Voucher Checks vs Wallet Checks: When to Use Each Format

Both voucher and wallet checks work with QuickBooks. Both clear through your bank identically. The differences come down to size, what information they carry, and the workflow they're designed to support. Picking the wrong one for your business doesn't break anything, but it costs you time and paper.

Here's how to choose.

What's the difference between voucher and wallet checks?

A voucher check is a full-size business check (8.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches tall) with two perforated stubs attached. The check sits on the top third of an 8.5 by 11 sheet. The two stubs below carry payment details: invoice number, amount paid, payee, and a memo field. You keep one stub for your records and send the other to the vendor.

A wallet check is smaller (about 6 inches wide by 2.75 inches tall) with no attached stubs. Three wallet checks fit on one 8.5 by 11 sheet. The check itself looks similar to a personal check.

Two physical differences. Same legal status. Different workflows.

When should you use voucher checks?

Voucher checks make sense in three situations:

You run payroll out of QuickBooks or another accounting platform. Employees want a stub showing gross pay, deductions, taxes, and net pay. The voucher format gives them that. Without it you're handing employees a check and a separate printed pay stub.

You pay vendors regularly and want them to see what they're being paid for. The stub goes with the check. The vendor knows immediately which invoice was paid and for how much. Cuts down on the "did you pay invoice #2347?" follow-up emails.

You file paper records for accounting. The retained stub becomes part of your paper trail. CPAs and bookkeepers love this when reconciling annual books.

Voucher format is what we ship most of. Roughly 60 percent of our QuickBooks-compatible orders are voucher format.

When do wallet checks make sense?

Wallet checks fit three scenarios:

You write occasional, low-value checks where vendor records don't matter. Reimbursing an employee for a $30 lunch with a client, paying a small one-off contractor, tipping a service provider. The stub on a voucher check is overkill here.

You're a sole proprietor who carries a checkbook. Wallet checks fit in a standard wallet or coat pocket. Voucher checks don't. If you write checks on the go, wallet format is practical.

You're running very low check volume and want to save paper. Three checks per sheet vs one check per sheet means roughly one-third the paper consumption.

For most small businesses with employees or recurring vendor payments, wallet checks aren't the right primary format. They work for occasional use.

What does each format hold for QuickBooks alignment?

Both formats print from QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. The print setup is different.

In QuickBooks, the "Check Style" setting determines which format the software prints. Voucher format prints the check on the top third of the page and the voucher details on the bottom two-thirds. Wallet format prints three checks per page on a single 8.5 x 11 sheet.

You can't mix formats in a single batch. If you have 10 voucher checks and 5 wallet checks to print at the same time, you'd switch the check style setting between batches.

The wallet check format has slightly tighter margins. If your printer isn't well-aligned, wallet check printing tends to show alignment issues more visibly than voucher format. Most printers handle either format fine after the initial setup.

How Checkomatic ships voucher and wallet checks

We've shipped both formats since 1997. The voucher format makes up the majority of our orders because it suits the most common small business workflows. The wallet format is the right pick for our sole proprietor customers and businesses with very low check volume.

Both formats ship with the same security features: chemically sensitive paper, microprint signature line, chemically sensitive pantograph background, and MICR-certified pre-printed magnetic ink. Both work with QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, Quicken, Peachtree, and MYOB.

Our QuickBooks-compatible voucher checks are the most common pick for QuickBooks users. Wallet format ships from the same catalog. Both have free logo setup on orders over 500 checks.

Can you use both formats for the same bank account?

Yes. Many businesses do.

The common pattern: voucher checks for batch payroll and AP through QuickBooks, wallet checks in a binder or wallet for ad-hoc payments where the bookkeeper isn't around.

Same routing number, same account number. Different formats. Check numbers can run in sequence (voucher batch ends at 1500, wallet binder starts at 1501) or in separate ranges (voucher 1001-2000, wallet 5001-5500).

Whichever convention you use, document it in your accounting software so the bookkeeper isn't confused at month-end reconciliation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are wallet checks accepted everywhere voucher checks are? 

Yes. Banks process all check formats identically. The format is for your benefit, not the bank's.

Can I print wallet checks on voucher check stock? 

No. The paper layout is different. Wallet check stock has three perforations per page. Voucher stock has the voucher detail area below the check. Forcing one format onto the other paper produces unusable output.

Which format does QuickBooks recommend? 

QuickBooks defaults to voucher format. If you want a different format, you have to change it in printer setup.

Are wallet checks the same as personal checks? 

Similar size but different. Wallet business checks include "business check" identifying information and business security features. Personal checks are printed for personal accounts.

Do voucher checks take longer to print? 

Slightly. One check per page versus three checks per page means three times the paper consumption. Print time is roughly the same per check.

Pick voucher unless wallet specifically fits

For most small businesses with employees, recurring vendors, or any payroll, voucher format is the right pick. Wallet format works for sole proprietors and very low-volume businesses.

If you're still not sure, our customer team can ask a few questions about your workflow and recommend the format that fits. Browse our voucher checks or QuickBooks-compatible check catalog to see both options.