Author Topic: Where do you order checks from?  (Read 10687 times)

Gin1984

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Where do you order checks from?
« on: March 06, 2015, 11:50:05 AM »
For the first time ever, we ran out of checks.  I use about 4 a month, but I do need them for next months bills.  Where have you found to be the cheapest option?
« Last Edit: March 06, 2015, 11:52:36 AM by Gin1984 »

netskyblue

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2015, 11:54:45 AM »
Hmm... I just call my bank and tell them I need to order more checks. 

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2015, 12:03:28 PM »
Capital One 360 lets you mail checks for free from their website. Schwab will send you infinite checks as far as I can tell.

ToeInTheWater

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2015, 12:09:48 PM »
we've ordered from Walmart in the past

KCM5

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2015, 12:14:01 PM »
Wait. My bank tried to charge me $35 for checks. Some give them out for free?

My solution: I don't have checks. Pay everything online or with credit card.

tarheeldan

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2015, 12:25:51 PM »
I just Google "cheap checks" and pick a legit-looking site.

I think last time it was checksunlimited.com - way cheaper than the bank.

seattlecyclone

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2015, 12:26:06 PM »
Wait. My bank tried to charge me $35 for checks. Some give them out for free?

Yes, many do. Some banks only give free checks to people with at least $x in their accounts though.

slugline

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2015, 12:31:00 PM »
To clarify, Capital One 360 will mail filled-in checks to payees on your behalf for free. They'll send you a first pad of blank checks for free. Once that pad is gone, refills for blank checks are $5 for 50 checks. Not free, but frequency of use makes it no big deal for me.

Someday, we'll have a world where everyone takes electronic payment and doesn't charge extra fees for them. Until then, I'm keeping some checks on-hand.

johnny847

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2015, 12:35:40 PM »
Capital One 360 lets you mail checks for free from their website. Schwab will send you infinite checks as far as I can tell.
This. Switching bank accounts just for free checks would be silly, but there are other benefits to Charles Schwab and other online banks

Lis

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2015, 01:29:30 PM »
Bumping to follow along. My bank charges $45 for the cheapest, plainest checks. I use 1-2 a month for a local farmer's market. I despise carrying cash (I'm more likely to spend it if it's burning a hole in my wallet), but I might have to learn how to control that urge if it means shelling out that much for a few pieces of paper.

JLee

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2015, 01:34:12 PM »
I haven't used checks in years. If I need to send one, I use the bill pay feature from my credit union's online banking.

Gin1984

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2015, 01:36:30 PM »
I haven't used checks in years. If I need to send one, I use the bill pay feature from my credit union's online banking.
My utilities require a copy of the bill to be included in with the check, otherwise I would.

MDM

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2015, 03:42:58 PM »
last time it was checksunlimited.com - way cheaper than the bank.
Just compared checksunlimited.com with the rate from the company suggested by our credit union (where we have checking):

checksunlimited.com: 4 boxes of duplicate checks = $58.92
Liberty checks: 6 boxes of duplicate checks = $45.74

Don't know whether the credit union subsidizes or not.  Also don't know if "box" means the same number of checks....

tarheeldan

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #13 on: March 06, 2015, 03:52:48 PM »
Ouch! Sorry to lead you astray, that's a big difference. I would guess the boxes are a standardish size

Psychstache

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #14 on: March 06, 2015, 03:55:50 PM »
The 1970s.

tarheeldan

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #15 on: March 06, 2015, 03:57:35 PM »
The 1970s.
Seriously belly laughing right now!

Blonde Lawyer

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #16 on: March 06, 2015, 04:02:47 PM »
I haven't used checks in years. If I need to send one, I use the bill pay feature from my credit union's online banking.
My utilities require a copy of the bill to be included in with the check, otherwise I would.

Yeah, we need checks to pay our local water and sewer.  Just about everything else can be paid online.  I do like checks for the occasions where I have to pay a home service provider and I want a record of it (like a contractor/plumber/electrician). 

terran

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #17 on: March 06, 2015, 04:04:25 PM »
Pretty sure Ally gives you checks for free. We don't go through too many though.

AlwaysBeenASaver

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #18 on: March 06, 2015, 04:05:46 PM »
I got mine from Costco (online), they seemed pretty inexpensive and I hardly use them so they should last almost forever.

frugaliknowit

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #19 on: March 06, 2015, 04:09:12 PM »
I don't think I have ever had to re-order, just new accounts.  I probably write 3 or 4 checks per year:   Very cheap: http://www.supervaluechecks.com/index_promo.aspx?Code=SVC01&gclid=CjwKEAiAveWnBRCzjqf4zpuUkGYSJABcoZbHcNSJvnLKMm7dEqksGYBmFdLRiTxytSEBV69nWHZ1zhoCTDvw_wcB

GreenPen

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #20 on: March 06, 2015, 04:17:56 PM »
Every time I have gone into Chase bank and asked for free checks, they have given me about 4 free ones (which last me about two years).

Nudelkopf

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #21 on: March 07, 2015, 11:41:04 PM »
I've never written a cheque. I don't think I've received one since I was about 5 years old and my Nana still liked to write them?

Just go with bank deposit, srsly.

Gin1984

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #22 on: March 08, 2015, 09:08:37 AM »
I've never written a cheque. I don't think I've received one since I was about 5 years old and my Nana still liked to write them?

Just go with bank deposit, srsly.
Except I already mentioned I need checks. 

beltim

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #23 on: March 08, 2015, 09:14:47 AM »
I've never written a cheque. I don't think I've received one since I was about 5 years old and my Nana still liked to write them?

Just go with bank deposit, srsly.
Except I already mentioned I need checks.

I'm amazed at how many people on this forum think their faulty generalization is a valid point.

Janie

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #24 on: March 08, 2015, 09:37:46 AM »
Another vote for Capital One 360. I expect their free checks (50) to last me a while (maybe forever since I infrequently use them). In addition, they offer the option of printing a voided check from the "Forms" tab so I don't have to use an actual check to set up bill pay or automatic deductions when a businesses requires a voided check. (My employer pays only by direct deposit but required a voided check to set it up lol.)

johnny847

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #25 on: March 08, 2015, 09:48:22 AM »
I've never written a cheque. I don't think I've received one since I was about 5 years old and my Nana still liked to write them?

Just go with bank deposit, srsly.
Except I already mentioned I need checks.

I'm amazed at how many people on this forum think their faulty generalization is a valid point.

Me too. Drives me crazy sometimes.

Paul der Krake

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #26 on: March 08, 2015, 10:09:03 AM »
All online banks worth doing business with offer free checks. Fidelity, Schwab, Ally to name just a few. Get on with the times, yo.

caliq

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #27 on: March 08, 2015, 10:12:38 AM »
My bank will give me 16 checks for free at a time, but I think they might only do that because I look super young (often mistaken for a teenager) and I ask for them so rarely (like once every couple years).

I did order some online for significantly less than people are quoting above -- I'm thinking more like $10 or $15 for several boxes.  I would just do some more searching around and see if you can find a better deal. 

KCM5

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #28 on: March 09, 2015, 08:25:39 AM »
I've never written a cheque. I don't think I've received one since I was about 5 years old and my Nana still liked to write them?

Just go with bank deposit, srsly.

To be fair, the US is a different animal when it comes to check writing. In fact, sometimes people still use them here for things like the grocery store!

If I asked for bank information in order to directly transfer money to my childcare provider she would think I was crazy or trying to defraud her. From what I understand, its a lot more common in other places to transfer money from account to account (and even between banks, is that right?).

That said, I still get away without using checks. But sometimes its harder than others.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2015, 08:42:39 AM by KCM5 »

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #29 on: March 09, 2015, 08:37:34 AM »
Ally Bank has free checks with their online checking account.

Ricky

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #30 on: March 09, 2015, 08:50:12 AM »
Walmart or Vistaprint though checks are slowly dying. There are so many better ways to pay or get paid.

The Resilent Dame

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #31 on: March 09, 2015, 12:08:20 PM »
Pretty sure Ally gives you checks for free. We don't go through too many though.

I think some people don't realize that online bill pay sends actual checks. If your utility requires a copy of the thing to send with it, I'm sure they will accept the payment from online billpay as long as you include the account number.

tmac

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #32 on: March 09, 2015, 12:12:05 PM »
I've used checkdepot.net for many years for business and personal checks. I haven't compared the pricing recently, but they were cheaper than my bank when I started. :)

bop

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #33 on: March 09, 2015, 12:25:40 PM »
I think some people don't realize that online bill pay sends actual checks. If your utility requires a copy of the thing to send with it, I'm sure they will accept the payment from online billpay as long as you include the account number.
For most (but not quite all) of my checking needs, I use online bill pay.  I was wondering, why does the bank not even charge me 49 cents for the cost of a stamp? (Not that I'm complaining!)  What's their incentive?

Gin1984

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #34 on: March 09, 2015, 12:35:45 PM »
Pretty sure Ally gives you checks for free. We don't go through too many though.

I think some people don't realize that online bill pay sends actual checks. If your utility requires a copy of the thing to send with it, I'm sure they will accept the payment from online billpay as long as you include the account number.
I've checked.  Even with the account number on the check they require the paper bill.  It is annoying. 

johnny847

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #35 on: March 09, 2015, 04:15:41 PM »
I think some people don't realize that online bill pay sends actual checks. If your utility requires a copy of the thing to send with it, I'm sure they will accept the payment from online billpay as long as you include the account number.
For most (but not quite all) of my checking needs, I use online bill pay.  I was wondering, why does the bank not even charge me 49 cents for the cost of a stamp? (Not that I'm complaining!)  What's their incentive?

Interesting question. I can think of two unsubstantiated reasons:
1) Maybe the bank wants to make it more logical for you to set up your bill pays from your account. This creates more inertia for switching bank accounts (b/c you'd have to set up your bill pays all over again if you were to switch accounts) and hence they can retain your business.
2). Banks clearly send a lot of mail. They should be getting some kind of bulk discount for all their mail. So the cost shouldn't be 49 cents.

Fuzz

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Re: Where do you order checks from?
« Reply #36 on: March 10, 2015, 08:21:55 AM »
Can't you get a "counter check" i.e. go into the bank and get a blank check? They just print your account number on a blank check and you take it with you. My local bank has never charged me for this and I didn't even realize it was a perk.