As functional, time-saving, and cost-effective as computer checks are, many businesses prefer the old-fashioned way and still cling to paper checks for payroll. Although we are advocates of computer checks, we do understand this traditional way of thinking. But that leads us to our next question , what's so great about paper checks?
3 Reasons Businesses Still Use Paper Checks
- Familiarity
- Checks are familiar. Most businesses already know how a paper check works.
- Great gift option for business owners
- Anticipated budget
- Free shipping
- Some other companies have a minimum for credit card
- Payment can be made even without WiFi on the spot
- A payment takes time to process and reach a merchant or service provider. This can result in late charges. As a result, businesses find checks are a far more dependable payment medium
Nonetheless, whichever business checks are the most beneficial to your business, if employees are paid by the hour, it is recommended that the checks include a stub with the information outlining the hours worked and their pay for employees to keep on record.
More Reasons Businesses Keep Using Paper Checks
Checkomatic business checks, pre-printed with your company name and banking details, available in computer and manual formats for every business payment situation.
For more detail, see 6 types of manual business checks.
Stop Payment Protection
One of the most practical advantages of a paper check over a wire transfer or ACH payment is the ability to stop payment. If a vendor dispute arises, a contractor fails to complete work, or a check is lost in the mail, you can contact your bank and place a stop payment order before the check clears. A wire transfer sent to the wrong party, or an ACH initiated for a disputed invoice, cannot be recalled once it has settled. This protection is particularly valued in construction, real estate, and professional services where high-dollar payments to subcontractors and vendors occasionally require cancellation mid-cycle. For more on this, see what is positive pay and how does it work.
Physical Paper Trail for Audits and Bookkeeping
Every paper check creates a physical record that travels with the payment. The check stub or memo line carries the invoice number, vendor account, project reference, or payroll period. That stub stays in the payer's files. The cleared check image returned by the bank after processing is admissible evidence of payment in legal, tax, and audit proceedings. Digital payment systems produce electronic records, but paper checks produce both an electronic record and a physical one, giving businesses two layers of documentation without additional effort. For a complete guide to using your check register for bookkeeping, see checkbook management: how to balance and reconcile.
Universal Acceptance Without Recipient Setup
A business check is accepted by every US bank without any setup on the recipient's end. A vendor or contractor only needs to endorse the check and deposit it. ACH and wire transfers require the recipient to provide routing and account numbers before the first payment can be made, which creates an onboarding step that delays the first payment. For small suppliers, sole traders, and occasional vendors, a check eliminates this friction entirely. Many construction subcontractors, freelancers, and small vendors still prefer paper checks precisely because they require nothing from them but a trip to the bank.
Cash Flow Control Through Payment Timing
When you write and mail a check, you know approximately when it will clear your account. This predictability helps with cash flow planning, particularly for businesses managing tight operating budgets across multiple pay periods. ACH payments debit the account on the same day or the next banking day with little flexibility. A paper check gives the business a few days between issuance and clearance, which can be valuable when managing payroll timing relative to incoming receivables.
Paper Checks for Business Payroll
Payroll business checks from Checkomatic, earnings stubs with hours worked, deductions, and net pay for every employee on every check.
The original article correctly notes that hourly employees need a check stub documenting hours worked and their pay. This is not optional in most states. 42 US states require employers to provide a written earnings statement with each paycheck, and some states (including California, New York, and Massachusetts) impose specific fields that must appear on the stub.
Checkomatic payroll checks include a pre-printed earnings stub on every order. The stub documents pay period dates, hours worked at regular and overtime rates, gross pay, itemized deductions, and net pay. For the complete payroll check guide and format options, see business checks for payroll: the complete employer guide.
Paper Checks for Vendor and AP Payments
Manual 3-on-page accounts payable checks from Checkomatic, for businesses paying vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers with handwritten stub detail.
Beyond payroll, paper checks remain the primary payment method for many businesses making AP payments to vendors and suppliers. A voucher check stub travels with the payment and tells the vendor exactly which invoices are being paid, what amounts are included, and what credits or deductions have been applied. This remittance detail reduces the number of payment queries a business receives from vendors and simplifies the vendor's own accounts receivable reconciliation.
For businesses writing AP checks by hand rather than through accounting software, manual 3-on-page checks with a stub section handle this workflow cleanly without requiring a printer or software setup. For the full manual check range, see manual business checks and specifically manual 3-on-page accounts payable checks.
Paper Check Security for Businesses
Security features on every Checkomatic business check, protecting businesses from check washing, counterfeiting, and alteration at no extra cost.
One concern businesses raise about paper checks is check fraud. Check washing, counterfeiting, and alteration are real risks, particularly for businesses mailing high-value checks to vendors. Checkomatic addresses this with six ABA-compliant security features built into every check at the base price:
- Chemical-reactive paper: Stains visibly when washing solvents are applied, revealing alteration before the bank processes the check.
- Microprint signature line: Tiny text that blurs on any photocopy, flagging reproductions.
- Void pantograph: Background pattern that makes VOID appear when photocopied or scanned.
- Heat-sensitive ink: Disappears when pressed with a warm thumb, a standard bank teller test.
- Coin-reactive ink: Changes appearance when rubbed with a hard metal object.
- True watermark: Visible from both sides under light, absent from counterfeits.
For the complete check fraud protection guide, see are business checks safe: security features that actually matter. For bank-side fraud protection that matches every presented check against your issued list, see what is positive pay and how does it work.
Visit Checkomatic.com to shop Business Checks, Computer Checks, or Manual Checks, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
What Customers Say About Checkomatic
All reviews below are published on checkomatic.com and reproduced verbatim. Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product, 4.5 stars from 166 verified reviews.
"Been with them for 15 years. Always reliable, always good quality, good service. What more can you ask for?"
ATV Inc. | ★★★★★ 5/5 | April 5, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"First time ordering and I am super impressed with the quality of the checks. No issues with delivery. I will be ordering again!"
TClinton | ★★★★★ 5/5 | April 9, 2025 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"We use CheckoMatic for all of our check needs! They have great prices and we receive our products in a timely manner!"
CG's Tax Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 | September 18, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"I got 500 checks for less than half of what the bank wanted for 200!"
VVA Voucher Checks (Vietnam Veterans of America) | ★★★★★ 5/5 | July 6, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"ASJ Wilson Construction has been a client of checkomatic for some years now and they've never disappointed this company. Thank you checkomatic for all that you do."
ASJ Wilson Construction | ★★★★★ 5/5 | June 6, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"Affordable and efficient. My go-to business check printer."
Doe | ★★★★★ 5/5 | January 24, 2025 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
