Bank Checks Online - There's Great Choice But Avoid Buying Them From The Bank

Whatever you do, don't buy your bank checks from the bank becuase you will pay 50% more for them than you need to..   

See Our Bank Check Catalog - Over 800 Designs

 

The history of bank checks harkens back to the days of the roman empire when 'praescriptiones' were first issued.  Since that time checks have continued to evolve in lock step with the banking industry itself.  A modern bank check generally includes the following features:  a payee (the person or company to whom the funds are to be paid out), the place where the check was issued, the date it was issued, the amount of funds, the signature of the drawer (the person who wrote the check), the routing or account number and, in the USA, what's called a fractional routing number or transit number.  Around the world the systems may function differently but the theory of the check is the same. 

A check is a special type of contract known as a negotiable instrument, which tells a bank or other financial institution to pay out the specified amount from the writer of the check's demand account (read 'bank account' in layman's terms).  Bank checks offer connivence and security because the drawer is freed from carrying large amounts of cash, while the payee is freed from the fear of theft as only he or she may cash the check. 

The only insecurity in the transaction is the fear that the drawers account will have insufficient funds to cover the amount on the check, this results in a 'Dishonored Check' or 'NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds) Check' which are commonly known as bounced checks.  To alleviate this insecurity banks have developed what are known as Cashier's Checks in the USA, Banker's Drafts in the UK, or Certified Checks.  In these cases the funds are guaranteed although in different ways. 

With a cashier's check, the funds are paid immediately from the bank and removed from the drawer's account afterwards.  Banker's drafts work by shifting the drawer's funds at the moment he or she writes the check, providing complete security.  With a certified check, the issuing bank inspects the drawer's account to ensure there are sufficient funds at the time of issuing, which by comparison is less secure. 

 See Our Bank Check Catalog - Over 800 Designs