Checks are anything but void: Self-serve check ordering is a win-win

We live in an increasingly digital world where opening an account, applying for a loan or paying a vendor can all happen with a few clicks. But while many business interactions have migrated online, traditional payment methods like checks haven’t disappeared. Instead, they’ve evolved.

The checkbook may look familiar, but the way customers order and use checks today is anything but old-fashioned. Forward-thinking banks are embracing self-service models that meet customer expectations, reduce branch workloads and drive new revenue.

Paper checks in a digital age: Still going strong

Digital wallets, peer-to-peer apps and contactless payments dominate headlines, yet checks remain firmly entrenched in the U.S. payment ecosystem. According to a recent payments study by the Federal Reserve, Americans wrote 11.2 billion checks in 2021, valued at over $27 trillion—a decline in volume, but not in significance. Why? Because checks still offer a level of trust, traceability, and control that digital payments can’t always match.

As Tracey Engelhardt, SVP and Division President of Print at Deluxe, explains: “We think of a check as one of the few completely ubiquitous payment methods, which means it works anywhere, at any time. It’s a trusted relationship.”

And that trust goes a long way, especially in business banking.

Small businesses rely on checks

For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), checks remain the go-to payment method. In fact, SMBs write the majority of high-value checks today. According to the Federal Reserve, business-to-business checks accounted for 57 percent ($15.7 trillion) of total check value in 2023.

Business owners rely on checks because they offer a variety of benefits, including:

• Float time: Essential for managing tight cash flow
• Paper documentation: Simplifies recordkeeping
• Ease of remittance: Especially for invoice-driven payments
• Avoidance of card fees: Helps preserve narrow profit margins

“Small businesses say that the financial institution that holds their checking account is the one they consider to be their ‘home’ bank,” Engelhardt shared. “That’s where they do their business, where they’ll hopefully go when they need a credit card or a small business loan.” And because checks integrate so seamlessly with small business workflows and accounting software, there’s little incentive to change.

“It's really hard to get small businesses to change what they're doing,” Engelhardt explained. “And checks fit, they work. And if it's not broken, they're not going to change it.”

Self-service check programs: High-tech meets high-touch

Banks that invest in digital self-service experiences for check ordering gain more than efficiency; they also help unlock new revenue and deepen customer loyalty. The self-service model can help both bankers’ bottom line and consumers’ preferences. 

“There’s so much opportunity in checks, including opportunities for banks to generate fee income.” Engelhardt said. She explained how Deluxe operates as an extension of a bank’s check program, offering expert solutions to end users. “We can have those conversations with your customers for you, strengthening those connections and freeing up your team to focus on building revenues through other products and solutions,” she shared.

Benefit: Revenue that adds up

Many banks underestimate the profitability of their check program, but with a check partner managing the end-to-end process from customer support to fulfillment, check orders can become a revenue-generating engine.

Customers using Deluxe’s self-serve channels are also more likely to purchase companion products, nearly doubling profit per order. These include:

• Envelopes for laser checks
• Endorsement stampers
• Deposit tickets
• Expedited shipping options

“And we can do the same thing on the consumer side,” added Engelhardt. “We can take the processing and technology hassles of check ordering and move that into self-serve channels—and actually increase profits and efficiencies for the bank.”

Benefit: Expert help, zero burden on branch staff

Deluxe acts as an extension of your bank, providing knowledgeable support to your small business customers. From choosing the right check format to navigating customization, Deluxe’s call center specialists handle it all so your staff doesn’t have to.

“Our call center experts know checks,” Engelhardt shared. “Believe it or not, small business checks are not all that simple. Maybe they need them reverse-ordered, or they want three checks per page. Maybe they want laser checks, or they want checks that can be run through their home printer. Maybe they need something with a stub. Our call center can help get them to the right product.”

Benefit: Built-in retention marketing

Staying connected and creating positive experiences are keys to customer loyalty. Deluxe’s retention marketing solutions help ensure customers continue to order checks and keep getting their needs met.

“We know how small businesses use checks and approximately when it'll be time for them to reorder,” said Engelhardt. “We send them reminders via email and direct mail of where they placed their check order, because a small business may not remember that. We'll make sure that we stay in front of them and that we're there at the right time.” Retention marketing also encourages customers to place their orders through a self-serve channel, removing the burden from the bank’s branches.

“We're going to make sure that your customer feels like they're being taken care of, because that customer experience is really important,” Engelhardt said.

Benefit: Fast, flexible fulfillment

Ever wondered how Deluxe prints and ships custom checks so quickly? Through Print On Demand technology, Deluxe can fulfill custom check orders faster and more securely, without having to rely on pre-printed stock. This innovation reduces delivery time and offers complete design flexibility.

“With the old process, we would print base stock [of the designs], and to some extent would have to predict what customers were going to be ordering over the next couple of weeks,” Engelhardt said, explaining that if not enough of one design was in stock, those ordering that design might have to wait an extra day or two until the design could be printed. “We also had to transport that base stock from our distribution centers to our imprint plants, which again meant more delay.”

The introduction of Print On Demand changed all that. Rather than a base stock, it allows for the entire check to be printed at once, from design to signature line.

“We then take that [product], securely bind it, package it in our tamper-proof packaging and send it right out to the customer,” Engelhardt explained. “It's a secure process, and it’s also a quicker one.”

Benefit: Primacy that pays

By offering check services that integrate directly into digital banking platforms, Deluxe helps financial institutions reinforce their role as the customer’s “home” bank. API-enabled solutions allow banks to embed check ordering within online banking, mobile apps or even kiosks, making it easy than ever for customers to stay loyal. 

“We're making it much easier for the development teams of financial institutions to integrate that check experience into their platforms and tools,” shared Engelhardt.

Checks remain a banking power play

Self-service check ordering delivers across the board: Customers love the convenience and customization. Branch staff love the relief from administrative work. And banks benefit from increased revenue, better retention and stronger primacy with their most valuable clients.

“It’s just a win-win-win,” said Engelhardt. “Customers, believe it or not, want to order their checks through self-serve channels. Their satisfaction goes up when they get to place the order themselves because they're choosing what they want.”

As banks continue their digital transformation, it's tempting to focus solely on what's next. But sometimes, enduring tools like checks can offer surprising advantages when updated with modern delivery, support and retention strategies. Working with a trusted self-service check partner helps financial institutions deliver a seamless, modern check experience that meets customers where they are, while helping banks grow stronger, stickier relationships in return.