You can order bank checks directly through your bank’s website or app, at a branch, or from a third-party printer that often charges less than half the price. The process takes just a few minutes once you have your account details handy, and most orders arrive within one to two weeks.
What You Need Before Ordering
Whether you order through your bank or an outside vendor, you’ll need the same core information:
- Bank routing number: the nine-digit number that identifies your financial institution. It’s printed on the bottom left of any existing check, or you can find it in your bank’s app or on their website.
- Account number: your individual checking account number, found in the same places.
- Starting check number: you can pick any number, but if you’ve ordered checks before, choose a number higher than your last check to avoid duplicates.
- Your bank’s name: third-party printers need this; your bank already knows it.
- Your mailing address: this is what gets printed on the checks themselves, not just where they ship.
If you’re ordering through your bank’s portal, most of this is pre-filled. You’ll mainly just confirm details and pick a design.
Ordering Through Your Bank
The simplest route is your bank’s online portal or mobile app. Sign in, navigate to the check-ordering section, choose a design, and confirm your information. You’ll see the total cost before submitting. Most banks also let you update the address printed on your checks during the ordering process, though that doesn’t automatically change the mailing address on file for your account.
You can also walk into a branch and place the order in person. This is useful if you want help verifying details or if you’re setting up checks for a new account and aren’t sure about formatting.
The downside of ordering through your bank is cost. Banks typically charge around 40 to 66 cents per single check, and 43 to 75 cents per duplicate check (duplicates come with a carbon copy underneath for your records). For a standard order of two boxes, that can run $60 or more.
Ordering From a Third-Party Printer
Third-party check printers are significantly cheaper. You’ll generally pay 5 to 24 cents per single check and 8 to 31 cents per duplicate, depending on the vendor and design. The checks work exactly the same way at your bank. There’s no rule requiring you to buy checks from your financial institution.
Here’s how pricing shakes out across popular vendors for a two-box order of single checks:
- Sam’s Club: about $0.05 per check (200 checks for roughly $20)
- Costco: about $0.08 per check (120 checks for roughly $20), with free standard delivery
- Walmart: about $0.09 per check (120 checks for roughly $22), with free standard shipping
- Vistaprint: about $0.10 per check (100 checks for roughly $20)
- Checks in the Mail: about $0.24 per check (80 checks for roughly $38)
For comparison, the same two-box order from a major bank runs about $0.38 per check, or around $60 for 80 checks. So the cheapest third-party options cost roughly one-seventh of what your bank charges.
To order, visit the vendor’s website, enter your banking information, choose your design and quantity, and check out. The process feels like any online purchase. Warehouse club options like Costco and Sam’s Club require a membership.
Single vs. Duplicate Checks
Single checks are just that: one check per page. Duplicate checks include a thin carbon sheet underneath each check that creates an automatic copy when you write. The copy stays in your checkbook as a built-in record of every payment you’ve made, including the amount, date, and payee.
Duplicates cost a bit more. At Costco, for example, two boxes of duplicates run about $20 for 100 checks versus $20 for 120 singles. The per-check premium is small, and duplicates are worth it if you don’t always remember to log checks in a register. If you track everything through your bank’s app or online portal, singles are fine.
Security Features to Look For
Check fraud remains a real concern, so the checks you order should include basic anti-fraud protections. Bank-issued checks and reputable third-party printers include most of these by default, but it’s worth confirming, especially with budget vendors.
The key features to look for:
- Microprinting: tiny text along the signature line or borders that’s readable under magnification but nearly impossible to reproduce with a copier or scanner.
- Watermarks: a design embedded in the paper itself that becomes visible when held up to light, proving the check is printed on genuine stock.
- Chemically reactive paper: paper treated so that any attempt to “wash” a check (using chemicals to erase ink and rewrite the payee or amount) causes visible stains or discoloration.
- Void pantograph: a hidden pattern that causes the word “VOID” to appear if someone photocopies or scans the check.
- Fraud-sensitive ink: ink that changes color or disappears if someone tries to chemically alter what’s written on the check.
Some vendors offer a “high-security” upgrade that adds extra layers like holograms, heat-sensitive icons, or UV-reactive fibers. At Costco, for instance, high-security duplicate checks run about $30 for 200 checks versus $18 for standard. If you write checks frequently or mail them to pay bills, the small premium is reasonable insurance.
How Long Delivery Takes
Most orders ship within a few business days of being placed, with standard delivery typically arriving in one to two weeks. Banks and third-party vendors both offer expedited shipping for an extra fee if you need checks sooner. Costco and Walmart include free standard shipping on check orders, while other vendors may charge for delivery or offer free shipping only above a certain order total.
If you need to write a check before your order arrives, most banks can print a small number of temporary or counter checks at a branch. These usually don’t have your name or address pre-printed, and some businesses won’t accept them, but they work in a pinch.
Choosing the Right Quantity
Check usage has dropped substantially as more payments move to digital transfers, so don’t over-order. A single box of 80 to 120 checks lasts most people a year or more. If you only write a few checks a month for rent or occasional bills, one box is plenty. Ordering in larger quantities does lower the per-check price, but savings are modest, and checks sitting in a drawer for years aren’t doing you any favors from a security standpoint. If your account number ever changes or you move, unused checks become waste.
For business accounts, usage tends to be higher, so two to four boxes is a more common starting order. The same third-party vendors that sell personal checks also sell business check formats, including checks sized to fit accounting software like QuickBooks.