Create, modify, and print cheques

Cheques are written orders to a bank to pay the amount listed on the cheque to the person depositing the cheque. They’re considered as good as cash.

Write a cheque

Regular cheques

In QuickBooks Desktop, you use regular cheques to pay for a fixed asset, stock and non-stock part, service, other charges, and any expense you track. You can also use this form to put money into a petty cash account or pay credit card dues. To write cheques, go to the Banking menu and select Write Cheques.

Other cheque forms

• Bill Payment Cheque: Generated when you select the Pay Bills option in QuickBooks Desktop.
• VAT Cheques:Sales Tax Cheques: Cheques created to pay your VAT liabilitiessales tax liabilities.
• Payroll payment: Cheques issued to an employee in payment of salary or wages.

Before you start, be sure you understand the difference between deleting and voiding a cheque.

Void a written cheque

1. Select the Banking menu, then select Use Register.
2. From the drop-down, choose the account you used to write the cheque.
3. In the Bank Register, select the cheque.
4. Select the QuickBooks Edit menu, then select Void Cheque.
5. Select Record.

Void a blank cheque

1. Create a cheque with the amount of $0.00.
2. Enter a payee name, and assign an account in the Expenses section.
3. Select the Edit menu then Void Cheque.

Delete a cheque

1. Select the Banking menu, then select Use Register.
2. From the drop-down, choose the account you used to write the cheque.
3. In the Bank Register, select the cheque.
4. Select the QuickBooks Edit menu, then select Delete Cheque.
5. Select Record.

Print cheques

1. From the Write Cheques window, select the Print icon, then select:
   • Cheque: To print a single cheque. When you choose this option, you will be prompted to enter a Printed Cheque Number.
   • Batch: To print multiple cheques you marked for Print Later. When you choose this option, you will be redirected to the Select Cheques to Print window. Put a tick on the cheque(s) you want to print, then select OK.
2. In the Print Cheques window:
   1. Select the Printer name and Printer type.
   2. On the Cheque Style section, choose if you want to print the cheque as Voucher, Standard, or Wallet.
   3. If your pre-printed cheques already have your company name and address on it, uncheck the checkbox Print company name and address.
   4. Check and make sure all other settings are correct.
3. Select Print.

Memorise a cheque

For detailed steps on memorising cheques, see Create an automatic recurring payment (cheque) to a supplier.

Print the transaction register

1. Select the Edit menu, then select Use Register.
2. From the drop-down, choose the account, then select OK.
3. Select the Print icon at the top of the register.
4. Enter the date range you want to print.
   Note: If you want to print the split detail, place a tick in the box Print splits detail.
5. Select OK, then select Print.

Create a user role to write cheques without seeing confidential information

When setting up users in a role to write cheques, QuickBooks requires users to have access to a bank account. If you are using QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and you don't want a user to see sensitive or confidential transactions in the bank register such as payroll, create a bank sub-account. This gives you the ability to limit which of your bank accounts a given user can write cheques from or view.

1. Create a sub-account of the main checking account:
   1. Go to the Lists menu, then select Chart of Accounts.
   2. In the Chart of Accounts window, right-click anywhere and select New.
   3. For the Account type, select Bank, then Continue.
   4. In the Account Name field, enter A/P Transaction Register, or anything that distinguishes it from other bank accounts.
   5. Put a tick in the Sub account of box, then select the account where funds will be drawn in transactions.
   6. Select Save & Close.
      
2. Create a user role:
   1. Sign in as the QuickBooks Admin.
   1. Select the Company menu, then select Users then Set up Users and Roles.
   2. Select the Role List tab.
   3. Create a new role, or duplicate one similar to the access needed for the user.
   4. Modify the role:
      1. Select the + in front of Banking.
      2. Allow Full access to Create Cheques.
   5. While still in the Banking area, select the + sign in front of Bank Registers.
   6. Select + next to the main checking account.
   7. Highlight the newly created sub-account, and allow View and Print access.
   8. Continue to modify the role for access to other duties as needed.
      
3. Select the Company menu, then select Set Up Users and Passwords and then Set Up Users.
4. In the User List window, you can add a new user and provide access needed for the user or you can edit the access for the existing user.
   
5. To add a new user with write cheques access:
   1. In the User List window, select Add User.
   2. In the Set up user password and access window, enter the user name and password for the new user and select Next until you reach the Banking and Credit Cards page.
   3. Select Full Access, and select Finish.
      
6. To edit an existing user to have write cheques access:
   1. In the User List window, select the user that you want to edit.
   2. Select Next until you reach the Banking and Credit Cards page.
   3. Select Full Access, and select Finish.

This method could be reversed to keep payroll or other confidential transactions in a sub-account accessible only to users who need access to the information. Specified users could be given access to the primary account for various register activities and not be able to see the confidential transactions from the sub-account.

Common issues and unexpected results

Cheque number is always the same

When you write a cheque, the cheque number is always the same, even after saving a cheque with a different number. The next cheque number is stored in the Cheque Number Queue, and as a result, the queue is damaged and must be repaired. Try the following solutions to fix the issue:

• Resolve data damage on your company file.
• Write a cheque again. If the number is still wrong, save the cheque with the correct number.

Class field missing from the transaction register or Write Cheques Window

When you open the transaction register or Write Cheques window, the option to include class information is missing. Cheques and Deposits don't have source classes. You can add target classes by using the Splits button at the bottom-left of the transaction register window.

If you open the register and the Class field, Restore, or Record buttons are missing, close out of the window and reopen while holding the Shift key. If this fails to resolve the issue, check your font DPI settings and screen resolution to ensure they are optimised to display QuickBooks properly.

1. Make sure class tracking is enabled.
   1. From the Edit menu, select Preferences.
   2. Select Accounting preference.
   3. Select the Company Preferences tab.
   4. Select the Use class tracking checkbox.
   5. Select OK to close the Preferences.
2. Open the Register, and select the Splits button in the bottom left corner.
3. This will add the option to add a Class.
4. If you're not using the recommended Windows default font:
   1. In Windows, switch the display settings to Smaller - 100% (default).
   2. In QuickBooks, go to Banking, then Write Cheques (and/or Suppliers, then Enter Bills).
   3. In a blank transaction, under the Items and Expenses tabs, adjust the columns to be very narrow.
   4. Select Save & Close.
   5. In Windows, switch the display settings back to Medium - 125%.
   6. In QuickBooks, readjust the cheque and bill entry form columns as needed.