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Pay a contractor with a paper check

by Intuit • Image Alt Text 267 •
Image Alt Text Updated 8/3/2026 05:38

Learn how to create paper checks to pay your contractors in Intuit QuickBooks Workforce or QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

With Intuit QuickBooks Workforce or QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, you can either write paper checks or pay direct deposits to your contractors. Here's how to record and print paper checks for your contractors.

Before you can pay a contractor, you need to set up their vendor profile and track them as a 1099 vendor. If you don't want to use a paper check, here's how to pay your contractors with direct deposit.

Note: Not sure which payroll service you have? Here's how to find your payroll service.

Create contractor paychecks

Once your contractor has a vendor profile, you can create a paper check for them. Follow the steps for the payroll product you use.

Before you start, make sure you’ve set up your printing preferences.

Once you're set up:

  1. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., then Payroll, then Contractors (Take me there).

  2. Select the dropdown next to the contractor's name and then Write check.

  3. From the Bank account ▼ dropdown, select the account the check withdraws money from.

  4. Complete the check fields you need.

  5. Select the Print check option if you want to open the check queue to print now. Or select the Print later checkbox if you want to print the check later.

  6. Select Save and close to close the check window. Or Save and new if you need to create another check. Note: If you choose a save option, this adds the check to your bank register, but only sends it to the print queue if you select Print later.

Need help printing your checks?

Get personalized help recording and printing checks with QuickBooks Live.

Video transcript

[0:00] If you make a purchase using a handwritten check, or if you want QuickBooks Online to print a check for you, you need to enter a check in QuickBooks. We'll show you how to record a check and how to print it out right from QuickBooks. If you want to order checks from QuickBooks, there is a link in the description where you can do that. Navigate to create, and then check.

[0:22] First, enter the payee, which is who you're paying with the check. You can choose from a list of people who are already in QuickBooks, or you can select Add New to add someone. Then select the bank account the money will come from. You can see the balance that QuickBooks has for that account here. Fill in the correct payment date for the check.

[0:45] If you are printing a check, that will usually be today. If you are recording a handwritten check, change this to the date that you wrote the check. Then record the check number here. If you want to print this check later, select this box. This enters the check into the print queue, and you can print it either by itself or in a batch with other checks.

[1:08] Under category, tell QuickBooks the reason why you're writing this check. You can enter a more detailed description of why you're spending this money in the amount field. Enter the amount of money you're spending. Now save and close. If you just need to record a handwritten check that you already wrote, then you're done.

[1:31] Now, to record a check to print later, select All apps, then Expenses and bills, and then Expense transactions. Select Print checks to view your print queue. Select the correct account from the dropdown. Select the check you want to print, and click Preview and print. Standard checks have three checks per page, while voucher checks have one, and check stubs.

[1:55] Select print in QuickBooks again, and then use the printer icon as the final printing step. Now, close out of the print preview. If the checks printed correctly, select Yes they all printed correctly. If any checks printed incorrectly, select Some checks need reprinting, then enter the first check number you need to fix. Then select Done. Checks that were printed correctly are removed.

[2:21] Any checks still left to reprint or kept in the print queue will stay in the list. When the check is cashed at a later date, you'll need to match that bank transaction with the check you just recorded. At the end of this video, we have links to videos to show you how to do this when your bank account is connected to QuickBooks, and how to do it manually.

[2:44] Now to record and print your own checks in QuickBooks.

  1. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., then Payroll, then Contractors (Take me there).

  2. Select the contractor you want to pay.

  3. Select the Pay with direct deposit ▼ dropdown, then select Write check.

  4. Enter the info for the payment, then select Save or Save and print.

  1. Select the Banking menu and then Write Checks.

  2. In the Bank Account dropdown, and select the checking account you use to pay contractors.

  3. In the Pay to the Order of dropdown, select the contractor.

  4. Select the Date field and enter the date you want to pay the contractor.

  5. Enter the check amount in the $ field.

  6. Select the Expenses tab and select the related expense account.

  7. Make sure the Pay Online checkbox is unchecked.

  8. If you want to print multiple checks at the same time, check the box next to Print Later. This sends the checks to the print queue. Note: If you leave the option unchecked, QuickBooks automatically assigns a check number.

  9. Select Save & Close.

Need help printing your checks? Here's how to print checks one at a time or in a batch.

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