How to Pay Vendors by Check Online Without the Busywork

It saves time

Sending a check with Melio saves you and your clients time on two fronts:

• The payment itself: scheduling a bill takes just a few clicks. Add bank details, schedule the payment, and Melio does the rest. The vendor gets a paper check delivered by mail.
• The reconciliation: with manual checks, someone has to enter the numbers into the books. Melio integrates with leading accounting software like QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero, so you skip the redundant data entry.

The time savings aren’t just theory. Melio has a proven track record with accountants like Amy Walker, CPA, who cut her bill pay handling time by up to 40%.

It saves your clients money

While business checks themselves aren’t expensive, the overall cost of handling a check adds up. Issuing a business check typically costs $4 to $20 once you add up labor, materials, postage, and processing, so check handling costs can easily snowball into hundreds of dollars, depending on volume and frequency.

Melio’s free Go plan has no monthly subscription fee and includes free ACH bank transfers up to a monthly limit, with paid plans for higher volumes. That’s how firms like Latitude Bookkeeping cut the time they spend on client bill payments by up to 90%.

If you’re wondering about pricing, there’s no mystery here. The free plan includes free ACH bank transfers up to a monthly limit, checks are a low flat fee, and faster or card-based options cost more. Check Melio’s pricing for current rates.

It offers better protection for your clients

Paying by check online is more secure than mailing paper checks yourself, because your client’s bank details never appear on a check they handle. Checks are one of the payment methods most susceptible to fraud, since paper slips can be stolen, forged, or altered.

In fact, checks remain the payment method most targeted by fraud, with 63% of organizations hit by attempted or actual check fraud in 2024.

Payment security and privacy are top priorities at Melio. We protect customers on all fronts:

• Privacy: the checks don’t carry your clients’ bank information, so no one, not even the vendor, sees their account details.
• Technology: Melio uses advanced cryptographic algorithms during data transmission and is PCI compliant.
• Accountability: if you have any concern about a transaction, you can contact Melio and we will investigate and resolve it.
• Fraud and loss liability: Melio offers full liability for failed collections and chargeback protection.

Read more about Melio’s protection policy and measures on our security page.

It provides quick and last-minute payment options

Say your client forgot to send a check on time. It happens. Normally they’d have to drop everything to courier the check or drop it off themselves, a lot of last-minute hassle just to move a piece of paper from point A to point B.

That’s what Melio’s expedited check delivery is for. Everything else is exactly the same. You still schedule the payment, but Melio speeds up delivery with its fast and overnight check options so the vendor gets the check sooner.

Can I pay a vendor by check online?

Yes. With a platform like Melio, you schedule the payment online and it mails a paper check to your vendor for you.

How do I make a payment by check without writing one?

Schedule the payment from your bank account and let the platform print and mail the check, so you skip the writing, signing, and stamping.

Is paying by check online safe?

It is safer than mailing checks yourself, because your client’s bank details never appear on a check they handle.

How fast will my vendor get the check?

Standard delivery goes by mail, and faster options are available when a vendor needs the check sooner.