with logos to support your business brand. Expect to pay from $20 to get a ream of 100 blank payroll checks around tens of thousands of dollars to get custom checks.

If you would prefer to pay employees with direct deposit and reduce the cost of printing and mailing paper checks, consider using a small business payroll provider such as Gusto. Gusto may import your own time clock data and run payroll in minutes, providing payments directly to your employee’s bank accounts.

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Payroll Check Paper Stock Vendor Comparison

Blank payroll check paper can be purchased on the internet or locally at an office supply retailer or membership shop. Prices range from $30 to $460 per year ream based on customization and features. Most paper inventory typically includes room for pay stub details. Below are examples of different places you can buy payroll check document, including from a custom printer.

	Everything You Can Acquire	Sample Price
Office Supply Store (Staples or Office Max)	Ream of blank payroll check paper to get a laser printer	$37.99 per ream of 500
Membership Store (Sam’s Club or Costco)	Ream of sterile payroll check paper to get a laser printer	$45.80mph ream of 500
Online Retailers	Blank or custom checks with safety features and perforations	$30 each ream of 500 in Amazon, or $89 for 500 customized checks at EZ Checks**
Custom Check Printer	Custom checks with high safety and perforations in multiple colors, styles and layouts	$240 per ream of 500 at Print Globe, or $460 per ream of 500 with duplicates at Deluxe

* Requires company membership
** Includes free shipping

Printing Payroll Checks and Pay Stubs

You can print your own payroll checks with check paper inventory that includes security features such as heat-sensitive ink, chemically sensitive paper, microprint, a watermark, or even the term’void’ that prints when someone attempts to make a photocopy of the check. Some check vendors offer checks with a hologram as a security attribute.

If your printer and software combined allow you to custom publish your documents, you may have the choice to print direct deposit advices using plain paper. However, due to the shortage of safety, such as a patterned background, or watermarks, you aren’t able to publish valid citizenship checks in plain white paper. Specialized check inventory is needed.

Computer Payroll Check Prerequisites

The kind of payroll check paper stock you need will fluctuate dependent on the software and printer (inkjet, laser or dot matrix) you use. By way of instance, QuickBooks, lets you opt for the design of your checks and defines the kind of paper. Check with your payroll software provider to ensure that the payroll checks you buy are compatible with your payroll program.

Price of Payroll Check Stock

Payroll test paper stock typically costs between $40 to get a ream of 500 blank checks to $240 and up for 500 checks personalized with a standard logo and your organization name. It’s possible to purchase fewer than 500, but you will pay considerably more per check.

If you want type fed paper for your inkjet printer for instance, or duplicate or triplicate thickness paper that gives duplicates as it prints, it is going to cost additional. You’ll also pay more if you order payroll checks with a custom logo or custom colors rather than sterile paycheck stock. But, you’ll typically save money if you purchase a larger quantity at once.

Last, make sure that you account for the price of image set up, taxes, and shipping should you order paper checks online.

Payroll Checks vs. Personal Checks vs. Business Checks

Payroll check paper inventory includes room for the specific fields you need to record the payroll information you want to monitor, such as pay periods, gross profit and net pay, deductions, and paid time off balances. We are going to compare with different kinds of tests for citizenship.

	Payroll Checks	Business Checks	Personal Checks
Customizable with Business Name	✔	✔	✖
Willing to Write Information Manually	Maybe	Perhaps	✔
Can Print from Computer Software	✔	Maybe	✖
Form-Fed Options Available	✔	✔	✖
Print Layout on Top, Middle, or Bottom	✔	✔	✖
Room for Employee Pay Stub Details	✔	Maybe	✖

Payroll Checks for Payroll

Payroll checks are designed particularly for paying workers. They have a check-portion on the newspaper that comprises the payee, net amount, date and signature, much like a company check. However they contain additional features that neither a private check nor business check have, like space for hours, earnings and deductions.

They are available in many formats, for example with the test stub on top, bottom or middle of the newspaper. Additionally, they need to be used with a business payroll account which is separate from the company account used for company accounts (income) and expenditures.

Payroll checks also arrive in a manual format where you are able to write the info in, in addition to printable formats used by most payroll software.

Business Checks for Payroll

Business checks are check stock used by applications like QuickBooks. You can’t publish on plain paper since it lacks the security features demanded by a financial institution. Very similar to personal checks, company checks typically do not possess the qualities of a payroll check, for example additional space for adding additional employee information.

In addition, commingling your business checking account with your payroll account could cause problems in the event of a company or tax audit, and of course making it difficult to keep track of your payroll costs.

Personal Checks for Payroll

Personal checks are checks supplied by your lender or a check seller, and lack the space to record employee earnings, deductions and net pay. In other words, they lack a pay stub.

Additionally, a personal check is usually drawn in your private bank account which shouldn’t be used to pay company expenses such as salaries. Why? Because if you’re audited, it could be tricky to separate which obligations were for business instead of personal use. Save yourself the trouble and create 1 accounts for business and one for personal.

9 Characteristics of a Payroll Check

When you purchase payroll checks you will want to consider many attributes, like whether they are preprinted with your business name and custom logo. You will consider security features, design and colours, as well as options for example to add remarks such as,”congratulations on your two-year employment anniversary!” Here are nine features to Search for:

Custom or Blank: you may buy blank payroll check paper stock or personalize it with options for example your small business logo and branding. On blank check paper stock, you are going to use your computer software or a template to publish your company name and all information. Whereas on the custom payroll newspaper, you require print just what is different for each check, such as the worker name, payment amount, etc..

Pay Stub: generally, you’ll want payroll check document that has a pay stub alternative included so that your workers’ pay stubs show all sources of earnings and deductions for the pay period. A good example is shown below. A paystub isn’t demanded by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (national labor law) and prerequisites vary by state. Timekeeping software seller Fingercheck has identified countries that need paystubs be given to workers.

Security: To minimize the threat that your paychecks might be endangered, you may want to picked paycheck paper stock that has safety features like a watermark, a marbled background, or heating sensitive fibers. The more expensive payroll check paper has one or more of them — some vendors like Amazon even offer paper stock that has a hologram.

Shade: Average colors for payroll check stock are pastels like soft green, pale blue, or yellowish. But if you would like custom colours you might want to order from a vendor such as Print Globe that offers over 20 colours. If you’d like a custom background or special fonts, think about purchasing custom payroll checks from a vendor like Deluxe that may add these specifics.

Remarks: It’s nice to have a spot on the payroll test paper to include notes and comments. You could thank someone for their work, provide advice about a bonus, or even remind employees of a coming holiday. Some payroll software like Gusto has this feature built in or you can hand write notes of appreciation in this area.

Signature: Your payroll check will need to be signed, either electronically, either by hand, or from stamp. Some sellers like Deluxe let you add extra features to your check, such as another line for a signature, if that is what your company requirements.

Layout: Payroll check paper stock offers several options for the positioning of the test itself. For instance the test can be at the very top, bottom or middle of the newspaper, together with the paystub located above or below the payroll assess itself. Often this will be dictated by your payroll applications, or configurable inside the print option. An illustration of an investigation on the base choice is shown below with sample info about year-to-date (YTD) deductions so you can see where specific information should go.

Perforation: Payroll check inventory can come perforated so that employees can quickly tear off the check and maintain the test stub. But should you direct deposit the funds, and the only reason you use the test stock is to send or give the workers a listing of the earnings, then no perforation is necessary. In reality, plain white paper is fine to get a pay stub.

Self-mailing: Some paper stock is scored or lined so which you may fold the payroll check-in, and mail it. You’re able to deal with receiver on the back, either with your printer or by hand. When it is folded and stamped, the payroll check and pay stub are indoors.

Payroll Check Cases

Listed below are a few examples that will help you think about the kind of payroll check paper you might want to buy. These pictures are from seller sites; every vendor is listed beneath the image. You will observe that the kind of checks you purchase depend on the printer, your applications, and whether or not you need a real test, or simply a payslip for example used when you use direct deposit (in which the check info is voided).

If you’d like workers to have the ability to sign on and receive their own pay stubs, together with an email message letting them understand their immediate deposit has posted, think about a payroll software with worker self explanatory, like Gusto.

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The Most Important Thing

When purchasing payroll checks, you have to understand what’s necessary, so it matches your own software and printer, as well as matches your employer brand. Ask yourself, would you like plain green check inventory that communicates”Here is your check” or would you want custom branded paper inventory with room for remarks, that communicates,”We value you”? The choices you make determine where you buy payroll checks, and how much you pay.

Or even better, would you prefer to escape the business of payroll and newspaper checks entirely, and operate with an HR, payroll and benefits company like Gusto that can manage all your employee demands, and process payroll with direct deposit advices which have room for employee favorable comments?

Try Gusto