Setting up Business Central check templates for vendor payments

The standard Business Central check templates

The US localization includes check reports for the three common positions of a check on a letter-size sheet. The check can sit at the top with two stubs below. It can sit in the middle between stubs. Or it can sit at the bottom under two stubs. Each report prints the payee, the amount in numbers and words, the date and the invoices being paid.

Start by looking at the stock you already buy. Pre-printed stock carries your bank details and check number. So the report only fills in payment data. Blank stock is different. The layout must print the bank routing line in a MICR font, with magnetic toner. Test that with your bank first.

Assign a check format to each bank account

Open the Bank Account Card and fill in Last Check No., so numbering continues from your current stock. Then choose the check report for that account. In recent versions, you do this on the bank account through its report selection. So two accounts can use different stock.

While you are on the card, confirm the bank account posting group and the currency. Also check the payment export format, if you send electronic payments too. Vendors that should receive checks need a matching payment method. The vendor card address is what prints in the envelope window.

Customizing Business Central check templates

Small changes are made on the Report Layouts page. Find the check report and export its layout. Edit it in Word or Report Builder, depending on the layout type. Then import it as a new custom layout. Typical edits move the amount box, enlarge the payee line or add a logo and signature image to the stub.

Set the new layout as the default for the report. Then print onto plain paper and hold it against real stock to check alignment. Some changes need extra data. Examples are a second signature line above a threshold, or remittance details from a custom field. Those call for a report extension written in AL.

Printing checks from the payment journal

In the Payment Journal, use Suggest Vendor Payments to fill lines for invoices that are due. Set Bank Payment Type to Computer Check on each line. Choose the bank account as the balancing account. The Print Check action then opens a request page. There you confirm the bank account and the next check number.

Use the test print option on the first sheet. It confirms alignment without using up a number. The option for one check per vendor combines several invoices into a single payment. After printing, the lines show Check Printed. Then you post the journal to create the payment and check ledger entries.

Voids, reprints and check records for Business Central check templates

Handle a jammed printer before posting. Use Void Check or Void All Checks on the journal, so you can print again. After posting, open Check Ledger Entries for the bank account and use Void Check there. That can also unapply and reverse the payment, so the invoice is open again.

Checks written by hand are recorded with Bank Payment Type set to Manual Check. You type the number in yourself. Many banks offer positive pay, and Business Central can export a file of issued checks for it. If your Business Central check templates or numbering need attention, our consultants can adjust them with you.

Business Central check templates: questions

Can each bank account use a different check layout?

Yes. The check report is chosen for each bank account, so accounts with different stock can each print correctly. You can also keep more than one custom layout for the same report. Then you set which one is the default for a company. So a company with two banks and two kinds of paper can still print every run without manual edits.

How do I print a signature on checks?

Add the signature as an image in a custom report layout. Then restrict who can run the check report through permissions. Some companies add a rule in an extension, so the image only prints below an agreed amount. Someone then signs larger checks by hand. That keeps control of high-value payments with the right people.

Can Business Central print on blank check stock?

It can, with a customized layout. The layout prints the bank routing and account line in a MICR font, and the printer needs magnetic ink or toner. Ask your bank to test sample checks before you rely on it. Many companies find pre-printed stock simpler. Business Central check templates then only fill in the payment data.

What should I do if checks printed out of alignment?

Void the printed checks from the payment journal before posting. Next, fix the layout margins on the Report Layouts page. Run a test print on plain paper against the stock. Then print the run again with the correct starting number. Keep the voided sheets, and note why they were spoiled, so the numbering trail stays clear.

Does Business Central support electronic payments as well as checks?

Yes. The same payment journal can export electronic payment files for bank accounts and vendors that are set up for it. Lines for other vendors can still print as checks. Many companies run both together. So you can move vendors to electronic payment one at a time, without changing how the rest are paid.

Related pages for Business Central check templates

Business Central check templates sit between payables and the bank. These pages cover the reconciliation that follows a check run. They also describe our services around vendor payments and banking setup. Read the bank reconciliation guide next, because it shows how checks that are not yet cashed carry into the following statement. For the product detail, see Work with checks on Microsoft Learn.