For all the talk about going digital, paper checks refuse to disappear. The Federal Reserve still reports that in 2023, banks processed roughly $33.8 billion in check payments every day. Stretch that over a year, and you’re looking at trillions of dollars still moving by paper. It’s hard to call that obsolete.
If you manage payouts, that number feels familiar. Payroll, rebates, and vendor payments are still everywhere. But behind every one of those payments sits a clunky, old process that hasn’t changed much in decades. Stacks of paper, manual entries, and endless signatures.
When your company starts issuing hundreds or thousands of payments a week, cracks start to show. Data errors, delays, lost mail, and fraud risk can happen. That’s why bulk check printing automation is having its moment. It stops the bleed of time and money from systems built for a slower world.
The Real Problem With Manual Check Issuing
If you’ve ever spent a Friday signing checks, you already know the story. The process is slow, stressful, and way too easy to mess up.
Time Drains That Add Up
Printing, signing, stuffing, and mailing is death by a thousand paper cuts. Each check takes a few minutes, but multiply that by thousands and suddenly an entire workday is gone.
With bulk check writing, those hours shrink to minutes. Approvals happen automatically, and mailings are queued instantly. The job still gets done, just without the chaos.
Human Error is Inevitable
People mean well, but people make typos. One wrong address, one missing zero, or one outdated record, and suddenly you’re reissuing a payment and eating the postage. USPS data shows that undeliverable mail costs U.S. businesses about $20 billion every year. That’s staggering.
Automated systems fix the issue before it starts. Address verification tools like CASS™ and NCOA Link® automatically check and clean mailing data. It’s the kind of small, invisible efficiency no spreadsheet can capture, but you feel it in your bottom line.
Compliance and Fraud
Check fraud is getting worse. The Association for Financial Professionals says 63% of companies experienced check fraud in 2024. Mail theft is back in the headlines, and altered checks, which are “washed” with chemicals, still trick banks.
Manual systems can’t fight that. No tracking, alerts, or audit trail. Once the check leaves the building, it’s gone. Automation fixes that with tracking, logs, and verification that stop fraud before it starts.
How Automation Changes the Game
Automation doesn’t take the human out of finance. It takes the headache out of it.
Centralized and Secure
Modern check printing services directly interface with your ERP or accounting software. Instead of exporting spreadsheets, you upload encrypted files directly through a dashboard or API. The system logs every approval, every user, and every batch.
You still have structured control. Nothing moves without the right authorization, and every action leaves a trail for audits.
Speed Without Corners Cut
A good check printing company can print and mail thousands of checks in a day. That means same-day USPS, FedEx, and UPS. The process batches automatically, sorts addresses, and bundles mailings for efficiency.
You’d be surprised how much that matters. Less time waiting for envelopes means faster vendor payments and fewer “Did you send it yet?” emails cluttering your inbox.
Real Tracking, Real Visibility
You can now track checks the same way you track packages. Intelligent Mail Barcodes and USPS Informed Visibility® show exactly where each envelope is, from print to delivery.
That’s how smart AP teams stay proactive. If something stalls in the mail, you see it.
The ROI No One Argues With
Although automation saves time, the real win is consistency.
Lower Costs and Fewer Delays
Once you eliminate manual prep, postage waste, and reprints, savings start compounding. Labor hours drop, payments land faster, and the team that used to spend its week buried in envelopes finally has time for actual financial analysis.
Accuracy That Scales
Data validation means every check matches every record. Returns become rare and reissues almost vanish. Vendors notice that kind of precision, which builds trust without a single phone call.
Stronger Fraud Protection
With Positive Pay, your issued check list syncs directly with the bank’s system. If someone alters an amount or payee, it’s flagged instantly. Combine that with MICR ink and tamper-proof envelopes, and you’ve created a system built for security.
It’s worth noting that the AFP still lists checks as the most targeted payment type for fraud. Automation isn’t optional anymore. It’s defense.
What to Demand From a Check Printing Partner
If you’re trusting someone with payouts, choose carefully.
Security
At a minimum, insist on SOC 2 compliance, encryption, and multi-factor authentication. The good providers go further with penetration testing and restricted facility access. The small stuff, like secure-tint envelopes and watermarks, also matters.
Banking and Postal Integration
Seamless USPS tracking, built-in Positive Pay, and address hygiene tools like CASS and NCOA should all come standard. If they’re add-ons, walk away.
Flexibility
The right check printing company should handle 500 payments or 500,000 without missing a beat. Bonus points for customizable templates, multiple account management, and brand elements that make every envelope look professional.
Why Companies Choose CheckIssuing
What makes CheckIssuing different isn’t just automation. It’s how human the process still feels. The system runs thousands of payments a day, but every transaction gets treated like it matters. Each check includes a barcode for tracking, ensuring a clear chain of custody from upload to delivery. You can literally see when something prints, ships, and lands in a mailbox. That kind of visibility changes how finance teams work.
Data security sits at the center of it all. Everything runs inside a SOC 2–verified environment, so sensitive information stays encrypted and under control. Banks receive Positive Pay files automatically, closing the gap between printing and reconciliation.
Customization is another understated perk. You’re able to create branded templates, upload signatures, and even include inserts and notes for clients. Customize it for a huge organization or keep it simple enough for small teams to use every day.
If your check runs still eat entire afternoons, it might be time to hand off the busy work. At CheckIssuing, we handle the grind, check disbursement, mailing, tracking, all of it, so you can get back to work that moves the needle. Sign up today to get started or contact us today to speak to a specialist.
Key Takeaways
- Manual processes waste time and money: Printing, signing, and mailing hundreds of checks manually drains hours that automation can recover.
- Data errors are costly: USPS estimates undeliverable mail costs U.S. businesses around $20 billion annually, mostly from bad address data.
- Check fraud is rising: In 2024, 63% of businesses experienced check fraud incidents, underscoring the need for automated tracking and validation.
- Automation streamlines everything: Modern systems connect directly to ERP platforms, log every step for audits, and enable same-day mailing with USPS, FedEx, or UPS.
- Better security and compliance: Tools like Positive Pay, MICR ink, and CASS/NCOA address verification reduce fraud, ensure delivery, and maintain regulatory compliance.
- CheckIssuing leads in secure automation: Its SOC 2-certified platform handles printing, mailing, tracking, and Positive Pay integration—all under one roof.
Citations / Footnotes
- Federal Reserve Board. “2023 Annual Report: Payment System and Reserve Bank Oversight.” federalreserve.gov
- USPS Office of Inspector General. “Undeliverable-as-Addressed Mail and Costs to the Postal Service.” uspsoig.gov
- Association for Financial Professionals (AFP). “Payments Fraud and Control Survey.” financialprofessionals.org