Write Expense Checks

How Do I...

This lets you write checks to vendors whenever there is no need to pay off an invoice or make prepayments. Follow this procedure:

Closed How do I get to the Write Checks window?

Closed Enter/select vendor ID

  1. Enter or select the ID of the vendor you want to pay.
    • To display a list of existing vendors, type ? in this field, or select the Lookup button.
    • To add a new vendor, type + or double-click the field, which displays the Maintain Vendors window.
  2. If you want this bill to be paid electronically, select the Electronic Payment box. (Sage 50 Premium Accounting and higher)

    Note: If the vendor is set up for default electronic payments, the Electronic Payment box will be checked automatically. If you don't want this to be an electronic payment, deselect the box.

  3. Next, if this is an electronic payment, enter or accept the displayed Pay On date.
  4. select the Pay check box.

Warning! In order for the payment to arrive at the payee on time, it must be transmitted electronically on or before the displayed Send By date.

Closed Enter check #, date, amount, payment method, and memo

  1. If you are entering a handwritten check, enter the check number in the Check Number field. If you want Sage 50 to print the check, leave this field blank. If this is an electronic payment, the Check Number field will read "Electronic."
  2. Enter or select the date of the disbursement, not necessarily today's date.
  3. Enter the total amount of the check.

  4. Select the payment method to designate the type of payment being made, for example, Check. If this is an electronic payment, the payment method will automatically be set to Electronic unless you have deleted that payment method.

    Tip: You can click the Payment Method link to add, edit, or delete payment methods.

  5. If desired, enter a memo up to 30 characters long.

Closed Enter/select accounts and description

  1. Enter or select the cash account from which you will be writing the check.
  2. Enter or select the expense account you want to use to distribute the payment.
  3. If you want to distribute this payment to multiple individual line items, select the Split button. The Split Transaction window appears, allowing you to make additional distributions. Tell me more about this.

  4. In the Description field, Sage 50 offers a default description for the distribution. If needed, change it.

    This is for your reference only; the description will not print on the check.

  5. If you are tracking job cost, enter or select the job you want to distribute the payment to.

Closed Print or save the check

Now, if you want to print the check, select the Print button; for step-by-step instructions on printing checks from the Write Checks window, see Print a Single Form from a Task Window. Otherwise, select the Save button to record the payment.

ClosedPrint a batch of checks from the Write Checks window

  1. Create checks for the vendors you want to pay in Write Checks or Payments. Save these checks without entering a check number.
  2. In the Write Checks window, select the Print drop-down button and then choose Select Checks to Print. Sage 50 displays the Preview and Print filter screen.

  3. On the Print/Email tab, fill in the check information.

    Make sure the form you want to use to print the checks is selected in the Use this form field. You can choose a different form if the correct form is not selected.

    Tip: If you want to print item descriptions on your check stubs (as well as item quantity, item ID, and item amount) choose the OCR Multi-Purp AP Detail Cont or OCR Multi-Purp AP Detail Laser form when printing checks.

  4. Make sure the printer information on the Print Setup tab is correct.

  5. If you need to change the check alignment, select the Align button on the Print Setup tab, and adjust the vertical and horizontal alignments. To print another practice check, select the Practice button in the Align Form window. This prints variables (X's, N's, and so on) instead of the actual check. If your checks have pre-printed numbers, this will use the first number, thus printing a void check. Make sure you enter the correct number. For example, if you aligned your forms as a practice using check #3002, make sure you enter check #3003 here (the last check number printed plus 1).

  6. After the check aligns to your satisfaction, select OK to return to the Preview and Print filter screen.

  7. Click Print/Email. Sage 50 displays the Print dialog.

  8. Make any necessary changes to the printer information and select OK.

    The checks print.

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Published: March 21, 2017
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