Cost of your blank personal checks.

[Dave Lehnert]

I know, "Who writes personal checks" But sometimes that's the only option.

It has been years since I ordered personal checks from the bank. I logged on to my account and started seeing prices like 25 blank checks for $30.00 :eek: Two boxes of blank checks just over $90.00:eek:
I have no idea what I paid before but know it was not anything close to what I am seeing. I asked family and coworkers and they all said they did not know. They just ordered them and had their account billed.

What are you paying for blank checks from your bank? If you don't know, you better look next time.

[Jim Koepke]

The last time we bought checks they weren't that expensive. This was at a time when we still paid a lot of bills every month by check. We bought 800 checks or 4 boxes. We are still using them even though it getting to be 10 years since we moved from California to Washington.

It looks like they are currently having a deal:

378734

checksinthemail.com

Our current checks have what looks like a child drew them with a crayon. When our son was young we would tell people he designed them. He would always say, "no I didn't." When we stopped saying that and folks commented on them he would then say, "I drew them."

At one time we used a check style that was a fairly plain background with the word "MONEY" in very large letters across the face. People would look at the check and kind of zombie like say, "okay, thank you" and wouldn't even ask for an ID. That kind of scared us at the thought of how subliminal they were and what would happen if someone got a hold of a few of them.

jtk

[Steve Schlumpf]

Last time we ordered checks (Credit Union) we paid $20.47 for a box of 100.

[Brian Elfert]

I just got 120 checks for $7.40 from my credit union, but it is a new account. I usually order checks online as financial institutions most often charge an arm and a leg.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Last time I ordered checks (within the last year) the basic checks were free. You could customize them, and that looked like it could get expensive quickly.

[Brian Henderson]

Honestly, we don't use checks. The last time we ordered checks was over a decade ago and we still have multiple decades to go. We use maybe 5 checks a year.

[Bill Jobe]

Check out local credit unions. I have a checking account with one but use their credit/debit card. Not only is it free but they pay me interest on the balance. If I use the credit/debit card 12 times per month they pay me higher interest on the balance up to $25K.
Once you get used to using a card you'll probably never go back to checks. It's very convenient.
My wife still writes checks. Refuses to try the card, sooo, I have to buy more things to get the higher interest. :rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

My checks are free from TDBank. I only need to pay a small secure shipping fee.

[Greg R Bradley]

$22.40 for a box that is about 100. I will probably still have plenty when checks cease to exist.

[Charlie Velasquez]

We paid about $7 for 200 maybe 4-5 years ago. We still have 125+ left.

[David Helm]

My credit union gives me checks free of charge. That also includes shipping charges (none). All I had to do was show that I was on Social Security.

[dennis thompson]

The last time I ordered checks I checked around and ,while I don't remember exactly what they cost , I found that Walmart was the least expensive.

[Brian Henderson]

I did a quick search and found one place selling checks for $3.95 per pack which doesn't seem to be too bad.

http://www.supervaluechecks.com/

[Dave Lehnert]

I did a quick search and found one place selling checks for $3.95 per pack which doesn't seem to be too bad.

http://www.supervaluechecks.com/



The price is right for sure.
Have to say a little nervous about giving banking info to a third party.

[Jim Becker]

The price is right for sure.
Have to say a little nervous about giving banking info to a third party.

While I don't want or need to do this with my current relationship with TDBank, in the past, I ordered checks from more than one of the "big houses" that routinely sell checks to end-consumers. They are all pretty darn careful about PII...they have a lot to lose if they weren't. Stick with known entities and you'll be fine. And all of them will be much better priced than many banks seem to be.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The last time I ordered checks I checked around and ,while I don't remember exactly what they cost , I found that Walmart was the least expensive.Been ordering from Walmart for years. Never any problems. We chose Walmart, because bank wanted WAY TOO MUCH! Looking at shipping labels, looks like Walmarts comes from same zip code as the ones from the bank. How many check printers are located in same zip code?

[Dave Lehnert]

Been ordering from Walmart for years. Never any problems. We chose Walmart, because bank wanted WAY TOO MUCH! Looking at shipping labels, looks like Walmarts comes from same zip code as the ones from the bank. How many check printers are located in same zip code?


Go figure. I order most EVERYTHING from Walmart. Never gave them a thought for printed checks.

[Mark Blatter]

To put it in perspective, the last time I ordered checks on my US Bank account, they were free. I don't think anything has been free at US Bank for the past 15 years. My checks still have a Montana address on them, and that was a few moves ago.

I asked the wife and she said she paid about $17 for 250. She always shops around and finds the best deal.

[Neil Gaskin]

I've found Costco to be very reasonable

[Ed Labadie]

Mine are always free thru Chase......just got a new box 2 weeks ago.

Ed

[John Terefenko]

My checks are free also. Standard check with name. Who needs birds and flowers on a check. I pay all bills with checks. I do not trust internet for anything. Have never been burned or lost check. Been doing it for over 50 years. I pay cash at registers and only use credit when item is very large. Old school still works and we need to get back to it.

Why don't you all pay in Bitcoin.

[Robert Zschoche]

I've been buying personal and business checks from checkworks.com for almost 20 years. Pricing has always been good and they ship the orders quickly.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I used checks in my business and when I last orders, got 300 business style checks for $40.00 from some large internet check printing outfit. Ordered from them for the last 20 years. I tend to plan out how to reduce certain expenses. For instance, my office electric bill ran about $30 a month. I could send them a check every month, which cost, my time, a stamp, cost of a check, envelope etc. So instead, I sent them a check to pay six months in advance. Same for the newspaper, and other relatively minor monthly bills. Now I send them an electronic payment every six months. My time logging in and paying the bill is cut way back. Some businesses, I do not trust and will only pay every month. Like cable. For some reason, my cable bill is different every month, without any pay per view etc. To get the channels I want I need to buy 60 channels I do not want. I do not watch sports on tv, except the winter olympics, and I resent paying a regional sports access fee for something I do not use. I also resent paying a local channel acces fee for them to supply what local channels I get for free with an antennna. I about about to cut the cord on them anyway.

for those who still deal in cash for most everything, electronic transactions give a paper trail for nearly everything. Including states that want to clamp down on those who buy on line to avoid sales tax. Buying large items in cash no results in each large transaction being reported to the government. Last I checked, sales over $500 in cash were noted to be reported. Every time I take a few hundred in cash to the bank, they do a special report. That sort of thing triggers tax audits etc.

[Chris Damm]

Free with senior account at our CU.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Have to say a little nervous about giving banking info to a third party.

The only info you give them is the info that gets printed on your checks...so it's the same info you're giving to literally everyone you write a check to.


My online bank sends me checks for free whenever I ask.

[Shawn Pixley]

We haven’t had checks for over ten years. Occasionally, I need to send a check. A cashiers’ check from the bank (free to us) serves for when I paper check is required.

[Jim Koepke]

[edited]
for those who still deal in cash for most everything, electronic transactions give a paper trail for nearly everything. Including states that want to clamp down on those who buy on line to avoid sales tax. Buying large items in cash no results in each large transaction being reported to the government. Last I checked, sales over $500 in cash were noted to be reported. Every time I take a few hundred in cash to the bank, they do a special report. That sort of thing triggers tax audits etc.

Not much we purchase on line will be over a few hundred dollars. This has piqued my interest, do states somehow acquire information about their citizens online purchases?

On cash sales the vendor may be able to report it, but usually most stores do not ask for an ID on a cash transaction. Radio Shack used to, but most of the time they were told my business could be done elsewhere if they insisted. At times their persistence left me no option but to leave my items at the register and walk out. Their system didn't work well and after giving my address to them they would send copies of their flyer to my home in a quantity equal to the number of times my address was given. Amazing that a corporation in the business of technology couldn't have a system in place to handle the information they were trying to gather. Anyone who knows the Radio Shack story knows their glory days were in the past.

Usually my purchases of electronic parts and items would be done at other suppliers until the reason for not shopping Radio Shack was forgotten. Then a quick reminder at the register would come like a stinging slap across the face.

jtk

[Jim Becker]

Jim, I lived the Radio Shack story for nearly 8 years in the 1980s...and yes, the manual systems really "bit the big one". It was a revelation when we got the ability to transmit daily sales information and print out orders/inventory from the in-store TRS-80 Model III with that huge 10mb hard drive and speedy 300 baud dial-up modem. :) One got really good at mental math, too, since there was just a manual cash drawer and no register. That did change in later years, but "back in the day", running the store was a major manual process. Fortunately, I made really good money off the P&L until I couldn't handle the 70 hour weeks anymore as a manager in a mall store often got stuck doing because of the requirement to be open when the mall was open, even if employees (subsequently former employees...) failed to show up for work. The fines from the mall were huge and went directly to the bottom line if you failed to be open. That said, the store, itself, was a really good place for folks to get the things that we sold and there's now a real gap in the market for folks who like to browse. That parts wall alone had about 3000 SKUs (most I knew the stock numbers by heart by the end of those almost 8 years) and quite often, that was what got someone in the store.

[Peter Christensen]

It's a little different here north of the border. I go to my local Credit Union and ask for cheques and the teller goes in the back, prints them, comes back and hands me a couple booklets of 25 cheques and off I go. No charges and no waiting for the mail.

[Brian Elfert]

for those who still deal in cash for most everything, electronic transactions give a paper trail for nearly everything. Including states that want to clamp down on those who buy on line to avoid sales tax. Buying large items in cash no results in each large transaction being reported to the government. Last I checked, sales over $500 in cash were noted to be reported. Every time I take a few hundred in cash to the bank, they do a special report. That sort of thing triggers tax audits etc.

Is the $500 cash a state thing? The Federal government only requires banks to report cash transactions over $10,000. I deposit over $500 cash in the summer at least once a month with no special reporting I know of.

[Brian Elfert]

My checks are free also. Standard check with name. Who needs birds and flowers on a check. I pay all bills with checks. I do not trust internet for anything. Have never been burned or lost check. Been doing it for over 50 years. I pay cash at registers and only use credit when item is very large. Old school still works and we need to get back to it.


I pay pretty much all of my bills electronically from my checking account and have never had any issues. It just works and no spending a couple of hours a month writing checks.

One time years ago I forgot to sign a check I sent to pay a bill and it end up costing me a lot of money. They treated it just the same as a late payment with all the fees and such. I suppose they have people who don't have the money sending a check with no signature hoping they count it as on time even if they can't cash the check.

[Charlie Velasquez]

..... I do not trust internet for anything. Have never been burned or lost check. Been doing it for over 50 years. I pay cash at registers and only use credit when item is very large. Old school still works and we need to get back to it.....

John, I have been burned on a credit card and a debit card. But eventually the bank/ credit card company made good on the purchasees. In fact, the credit card fraud never even came to pass. I inspected the monthly statement, noticed purchases I did not make, and contacted the credit card company (Chase). I answered a few questions and zap, the charges were gone and a new card issued. The debit card was more involved, we had written several checks that bounced because of the immediate nature of debit card fraud. And while the bank made good on all the fraudulent purchases and even the returned check fees from our legimate transactions, the individual shops still charged us their return check fees so we paid about $100 for that episode.

But we were burned significantly on a check scheme about 1996. My wife lost her wallet. We naturally called the card company and cancelled her credit card. But we had forgotten that she kept a check in it for emergency purposes. The person that found her wallet wrote a check on a different closed account and deposited it in our account to make sure our account had money in it, then made a purchase with our check. A couple of days later, the first bogus check bounced, so the money was deducted from our account. But the check from our account was already paid, so the bank honored that and just left our account with an overdraft. I suppose this is similar to the craigslist scheme so many talk about.

A couple of years later we misplaced a checkbook with about 10 checks still in it. Remembering the previous episode we called the bank to report the lost checks. They said we could put a "stop" on those checks.... for a $15 per check fee.


After looking at these episodes I became a firm believer in credit cards.
I can inspect all the purchases before paying. If there is something fishy, I take care of it before It cost me with no hassle.
I can suspend a bona fide purchase if I have an issue with the product
The credit card company automatically extends the warranty on many purchases
I get a 90 day, no question asked insurance policy on the product. We bought a $400 smart phone for my daughter, and she dropped it the next day and cracked the screen. Chase replaced it, no questions.
Plus, I get money back on all my purchases.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Our checks are free.
Other accounts we've had in the past did charge us for checks.
My wife always went with a third party for them & it was only about $4.00/$4.50 a box (100).

You might want to check with the bank as far as what type of account you have and if you qualify for some other type that has better perks.
Sometimes it is - sometimes it isn't worth it - due to the minimum balance they require for some accounts.

With our rental property, we need to keep more cash on hand, in case an emergency repair is needed, than most people - so - a minimum balance usually isn't an issue.

[Myk Rian]

Don't banks have free, blank checks at the counter? Just grab a handful. As long as you know your account and routing numbers, you could write a check on toilet paper if you so desired.

[Brian Henderson]

Don't banks have free, blank checks at the counter? Just grab a handful. As long as you know your account and routing numbers, you could write a check on toilet paper if you so desired.

A lot of businesses will not accept counter checks, or the temporary checks they give you when you open an account. Theoretically you can write a check on anything you want, that doesn't obligate businesses to accept them.

[Curt Harms]

Don't banks have free, blank checks at the counter? Just grab a handful. As long as you know your account and routing numbers, you could write a check on toilet paper if you so desired.

I've never seen a check at the counter. Deposit slips? Sure, but not checks. With the advent of print-them-yourself checks and MICR ink/toner, it's surprising there's not more fraud than there is.

[Jim Becker]

I've never seen a check at the counter. Deposit slips? Sure, but not checks. With the advent of print-them-yourself checks and MICR ink/toner, it's surprising there's not more fraud than there is.
True...and you don't need to physically present a check to deposit it, either...just take a photo with your bank's app... :)

[Edwin Santos]

I pay all bills with checks. I do not trust internet for anything. Have never been burned or lost check. Been doing it for over 50 years. I pay cash at registers and only use credit when item is very large. Old school still works and we need to get back to it.



If the "internet" turns out to be nothing more than a passing fad, you will have the last laugh!

[Bruce Wrenn]

If the "internet" turns out to be nothing more than a passing fad, you will have the last laugh!I can tell you a paper trail has saved us more than once. That's why we write checks to pay bills.

[Mike Henderson]

The price is right for sure.
Have to say a little nervous about giving banking info to a third party.

When you give a check to someone, you're giving them your bank's routing number and your account number. Both are at the bottom of the check. Don't be concerned about giving out those numbers to a check company.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

John, I have been burned on a credit card and a debit card. But eventually the bank/ credit card company made good on the purchases. In fact, the credit card fraud never even came to pass. I inspected the monthly statement, noticed purchases I did not make, and contacted the credit card company (Chase). I answered a few questions and zap, the charges were gone and a new card issued. The debit card was more involved, we had written several checks that bounced because of the immediate nature of debit card fraud. And while the bank made good on all the fraudulent purchases and even the returned check fees from our legimate transactions, the individual shops still charged us their return check fees so we paid about $100 for that episode.

But we were burned significantly on a check scheme about 1996. My wife lost her wallet. We naturally called the card company and cancelled her credit card. But we had forgotten that she kept a check in it for emergency purposes. The person that found her wallet wrote a check on a different closed account and deposited it in our account to make sure our account had money in it, then made a purchase with our check. A couple of days later, the first bogus check bounced, so the money was deducted from our account. But the check from our account was already paid, so the bank honored that and just left our account with an overdraft. I suppose this is similar to the craigslist scheme so many talk about.

A couple of years later we misplaced a checkbook with about 10 checks still in it. Remembering the previous episode we called the bank to report the lost checks. They said we could put a "stop" on those checks.... for a $15 per check fee.


After looking at these episodes I became a firm believer in credit cards.
I can inspect all the purchases before paying. If there is something fishy, I take care of it before It cost me with no hassle.
I can suspend a bona fide purchase if I have an issue with the product
The credit card company automatically extends the warranty on many purchases
I get a 90 day, no question asked insurance policy on the product. We bought a $400 smart phone for my daughter, and she dropped it the next day and cracked the screen. Chase replaced it, no questions.
Plus, I get money back on all my purchases.

One additional thing you can do with your credit card is have them send you a text (or do it through the card company app) EVERY time there's a charge on your card. When I have lunch, I get a notice on my smartphone about what the charge is before the waitperson brings me the chit to sign. (i often give my card before the wait person presents the bill)

Mike

[Sam Murdoch]

I can tell you a paper trail has saved us more than once. That's why we write checks to pay bills.

Yes to this ^ . At the risk of sounding old and out of it - I much prefer to mail in a payment than to do my banking and bill paying online.
I do pay my credit cards by calling in on or near the due date, just to eliminate the risk of late fees because of a unforeseen delay in mail delivery
but for utilities, loans etc. - all with checks in the mail.

As to the OP's question I too discovered that my bank purchased checks were getting stop expensive (and the number of checks/deposit slips were pitiful in each box) so I have been ordering from the online CheckAdvantage. Good price and product, easy ordering and excellent service.

[Joe Mioux]

Interesting conversation. I own two retail stores. Fifteen years ago, we would write a bank deposit everyday for each store. Today, I write a bank deposit once of week for both stores combined. Checks and Cash have been replaced by CC and Debit cards.

added: My last set of business checks of 500 cost over $200. IIRC

[Edwin Santos]

What might be revealing to some is that the vast majority of payees do not handle your paper checks in the "old school" method of preparing a deposit slip and taking it to a bank. What they do is scan the check and make the deposit electronically, usually in batches. The scanner and software are reading the information off the check including the MICR numbers at the bottom.

In other words for those that prefer to write a paper check, the payee is most likely converting your check into the exact type of electronic payment you were not comfortable making, and transmitting it to their financial institution, over the internet.

[Jim Becker]

Edwin is spot on...few businesses these days physically present checks to the bank, including many small businesses. And as I mentioned, even for personal accounts, many banks now support electronic deposit of checks merely by snapping a photo of the check with their smartphone app. My bank does that with the requirement that the check must be written "to me" (no multiple payees), etc. Even though I normally just deposit the occasional check I get via the ATM, I don't have to leave the comfort of my chair here in my home office if I don't want to.

The only checks I write are for boarding our horse and the farrier. Everything else is paid electronically and generally scheduled to just happen on or the day before the due date.

[Mike Henderson]

The only checks I write are for boarding our horse and the farrier. Everything else is paid electronically and generally scheduled to just happen on or the day before the due date.

For many things like this, I pay them electronically and the bank mails them a check. I don't even have to pay the postage.

Of course, in certain circumstances I have to give a check in person, but not many. My wife is much more "old school" and writes more checks.

Mike

[Peter Christensen]

And then there are the businesses that require your drivers licence and a credit card or they won't take the check, if they accept them at all.

I was in a supermarket a few years ago and a lady with a lot of life experience under her belt paid with a cheque and the young guy didn't know what it was nor what to do with it. A manager had to walk him through it.

[Jim Becker]

For many things like this, I pay them electronically and the bank mails them a check. I don't even have to pay the postage.

Of course, in certain circumstances I have to give a check in person, but not many. My wife is much more "old school" and writes more checks.

Mike

The only bank-mailed check that I send is my parent's assisted living rent out of their account. That bill is slightly different each month because of electric usage, so I request them online each month. Anything else generally gets billed to my AMEX (preferred) or my VISA if someone doesn't take AMEX for some reason of their own. (only have one of those) So I only need to pay two cards and I'm done. And I get the points. :) Mortgage is direct debit monthly so it doesn't hit a card. So only Elvis's keep gets manual checks. :) (the horse)

[Pat Barry]

I just had to get some new checks form my bank. They aren't free anymore. Cost was ~ $12 per hundred.

[John K Jordan]

What are you paying for blank checks from your bank? If you don't know, you better look next time.

You might be paying too much. I think I paid about $20 two boxes of 150 each.

Try this: https://www.bankrate.com/finance/checking/where-to-buy-checks-save-money.aspx

JKJ

[Curt Harms]

And then there are the businesses that require your drivers licence and a credit card or they won't take the check, if they accept them at all.

I was in a supermarket a few years ago and a lady with a lot of life experience under her belt paid with a cheque and the young guy didn't know what it was nor what to do with it. A manager had to walk him through it.

If she really wanted to mess with the youngster's brain, she could have written the check for over the amount due to get some cash back. SWMBO does that and the 'checkout coach' or some experienced person has to assist.

[John K Jordan]

Sometimes we have to use checks. My Lovely Bride said the SS people require using checks for expense accounting for a dependent.


The only checks I write are for boarding our horse and the farrier.

You should just give up that life in the frozen north and move south. I think I have room for one more horse and my farrier charges less than any farrier I've ever used or heard of! We have round pen, riding trails...

379141
(And yes, they only have halters on when handling.:))

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

You should just give up that life in the frozen north and move south. I think I have room for one more horse and my farrier charges less than any farrier I've ever used or heard of! We have round pen, riding trails...

379141
(And yes, they only have halters on when handling.:))

JKJ

LOL...I don't think we're in the position to move anywhere at this point. The Professor is two years younger than me and enjoys teaching...her tenured university position also provides the health insurance for the two of us as well as both of our young adult daughters. (the younger is a college freshman and the older is a semi-disabled young adult) Maybe someday we'll move, but the chances are we'll remain in this area because of our older daughter's situation, etc. She may be able to start living independently in a few years, but that's not assured.

Current farrier is half what we were paying previously...$75 for a reset and $85 for new front shoes including all four trims. Elvis doesn't do well barefoot. The previous guy was stellar, quality-wise, with hot shoeing, etc., but caters more to the affluent crowd. Elvis pays for himself, for the most part, as he has two lessees that cover all but a small portion of his board. The younger isn't riding right now because of back issues and no time between school and work, so we've kept Elvis "in work" via the leases.

[Dave Lehnert]

Well, so much for buying through the bank so things would be correct.
My check had the phone number printed on there for a local business.

[Bill Jobe]

Well, so much for buying through the bank so things would be correct.
My check had the phone number printed on there for a local business.

Look at you !!! That business will have to balance your checkbook for you.
And when someone calls wanting that business just put them on hold and walk away.:D

[Jim Becker]

Well, so much for buying through the bank so things would be correct.
My check had the phone number printed on there for a local business.
Yet another opportunity to "have word" with them... ;)

[Carlos Alvarez]

I just ordered business checks from Sam's Club for less than 1/4 the price that the bank wanted. You don't have to be a member to buy checks. I use four personal checks a month, for the few people who still don't know it's 2018 and we have things like Paypal. And the business still has to write a few for those companies that just can't seem to update their systems for better methods.

[Myk Rian]

FREE! We just ordered 200 checks from the bank.