Business Checks as Advertisements

Custom Photo Checks

Business owners need to trim expenses wherever possible, including banking expenses. One way to do this is to purchase business checks online.

Many owners do not realize that they can be obtained through an online printer. Not only can they be bought cheaper, but they can also be customized to serve as advertisements for a company.

Business checks are still in wide use today. However, thanks to online banking and the Interac system, their "personal" cousins have become almost obsolete today.

These kinds are used for employee payroll, workplace expenses and paying vendors or suppliers. They probably will not become obsolete, since the Interac system is not a practical option for the day to day needs and financial transactions of companies.

Purchasing business checks online can sometimes save customers between 20 and 70 percent off bank prices. Other advantages to online buying include:

* Broader range of payment options. Purchasing from the bank usually means that you pay via a debit from your account. Buying from a web-based store typically allows you to pay by major credit card and sometimes even PayPal.

* Convenience. There is no need to wait until certain hours or even to leave home or work. Cheap checks can be purchased via the Internet any time of day and any day of the week, even from home.

* More design options. Web dealers usually have a much bigger product selection. You will have more colors and designs to choose from.

Web-based printers are often able to offer customized designs. Customized versions usually can't be purchased at your financial institution.

Customization gives you a number of options. First, you can add a photo. You can even use multiple photos if you wish. Each single one can be printed with a different photo or with the same photo.

Secondly, you can include your logo or other professional information. You can add these either in place of a photo or in addition to one.

Many online stores also have other customization features. These may include font choices, monograms, background colors or stock logos. Customers are able to pick and choose their own features and create unique products.

Once completed, a customized business check is almost like a personalized business card. It is like handing one to every vendor, employee or store clerk every time you pay.

Customized business checks are a means to a cohesive, coordinated advertising approach. When your favorite method of payment matches all of your other advertising media, you are creating and building brand awareness. Brand awareness means recognition in your marketplace and, ultimately, more sales and bigger profits.

Paying bills is a part of running your company. Advertising while doing so is a practical way to get more for your dollar.

Make sure when you order business checks that your printer is able to work closely with you on your design. They should be able to accept .jpeg and/or .gif files. This will allow you to send them your photo or logo electronically.

It is also best if your supplier is able to send you a proof before printing. After all, you may discover that your logo does not show up on the background color that you chose. You will be able to see your design before it goes to print and make any necessary changes before it is too late.

Finally, make sure that your supplier has some type of a guarantee. Printers should be able to give you a refund or reprint if there are mistakes on your order of business checks.


Learn how to save money with cheap checks and business checks here.

Five Steps to Ordering Personal Checks Online

Barns on the Prairie Personal Checks

Many people request personal checks from their financial institution. Usually, selection of designs when buying through a bank is limited. Some banks charge extra fees that customers aren't even aware of. Many customers don't realize that they don't have to buy personal checks from their own financial institutions. They can actually be purchased online, often more cheaply than at the bank.

Cheap checks are available in a number of places. Stationers and printers sometimes offer these services. However, the cheapest are typically found online.

These online stores specialize in personal checks. Specialty stores like these are able to offer deeply discounted products, since that's all they do. This means you can often find cheaper prices than with your local bank.

Another advantage to ordering online is having a greater selection of design choices. These stores typically have dozens or even hundreds of designs to choose from. You may even be able to order accessories, like checkbook covers and address labels, in matching/coordinating designs.

Purchasing personalized products online is usually actually more convenient than ordering them from your financial institution. Placing your first order will likely take 10 to 15 minutes. Re-ordering after that will be as simple as a few mouse clicks.

Here's what you'll need to do:

1) Obtain a MICR Specification Sheet from your financial institution. MICR stands for "Magnetic Ink Character Recognition." This is a technology that is employed by the banking industry.

This technology allows computers to scan and read information on a printed document. It is similar to the barcode scanning system used by retailers. However, MICR information can also be read manually (unlike retail bar codes) by human beings.

You may notice the MICR code on your personal checks. It is usually located at the bottom left of each slip.

The information tells a computer what bank and branch you use and what your account number is. Every personal check must have this information printed on it.

Your bank can supply you with the MICR Specification Sheet. It contains the coding information that must be printed on your personal checks.

2) Send the MICR Specification Sheet to your online supplier. The store will give you directions how to do this. You may be required to scan the document and send it by e-mail.

3) Choose your design. This process is just like purchasing any other product online. Simply choose your product and begin the ordering process.

4) Provide your personal information. The store will need your name, address and any other information that will be printed on each slip. You will also be asked for your e-mail address and mailing address (if it differs from the one to be printed) for the store's records.

5) Pay for your order. You are typically able to pay with most major credit cards. Some online stores also allow you to pay through an online bank like PayPal.

It typically takes between two and three weeks, depending on where you live, to receive your product in the mail. Some online stores may offer faster shipping methods at a small extra charge if you need them faster.

Once your ordering information is on file, you will be able to re-order new personal checks quickly. You won't need to obtain a new MICR Specification Sheet unless you have changed financial institutions or changed accounts. Online buying is simple and efficient. It also gives you the freedom to choose a product that reflects your individuality.


Learn how to save money with cheap checks and business checks here.

Two Myths Your Bank Doesn't Want Debunked

Angels of Peace, Hope, and Faith Personal Checks

Over 50 percent of checking account holders (both business and personal) purchase their checks through their financial institutions. They will do so even if going with an outside supplier allows them to purchase cheap checks.

Some banks even discourage customers from purchasing cheap checks from a supplier. They usually cite security as the reason. However, they are not necessarily less secure.

Customers who purchased theirs from a printer in past decades (before the Internet) usually did so in person. Competition wasn't strong, so prices weren't competitive with the bank's prices. Customers typically chose this option only for the greater design flexibility, not for better prices.

The Internet changed this market considerably. The banking public now had instant access to suppliers/printers online. Competition drove prices down, and customers began looking to the Web for cheap options.

Despite this, the idea still prevails with many consumers that checks must be purchased at a financial institution. Conventional "wisdom" states that cheap checks can't be good ones.

Two major myths exist that seem to back up this "wisdom":

1) They are illegal. It's a common misconception that any that are purchased outside of the bank cannot be legally accepted.

However, the legal definition of "check" states that one is simply a written order by an account holder. The order must contain certain legal language, including the phrase "pay to the order of." It must also contain pertinent banking information, including the holder's account number and the bank's name and branch number.

Technically speaking, any piece of paper can be used as legal tender. It needs only to contain all of the required legal information and wording.

Financial institutions introduced printed forms as a means of standardizing and streamlining the pay order process. Standardized versions are simply easier for banks to verify and process. Standardized forms are also harder to forge than a hand-written order.

However, financial institutions then cornered the market on the selling of the product. This was largely done by perpetuating the myth that purchasing them anywhere else was risky.

2) They are less secure. It's true that a hand-written order to take money out of one's account is subject to risk. Such a note can easily be forged and is difficult for a financial institution to authenticate.

Standardized, printed versions, though, must be legally accepted everywhere. They cannot be rejected by the receiver or by a financial institution solely on the basis of their origin.

They must, however, contain the information dictated in the legal definition of a check. They must also contain a MICR code (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition).

This code is found on the bottom of every slip, usually on the left side. It looks a little bit like a retail bar code, but also contains a series of numbers.

The characters and numbers contain information about the bank, branch and account holder. It is able to be scanned and read by a financial institution's computer system.

This code helps banks identify the account holder and authenticate the pay order. Even so-called "cheap checks" are printed with a MICR code and are, therefore, legal tender.

Purchasing them online requires you to obtain a MICR Specification Sheet from your financial institution. Banks are obligated to provide this, and doing so usually takes just a few minutes. Simply supply this sheet to your supplier, and they will be able to print your documents with the appropriate codes.

Cheap checks can now be purchased online. Web competition has made this an economical purchasing alternative. It is also one that is legal, safe and secure.


Learn how to save money with cheap checks and business checks here.