[GNC] Creating a paper check for an account

[Tommy Trussell]

On Tue, Aug 19, 2025 at 2:48 PM Tom Browder <tom.browder at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am ready to create a paper check for my wife's account with Schwab
> Bank on standard, single-check paper from Office Depot. The Schwab
> bank representative I talked to said they do not allow checks to be
> used except from their sources.
>
> As far as I know, in the US, at least at one time, a check can be
> written on almost anything legible.
>
> Has anyone had a problem with a bank honoring a check created with GnuCash?
>

LEGALLY a check is a very simple instrument, as you note. You can scratch
the correct phrases and signature on a piece of bark and your payee can
present it at your bank. If the banker believes the scratched bark is
authentic, your payee can legally cash the check.

In practice, however, the payee has to trust you, and the bank has to
overcome whatever skepticism they treat any check that passes over their
counter. The financial instrument should at the very least usually have all
the modern "dressing" folks expect a check to have, including routing
numbers and security features.

More than 20 years ago, I ordered a stack of "Quicken Style" blank check
forms printed on US Letter paper. They included the appropriate background,
plus the serialized check numbers, routing number and account number (in
MICR magnetic ink) across the bottom of the check portion of the paper,
which in this case was just the top third of the form. I think I used
Quicken and GnuCash several times to print checks, then I discovered that
most of the places I thought I would accept such a check strongly preferred
a payment technique OTHER than a check (due to the prevalence of check
fraud).

in recent years fewer places want to handle checks, so I don't bother to
automate the check-writing process. I do keep a book of checks for each of
my bank accounts to hand-write them, and, ironically, maybe a clearly
handwritten check increases its verisimilitude in the way the old
mechanical check register machines used to, before anyone could print
"perfect" checks from their home printers.

I think if you're hoping to buy blank check paper stock and get GnuCash to
print everything, from your name and check number at the top, the payees
name and the amount of the check in the middle, to the MICR routing number,
account number, and check number across the bottom, you will probably have
some tricky formatting and coding ahead of you. And then you might find
your payee suggesting they would rather you use something their bank likes
better.

NOWADAYS I often contact my bank or brokerage online and have THEM issue a
check. For some reason the banks don't charge much (or anything in many
cases) to print and mail a small number of checks on my behalf each month.



> -----
> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>