Hi there, I run a small online PPC company, and would like to know how i'd go about printing cheques from my PC ~ printer and securely connecting them to my bank account - then sending them via post. Please let me know, I am in the UK. I am not too sure how to do this. Thanks.
We are in the US and print bank checks to send in the post (snail mail) using QuickBooks software. Since we do our bookkeeping with QB, all checks that we write are automatically accounted for in our general ledger and their corresponding accounts. I am not sure what connection you require to your bank since they will ultimately cash/process the check and deduct the amount from your account when it comes in. Of course, you will need to reconcile their records with yours manually (preferably on a monthly or at least quarterly basis.) I certainly recommend keeping your own books as a validator because banks do make mistakes, in my experience.
One last point: we purchase print-ready checks from our bank and they are identified with our business name, address and bank number so that the bank can track them. I am not aware of my bank (a Top 10 bank) offering the ability to print such checks from my online account, though I can make direct electronic payments to anyone with a bank account for free.
I'd suggest Quickens or QuickBooks - You could then order check stock and print your own checks. Note: Talk to your bank ask which software they support.