# Checks

Payouts > Paying vendors · Guide · https://vendordue.com/docs/checks

**In short:** If you pay by check, turn on checks in Settings › Payments. Issuing one records the payment and takes the next number in your book. The Checks tab then follows each check until it's cashed, and asks you when one waits too long to be picked up or cashed.

Who: Admin. Where: Payouts > Checks, Settings > Payments.

Many consignment shops pay by check: written at the counter, picked up by the vendor, or mailed. VendorDue doesn't print checks. It keeps the record of each one, from the day you write it until it's cashed, so the question "did Corran Row ever cash that check?" has an answer.

## Turn checks on

In **Settings > Payments**, under **Checks**:

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **We pay by check** | "Adds Issue a check to To pay and to Pay now." |
| **Next check number** | The number printed on the next check in your book. Empty until your first check sets it |
| **Checks are good for** | "How long a bank takes a check after its date": 6 months is usual |
| **Pickup window** | "How long a check waits at the store" before you're asked whether it was picked up: 14 days unless you change it |

Outside the United States, VendorDue says **cheque**.

## Issue a check

1. In **Payouts > To pay**, press **Pay** on the vendor's row and choose **Issue a check**.
   It shows what they're owed and the next number in your book, like 1043.
2. Check the **Dated** day and the number. The number is optional, if you don't number your checks.
3. Choose how they get it: **Pick up** at the store, or **Mail**.
4. Leave **Tell Alder Ceramics by email** on to let them know "that the check is ready to pick up, or in the mail".
5. Press **Issue check 1043**.

Issuing **is** paying, as far as the record goes: the payout turns Paid, the receipt reads "Check 1043", and the next number moves on to 1044.

To write several at once, tick the vendors in To pay and press **Issue 6 checks**, with your own number. They take numbers in order, starting from the **First check number**.

Write the check itself as you always do.

## The Checks tab

**Payouts > Checks** lists every check that isn't cashed yet, in three bands:

| Band | Holds |
| --- | --- |
| **Needs an answer** | Checks that waited too long; each asks one question |
| **At the store** | Waiting to be picked up. The vendor sees **Ready to pick up** |
| **With the vendor** | Picked up or mailed, not cashed yet |

Mark what happens with one press: **Picked up** when they collect it, **Cashed** when it clears your bank. A cashed check leaves the tab. The **More** menu on a check has **Mailed it instead**, **Not picked up after all**, and **Open the receipt**.

None of these marks moves money. They keep the record straight for you and for the vendor, who sees the same state on their receipt.

## When a check waits too long

**Not picked up.** When the pickup window passes: "Did Corran Row Vintage pick up Check 1043?" **Yes, picked up**, or **No**, then choose:

- **Give them 14 more days**, and you'll be asked again.
- **Keep it for the store**: "$184.00 stays with you, and Corran Row Vintage is owed nothing for it." The check reads **Not collected**.

**Not cashed.** When the check passes its good-until day: "Was Check 1043 cashed?" **Yes, cashed**, or **No**, then choose:

- **Reissue Check 1043**: "Voids it, and To pay opens a new check for $184.00." Write them a new one.
- **Keep it for the store.**

> **For your accountant:** A check the vendor never cashed may still be money you owe them. In many places, uncashed checks count as unclaimed property after a set time and have to be reported. Ask your accountant before keeping one for the store.

## Void a check

If you wrote a check wrong or it was lost before anyone cashed it, open its receipt and press **Void this payment** with a reason. The payout goes back to To pay, ready for a new check. See [Record a payment](https://vendordue.com/docs/record-a-payment#fix-a-payment-you-recorded).

## Common questions

**Does VendorDue print checks?** No. You write the check from your own book; VendorDue records it and follows it until it's cashed.

**Can I skip the number?** Yes, it's optional. The receipt then reads Corran Row Vintage's check.

**Does marking a check cashed check my bank?** No. It's your record of what happened. Mark it when you see it clear.

**What if I don't pay by check?** Leave it off. Pay opens the payment sheet straight away.

Checked against VendorDue on 2026-10-06.