Checkbooks are becoming somewhat obsolete due to the ease of using credit cards, ATM cards and online bill pay that generates checks automatically. Luther Branham of Military.com explains that paying bills online is safe and easy and can be used to generate a check for one-time payments or monthly bills. It only takes a few simple steps to write checks online and set them up to be sent out on the correct date.
Step 1
Log into your checking account through your bank's website and click on the appropriate tab or link. It will say something like "Online Checks" or "Bill Pay."
Step 2
Create a payee. This is the person to whom you will be sending the check. Your bank's site will walk you through this by asking for the appropriate information, which generally includes the person's name and address.
Step 3
Click the option to make a payment, then select the payee you just created. There may be others listed if you have previously written online checks with your account.
Step 4
Enter the amount of the check and the date. You may also be able to enter a memo line just as you would on a paper check. This lets you make a note like "Paid in Full" or "Loan Payment" or other identifying information.
Step 5
Click "OK" or "Continue," which will take you to the confirmation screen. Click "OK" or "Confirm" to generate the check. It will then be sent to the payee on the date you specified.
Tips and Warnings
- You may need to enroll in your bank's online check writing program before you can use this service. It can take from two to five business days from your enrollment for the service to become active on your account.
- Online banking should only be done on a computer with anti-virus and anti-malware software. Otherwise you may unknowingly have a key logger or Trojan installed on your PC that will allow criminals to steal the log-in information for your bank account, the PC Doctor site warns.
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