The 7 Best Places to Order Checks Online

Save money by checking out these reputable picks

By Dawn Papandrea
Updated on May 15, 2024
Reviewed by
Somer G. Anderson
Somer G. Anderson
Reviewed by Somer G. Anderson
​Somer G. Anderson is CPA, doctor of accounting, and an accounting and finance professor who has been working in the accounting and finance industries for more than 20 years. Her expertise covers a wide range of accounting, corporate finance, taxes, lending, and personal finance areas.
learn about our financial review board
Fact checked by Madeline Simpson

Paying bills with checks can come with a cost. Although your bank may give you a starter set for free, you’ll eventually have to restock, and depending on how often you write checks, it can be a sizable expense. Ordering checks directly from your bank is usually the most expensive route, but it's possible to find a lower-priced supplier online.

To help you get started, we explored the top companies for ordering checks, breaking down their best features, pricing details, and more.

Here are the best places to buy checks online.

Best Overall: Checks In The Mail

Checks In The Mail

It's safe to say that Checks In The Mail is a reputable company: It sells over a billion checks per year to customers in all 50 states. Its site also features around 200 different check styles and often has multiple coupon codes, as well as new customer offers for even deeper discounts.

The starting pricing on Checks in the Mail is $27.25 for a box of 100 single personal checks. Plus, for some designs, you can order 25 checks starting at just $7.25. This is a great option for people who rarely use paper checks but want to keep a small book on hand.

There is also an array of offerings for those who need business checks, including high-security designs.

Best Value: Carousel Checks

Carousel Checks

It's hard to beat 100 checks for $11.99, but that’s the value you’ll get if you order from Carousel Checks. While the lower-priced styles are on the plain side, some fun designs are included at this price, such as horses, bald eagles, flowers, or butterflies.

If you’re looking for something more whimsical, animal-oriented, or career-themed, Carousel Checks has a vast selection, with many priced at $22.99 per box. As with other companies, you’ll get a better deal if you buy in bulk. Just be mindful that check orders can take up to three or four weeks.

Best for Security: Costco Checks

Costco Checks

Through a partnership with Harland Clarke Check Printing, Costco Checks provides a nice selection of options. Of course, as is usually the case with Costco, you’ll have to buy in bulk as the smallest order option is 200 checks. 

While you can find lower prices elsewhere, the company's wide selection, commitment to security, and free delivery are big bonuses. And, if you’re an Executive Member, you’ll save an additional 20% on your order.  

Even more, Costco’s High Security Business Checks have over 30 security features, which is more than what other companies offer. Each check includes visible and invisible fluorescent fibers, heat-sensitive ink, holograms, and watermarks. Gold Star/Business Members can get 600 high-security checks for $85.53.

Costco also offers a personal check option with counterfeit-proof security features, including a hologram foil bar and a heat-reactive ink circle. Prices start at $28.27 for 250 single checks for Gold Star/Business Members.

Related: The Best Personal Finance Books

Best Customization: Walmart Checks

Walmart

Walmart is a great place to find bargains not only on groceries but on checks, too. Most of the site's large selection starts at $9.81 for a box of 120 with free standard shipping. It even includes some pop culture character designs as well as landscape, nature, and animal options.

Better yet, you can choose designer checks that feature various designs, including animals, landscape scenes, and Disney characters, starting at $10.98.

Best Customer Support: Bradford Exchange

Bradford Exchange

If you’d like to browse a wide selection of checks, Bradford Exchange has over 500 exclusive designs, including charitable causes, animals, pop culture icons like Elvis Presley, and patriotic themes. The site is very easy to navigate, with transparent pricing, features, and shipping times for each item listed, making shopping with this company a pleasant experience.

Plus, customer service is available seven days a week should you have any questions, and there’s also a robust FAQ section.

Price-wise, Bradford Exchange advertises up to 70% off bank check prices. Starting prices are $21.95 for 100 single checks.

Best for Business Checks: Sam’s Club Checks

Sam’s Club Checks

Sam's Club is an excellent warehouse membership club that offers deep discounts on bulk buying. Customers, especially business owners, who need a large number of checks at once can score a great deal through its site. For example, you can get 600 checks for $33.60. There are also a variety of options, like software-compatible checks that work with Quicken, QuickBooks, and other accounting programs.

In addition, personal checks are inexpensive, with a vast selection of designs available, and one order will likely last for years. 

Biggest Selection: CheckAdvantage

CheckAdvantage

With more than 2,500 design options, CheckAdvantage has one of the biggest selections of checks on the market. The company also offers an "on-time" guarantee, which states your order will be printed and shipped within six business days, although standard orders ship within three days.

CheckAdvantage features original designs from its own artists and photographers, so you won’t see the same selections as most other sites. The downside is that you won’t find licensed Disney, Star Wars, or professional sports team checks here.

Prices are also very reasonable, starting at around $15.84 for 150 single personal checks.

Related: The Best Investing Books

Final Verdict

When ordering checks without going through your actual bank, you should choose a company that’s reputable and affordable. Checks In The Mail (view at Checks In The Mail) is a reliable choice, with ample check designs, a low minimum order requirement, and competitive pricing. If you’re looking for more unique check designs, it’s tough to beat Walmart Checks (view at Walmart Checks), which offers a great deal on custom-designed checks.

Beware of Check Fraud

Be careful when accepting and depositing checks from someone you don't know. It can take weeks for fake checks to be discovered and researched, even though banks make your deposits available within a few days. If you spend the money and the check comes back as a fake, the scammer will likely be long gone, leaving you with having to pay back the bank.


What to Look for in Places to Order Checks Online

Variety

The best vendors offer checks with a variety of styles and designs, security features, and options for personal and business customers. It's important to find one that fits your needs, whether you want checks with licensed designs of your favorite characters, pop culture icons, or sports teams.

Affordability

Saving money is really the key benefit of ordering checks online versus just going directly through your bank. Whether you write a few checks per month or are a business owner who needs hundreds of checks, make sure to compare prices between major online sellers. Also, consider the minimum number of checks in an order; if you rarely use checks, you wouldn’t want to order them in bulk, which could outlast how long you keep that bank account open.

Shipping Times

Even though people are used to ordering items online and getting them delivered quickly, checks can take a few weeks to arrive. Be sure to carefully review the delivery time estimates when you order checks online (some sites have better turnaround times than others). Ideally, you want to give yourself plenty of time when you order, but if you’re running low, pay close attention to shipping schedules.

FAQs

What do you need to order checks online?

When ordering checks online, grab one of your existing checks since you’ll need some information: your bank, account number, and routing number. The routing and account numbers run along the bottom of a check. 

If you don’t have a check to refer to, you can go online to your bank account or call your bank to get what you need. Along with your account information, you’ll need to share what information you want to appear on the checks, including your name, business name (if applicable), and contact information (optional).

What are secure or high-security checks?

All checks have some built-in security, starting with the magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) font that’s used for the account and routing numbers. This computerized font allows checks to be read by machines, but it also prevents people—and counterfeiters—from printing checks on their own.

In addition, some checks have other enhanced security features. This may include visible and invisible fluorescent fibers, chemically sensitive paper, heat-sensitive (or thermochromic) ink, holograms, and watermarks.

What’s the difference between single and duplicate checks?

Though most people will choose single checks for personal use, duplicate checks are also available for those who want a copy of their checks. Duplicate checks have a thin carbon copy sheet behind each check, so you’ll always have a copy for your records. These are more expensive than single checks and are less popular now that many people rely on digital recordkeeping. But it’s still worth considering for small businesses that may prefer paper records.

Meet the Expert

This roundup was written by Dawn Papandrea, a personal finance reporter who covers small business topics. She is a full-time freelancer with two decades of writing experience.

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Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Checks In The Mail. "About Us."

  2. Checks In The Mail. "Blue Safety Checks."

  3. Carousel Checks. "Value Checks."

  4. Carousel Checks. "FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About Checks."

  5. Costco Wholesale. "Remember Checks and Forms."

  6. Costco Harland Clarke Check Printing. "High Security Manual Business Checks."

  7. Costco Harland Clarke Check Printing. "Green Safety High Security Checks."

  8. Walmart Checks. "View All Designer Checks."

  9. The Bradford Exchange. "Cheap Checks."

  10. Sam's Club. "3-Per-Page Checks."

  11. Check Advantage. "Our Guarantee."

  12. Check Advantage. "All Checks."

  13. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). "How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams."

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