What Is a Laser Business Check and How Does It Work?
Understand laser business checks: a modern, secure solution for efficient financial payments and robust record-keeping.
A laser business check is a pre-printed, specialized form designed for printing payments using a laser printer. These checks offer an efficient method for businesses to manage their outbound financial transactions. They integrate with accounting software platforms, enabling streamlined payment processing and record-keeping. This approach provides a professional appearance and helps businesses maintain organized financial records.
Key Characteristics
Laser business checks are typically printed on standard 8.5 x 11-inch sheets of paper, often featuring perforations for easy separation. The paper is a specialized stock, contributing to its durability and professional feel. Designed for laser printers, they ensure crisp, clear prints and proper alignment.
Common layouts include “check-on-top,” “check-in-middle,” “check-on-bottom,” or “three-per-page” formats, which dictate the check’s position. Each sheet includes the check itself along with one or more detachable stubs or vouchers. These sections provide detailed transaction information for internal record-keeping and for the payee’s records.
How Laser Checks Are Used
Businesses commonly integrate laser checks with accounting software, such as QuickBooks, Sage, or other enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, to facilitate payment generation. This integration allows for the automated population of check details, streamlining the payment process. Users input payee information, payment amounts, and other relevant transaction data directly into their accounting software.
The software then formats this data and prints it onto the pre-printed laser check stock. This method enhances efficiency by reducing manual data entry errors and providing a comprehensive audit trail for financial transactions. Businesses can customize these checks by printing company logos, specific bank details, and the Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) line, which includes routing and account numbers. The detachable stubs serve to maintain accurate internal records, assisting with reconciliation against bank statements and general ledger entries.
Security Features
Laser business checks incorporate several security features designed to protect against fraud and alteration. Microprinting involves tiny text on borders or signature lines that appears as a solid line to the naked eye but becomes legible under magnification, blurring if copied. This feature helps identify counterfeit checks. Chemical alteration protection causes the paper to react visibly, such as staining or discoloring, when exposed to chemicals used by fraudsters to modify check details.
Watermarks are embedded designs visible only when held to light, making them difficult to reproduce with standard copying equipment. Security screens or void pantographs are patterns printed on the check that reveal words like “VOID” or “UNAUTHORIZED” when copied, preventing unauthorized duplication. Toner adhesion technology ensures that the laser toner permanently bonds with the paper surface, making it difficult to scrape off or alter printed information without damaging the check. These features protect the payment instrument against various forms of check fraud.