Pay your team by check and learn how to print them

Admins can pay team members by check and then print and distribute them. Some customers can also have Gusto mail the checks.*

If your employee or contractor normally gets paid by direct deposit, you can still choose to pay them by check when you run payroll (for employees) or send a payment (for contractors).

Important reminders

Use the dropdowns below to learn more. To search for words on this page, press CMD + F (Mac) or CTRL + F (Windows).

Print and distribute checks on your own—checks include earning statement

If you're paying any teammates by check, you'll need to print and distribute them on your own (unless you're part of Gusto's check-mailing beta). 

You can print checks at the end of a payroll run, or do it later.

Print checks at the end of a payroll run

At the end of payroll, if you're paying teammates by check, you'll choose how to distribute their checks.

  1. At the end of a payroll run, after you click Submit payroll, the "Print checks" page pops out.
    • If available, you can join Gusto's check mailing beta, or learn more
  2. Review who needs checks, and what the payment should be.
  3. Choose a printing format (type of check stock):
    • Top (Gusto check stock) 
      • Choose if you have Gusto check stock that is pre-printed with your company and bank info.
      • Learn how to buy Gusto's check stock below in this article.
    • Bottom (blank check stock)
      • Choose if you have blank check stock and need Gusto to populate your company and bank info.
        • Heads up: You will not be able to use this check type if you've verified your bank using instant bank verification (Plaid)—account numbers are encrypted and will not print to this type of check. Use “Top (Gusto check stock)”, or manually verify your bank.
      • You’ll be asked to enter the first check number—this is optional.
  4. Click Print checks to view the PDF that contains the check information and earnings statement.
    • For Bottom (blank check stock): Save the PDF—check numbers will change if the package is regenerated.
    • To avoid printing issues, unselect the option for "Fit to Page" or "Scale to Page" (it’s sometimes selected by default).
  5. Load your check stock into your printer.
  6. Print this PDF on your check stock.
  7. Sign the checks and deliver them to your employees with their paystubs.
Print checks from a past employee payroll 
  1. Click the Pay section and select Pay history.
  2. Click the payday you need. 
  3. On the summary page, clicke the What the team takes home dropdown.
  4. Scroll to the second table of details, it should have a "Net pay” column on the right—click Print Checks at the bottom of that column.
  5. Review the pre-existing check delivery methods set for each person.
  6. For those you still need to print checks for, scroll down the page and click Print checks
    • Scroll to view the remaining checks you said you'd print yourself.
  7. Choose a printing format (type of check stock):
    • Top (Gusto check stock) 
      • Choose if you have Gusto check stock that is pre-printed with your company and bank info.
      • Learn how to buy Gusto's check stock below in this article.
    • Bottom (blank check stock)
      • Choose if you have blank check stock and need Gusto to populate your company and bank info.
        • Heads up: You will not be able to use this check type if you've verified your bank using instant bank verification (Plaid)—account numbers are encrypted and will not print to this type of check. Use “Top (Gusto check stock)”, or manually verify your bank.
      • You’ll be asked to enter the first check number—this is optional.
  8. Click View printable checks to view the PDF that contains the check information and earnings statement.
    • For Bottom (blank check stock): Save the PDF—check numbers will change if the package is regenerated.
    • To avoid printing issues, unselect the option for "Fit to Page" or "Scale to Page" (it’s sometimes selected by default).
  9. Load your check stock into your printer and print the PDF onto it.
  10. Sign the checks and deliver them to your employees with their paystubs.
Print checks from a past contractor payment (to a US contractor)
  1. Go to the Pay section and click Pay history.
  2. Click the US contractors tab.
  3. Click the Payday.
  4. Scroll the bottom of contractor payments summary page, and click Print Checks.
  5. Choose your printing format for the checks you’re handling on your own:
    • Top (Gusto check stock) 
      • Choose if you have Gusto check stock that is pre-printed with your company and bank info.
      • Learn how to buy Gusto's check stock below in this article.
    • Bottom (blank check stock)
      • Choose if you have blank check stock and need Gusto to populate your company and bank info.
        • Heads up: You will not be able to use this check type if you've verified your bank using instant bank verification (Plaid)—account numbers are encrypted and will not print to this type of check. Use “Top (Gusto check stock)”, or manually verify your bank.
      • You’ll be asked to enter the first check number—this is optional.
  6. Click View printable checks to view the PDF that contains the check information and earnings statement.
    • For Bottom (blank check stock): Save the PDF—check numbers will change if the package is regenerated.
    • To avoid printing issues, unselect the option for "Fit to Page" or "Scale to Page" (it’s sometimes selected by default).
  7. Load your check stock into your printer and print the PDF onto it.
  8. Sign the checks and deliver them to your US contractors.
Have Gusto mail checks for me—for early access beta customers

Gusto can print and mail your team's paychecks. Check mailing is free while in it’s beta. We’ll waive the service fee while you’re testing out this new feature.

Gusto check mailing is only available for customers in our early-access check mailing beta. Companies with a Chase/JP Morgan bank account cannot participate in the beta.

How it works

  • You’ll select the team members you’d like us to regularly mail checks to
  • Your team will get their paychecks within 5-8 business days via first class mail
  • We’ll add any check mailing fees to your monthly invoice

Check printing reminders

  • Funds
    • Checks use your company’s default bank account in Gusto. Money is taken out of your bank account when the check is cashed.
  • Electronic signature
    • We'll use an e-signature based on the signer's name. You cannot upload an image of your own signature.
  • Check with your bank
    • Some banks do not accept printed checks or may flag them as fraud. Let your bank know you’ll be using a check printing service.
Join the beta on your Pay settings page
  1. Go to Pay and click Pay settings.
  2. Under "General", find the "Check mailing" section and click Join the beta
    • If you do not see this, the check mailing beta is not available to you right now. 
  3. Learn about how check mailing works, and click Continue
  4. Let us know who should regularly get checks mailed to them. You can always change this when you run payroll, if needed.
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Enter the first and last name of the signatory. We'll use this as your e-signature on the paychecks.
  7. Check the box to confirm that the person is an authorized signatory, and can sign and verify checks sent to employees and contractors.
  8. Click Complete set up.

At the end of your next payroll run, you'll see the option to choose how checks are distributed (by the company, or Gusto).

Join the beta at the end of a payroll run

At least one of your employees must be being paid by check for the Print checks page, and this beta, to appear.

  1. At the end of a payroll run, after you click Submit payroll, the "Print checks" page pops out.
  2. In the banner titled "Gusto can now mail checks for you", click Join the beta
    • If you do not see this, the check mailing beta is not available to you right now. 
  3. Learn about how check mailing works, and click Continue
  4. Let us know who should regularly get checks mailed to them. You can always change this when you run payroll, if needed.
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Enter the first and last name of the signatory. We'll use this as your e-signature on the paychecks.
  7. Check the box to confirm that the person is an authorized signatory, and can sign and verify checks sent to employees and contractors.
  8. Click Complete set up.
  9. Decide how you want to distribute checks for the current payroll run—confirm that the information look right and review the estimated delivery date for checks mailed by Gusto.
    • If you need to change who is distributing one or more checks, click the dropdown to update it to the company, or Gusto. 
  10. Click Confirm.
    • Gusto will mail checks to the members of your team you selected, and you’ll print and distribute any others needed. You can also do this later from the “Employee hours and earnings” section of this payroll in your payroll history
  11. Review the debit amount for Gusto's checks and the estimated delivery date of them.
  12. If you're printing any checks on your own, choose the printing format (type of check stock) and click Print checks. Or, click Done.  
Edit the team members defaulted to check mailing
  1. Go to Pay and click Pay settings.
  2. Under "General", find the "Check mailing" section.
  3. Next to "Default team members" click Edit.
  4. Update who gets checks mailed, and click Save.
Change the check-mailing signatory
  1. Go to Pay and click Pay settings.
  2. Under "General", find the "Check mailing" section.
  3. Next to "Signatory" click Edit.
  4. Update the signatory and click Save.
Leave the check mailing beta
  1. Go to Pay and click Pay settings.
  2. Under "General", find the "Check mailing" section and click Leave the beta
    • Your current check mailing settings will not be saved for future use. 
  3. If you're sure you want to leave the beta, click Yes, leave the beta