Quick Answer
- Gather five things first: routing number, account number, the exact business name on your account, your address as you want it printed, and your starting check number.
- Take the numbers from a bank document, not from memory or an old deposit slip.
- Pick your format based on how you will pay, not on guesswork. Software printing and handwriting need different stock.
- Start numbering at 1001 or higher. Low numbers signal a brand new account and some vendors treat them cautiously.
- The printed address does not have to match your shipping address. Check both fields separately.
- Order more than you think you need. Reordering means repeating the whole setup cycle.
- Confirm who is authorized to sign at the bank before the checks arrive, not after.
Ordering business checks for the first time is mostly a gathering exercise. The ordering itself takes a few minutes. Collecting the right details, and making a handful of decisions you will live with for years, is the part worth slowing down for.
Here is everything to have ready, the choices that actually matter, and the setup mistakes new businesses make most often.
What to gather before you start
Have these five items in front of you. Missing any one of them will stall the order.
| What you need | Where to get it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Routing number | A current bank statement or your online banking portal | Identifies your bank. Wrong digits make checks unusable |
| Account number | Same source | Identifies your specific account |
| Business name | Exactly as it appears on the bank account | A mismatch can cause deposit problems for payees |
| Address to print | Your decision. See the section below | Appears on every check and is seen by every payee |
| Starting check number | Your decision for a new account | Sets your numbering sequence going forward |
One rule above all: take the routing and account numbers from an actual bank document. Not from memory, not from a photo of an old deposit slip, and not from what someone in the office thinks it is.
This single step prevents the most damaging first-order mistake there is, because checks printed with wrong banking details cannot be corrected. They need a full reprint.
Where to find your routing and account numbers
Both appear on a bank statement, in your online banking account details, and along the bottom edge of any check your bank has already issued you.
If your bank gave you temporary counter checks when you opened the account, the numbers are printed on those. That is usually the fastest source for a brand new business.
Be careful with one thing: some banks use a different routing number for wire transfers than for checks. You want the one for checks and direct deposits. If the statement lists more than one, confirm which is which before ordering.
Choosing your check format
This is the decision that shapes everything else, and it comes down to a single question: will you write checks by hand, or print them from software?
| If you will | Choose | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Write checks by hand | Manual business checks | Low volume, occasional payments, on-the-spot writing |
| Print from accounting software | Computer checks | Regular payables, batch runs, bookkeeping integration |
| Print from QuickBooks specifically | QuickBooks checks | Teams already running that software |
| Pay employees on paper | Payroll checks | Wage payments needing an earnings stub |
| Print for multiple accounts | Blank check stock | Several accounts, or entities printed on demand |
For a full breakdown of each format and how they differ, see types of business checks. If you are weighing handwriting against printing, computer checks vs manual checks covers the trade-offs directly.
If you are still deciding whether your business genuinely needs separate business checks rather than using a personal account, business checks vs personal checks covers that question first.
If you are printing from software, check the format first
Accounting software expects a specific check layout, usually defined by where the check sits on the page. Get this wrong and the printed fields land in the wrong places.
Before ordering, open your software's check printing settings and note which format it expects. That takes two minutes and removes the most common reprint cause for software users.
See business check formats for how the layouts differ, and computer check software for how the printing side works.
If you run QuickBooks, our QuickBooks check compatibility guide covers which formats match, and printing checks from QuickBooks Online walks through the setup. For Xero users, see Xero checks.
A note for brand new businesses
If you genuinely do not know yet how you will pay, start with manual checks. They work for everything, require no software setup, and are the lowest-commitment starting point.
You can move to printed checks later once your volume justifies it. Going the other way, buying computer checks and then discovering you write four checks a month, is the more common regret.
Setting your starting check number
For a brand new account, you choose where the numbering begins. Most businesses start at 1001.
There is a practical reason. Check number 101 tells anyone who receives it that your account is new. Some vendors and landlords treat very low check numbers with extra caution, occasionally holding them longer.
Starting at 1001 avoids that signal entirely and takes no extra effort.
If you are transferring from an existing account or setting up more than one account, multi-account check ordering covers how to keep sequences separate and traceable.
Why numbering matters more than it looks
Sequential numbering is a control, not just a label. It lets you spot a missing check immediately, because a gap in the sequence is visible.
Keep the sequence unbroken, record each check as you issue it, and you will catch problems early. Our guide to the check register covers how to track them properly from your first check onward, and there is a free printable check register if you prefer paper.
Which address should you print?
Two addresses are in play, and new businesses conflate them constantly.
| Printed on the check | Shipping address | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | Every payee and every bank | The carrier only |
| How long it lasts | Until you reorder | One delivery |
| If it is wrong | The whole box is unusable | A delivery delay |
They are often the same, and that is fine. The problem starts when they differ and someone assumes they do not.
Common reasons they differ for a new business:
- You work from home but want your registered business address printed
- Your bookkeeper receives the shipment at a different location
- You use a mailing address on checks and a physical one for delivery
Check both fields separately before you submit. A shipping error loses a day. A printing error loses the entire order.
Should you print a phone number?
Optional, and worth thinking about. A phone number helps payees reach you with questions, which can speed up a payment query.
It also appears on every check you write. If you run the business from home and the number is personal, consider whether you want it circulating. Many owners print a business line or leave it off entirely.
How many checks should a new business order?
More than you think, and here is the reasoning rather than a number.
Your first order takes real time to set up: gathering details, choosing formats, verifying numbers. Reordering repeats none of that, but running out unexpectedly forces a rush order on someone else's timeline.
Estimate how many checks you will write per month, then order enough for at least six to twelve months. New businesses almost always underestimate, because payment patterns change as you grow.
If you are ordering in larger quantities, bulk orders and delivery covers how those shipments work. For setting a reorder trigger so you never run out, see out of checks.
Sort out signing authority before the checks arrive
This is the step most first-time buyers skip, and it causes a genuinely awkward moment later.
Being the owner does not automatically let you sign business checks. Signing authority comes from the bank signature card, which lists everyone authorized on that account.
If you opened the account yourself, you are almost certainly on it. If a partner, co-owner, or bookkeeper will also need to sign, they must be added at the bank, and that is a separate action from adding them to the business.
Handle it while your checks are in production rather than discovering the gap when a payment is due. Our guide to who signs a business check covers the rules by entity type.
Two things people ask for right after your checks arrive
Worth knowing in advance, because both catch new businesses off guard in the first month.
Someone will ask you for a voided check
Vendors, payroll providers, and banks often ask for a voided check to set up direct deposit or automatic payments. It is one of the most common first requests a new business gets.
You will need an actual check from your new stock to provide one, which is another reason not to order the bare minimum. Our guide to what is a voided check covers how to void one safely and what it is used for.
How long your checks stay valid
Blank stock does not expire, but a written check has a practical shelf life once issued. That matters when you are planning quantities, because ordering a large first batch is safe.
See do blank checks expire for the stock side, and how long a business check is good for for issued checks.
What to consider on security
Business checks carry your routing and account numbers on every copy, which makes the stock itself worth protecting.
Two things to decide at setup:
- Whether you want added security features. Options exist for making alteration harder to pull off. See high-security business checks and check security features
- Where the stock will live. A locked drawer, not an open supply cupboard, with access limited to the people who sign
One habit to avoid from day one: never pre-sign checks to save time later. A signed check with blank fields is functionally a blank check, and what is a blank check covers why that matters.
Deciding this at setup is easier than retrofitting it after something goes wrong.
Do not forget envelopes
Easy to overlook on a first order, and annoying to discover afterward.
If you mail checks, you need envelopes that match your check format, with windows aligned so the payee address shows through correctly. Mismatched envelopes mean hand-addressing every one.
See double window envelopes and check envelope sizes, plus accessories for deposit slips and related supplies.
Before you click submit
Run this list. It takes ninety seconds and catches almost everything.
- Routing and account numbers read from a bank document, digit by digit
- Business name exactly as it appears on the account
- Printed address confirmed as the one you want payees to see
- Shipping address checked separately, with suite or unit included
- Check format matched to your software, if you print
- Starting number set to 1001 or higher
- Quantity covering six to twelve months
- Envelopes added if you mail checks
- Read the numbers out loud once before submitting
That last one sounds trivial. It catches transposed digits that your eye skips over when scanning silently, and transposed digits are the single most damaging first-order error.
When your first checks arrive
A few minutes now saves trouble later.
- Verify the routing and account numbers against your bank document before using any of them
- Confirm the printed name and address read exactly as intended
- Check the number sequence runs without gaps
- Record the starting and ending numbers in your register
- Store the stock securely rather than leaving it in an open drawer
If anything is wrong, flag it before you write a single check. A box with an error in the banking details cannot be used at all.
When you are ready to write your first one, how to write a business check by hand walks through each field. For checks you receive, how to endorse a check covers the back.
First-order mistakes worth avoiding
We print and ship business checks for U.S. companies every business day, and first orders have their own recognizable pattern of errors.
Numbers typed from memory. The routing number feels familiar after you have seen it a few times. It is the one field where familiarity is dangerous, because an error makes the entire box unusable.
Format chosen before checking the software. Customers pick a format that sounds right, then discover their accounting software expects a different layout. Two minutes in the software settings prevents it.
Ordering the smallest quantity available. New businesses order a minimal first batch to be cautious, then reorder within weeks. The setup effort gets repeated for no reason.
The two-address mixup. Customers assume the shipping address and the printed address are the same field. They are not, and the printed one is the damaging one to get wrong.
Signing authority discovered late. A co-owner tries to sign, the bank does not recognize the signature, and a payment stalls. Sorting it out during production takes one bank visit.
Getting your first order right
Ordering business checks for the first time is mostly about preparation. Gather the five essentials from a bank document, choose the format based on how you will actually pay, start numbering at 1001, and check the printed address separately from the shipping address.
Then handle signing authority at the bank while the order is in production, and order enough to last the year rather than the quarter.
Requirements can vary by bank and business structure, so confirm specifics with your own bank where anything is unclear.
When you are ready, browse business checks for the full range, or contact us and we will help you pick the right format for how you plan to pay.