Work With Checks

Add Checks to the sidebar when it is hidden, then record and manage checks without losing the posting trail.

When to use this

Use this guide when you need to make the Checks page available in your sidebar, track a check, keep its status current, and connect it to related bank activity during reconciliation work.

Before you start

• You can open Preferences if Checks is not already visible in your sidebar.
• A bank account exists for the check.
• You know the payee, date, and amount you want to record.

Steps

1. If Checks is not visible in the left sidebar, open Preferences.
2. In the Navigation card, select Edit sidebar.
3. Add or show Checks in the sidebar menu, then save the sidebar configuration.
4. Return to the sidebar and open Checks.
5. Select New.
6. Complete the check fields:
   • Vendor, if you want to reuse a saved vendor record.
   • Bank Account
   • Check Number, if used
   • Date
   • Payee
   • Amount
   • Offset Account
   • Memo
   • Status
7. If the selected vendor already has a saved default expense account and Offset Account is still blank, review the filled account before you continue.
8. Save the check as Draft if it is not ready to post. Save it as Issued only when the check should post to the ledger.
9. Use the row actions later as needed:
   • View to review the record
   • Edit to update a draft or issued check
   • Match to connect the check to a bank line
   • Unmatch to remove that connection when allowed
   • Clear to finalize a check that is already matched to a bank transaction
   • Void to mark the check voided
   • Delete to remove a draft check
10. Review the Status, Bank, and Memo columns in the list after each action.
11. Use More > Enable Grid Mode when several check-list corrections or repeated field updates are easier to review in one table, then review the changed-cell count before selecting Apply Changes.

What happens next

Checks is available from the sidebar, and the check is stored so it can move through draft, issued, matched, cleared, voided, or deleted states based on the current workflow.

GL Impact

• Adding or showing Checks in the sidebar changes only where the page appears in your navigation.
• Saving a check as Draft does not post to the ledger.
• Saving it as Issued posts a journal entry when the check has both a Bank Account and an Offset Account: SPRK debits the offset account and credits the bank account.
• A check cannot use an Accounts Payable control account, another bank account, cash account, or credit-card account as its Offset Account. Use the bill-payment or transfer workflow when that is the accounting event.
• After a check has posted, changing protected posting fields requires a correction workflow rather than silently rewriting the entry.
• Matching or unmatching a check links or removes the relationship between the check and a bank transaction. The match action can change operational status, but it does not create its own new journal entry.
• Clear requires an existing matched bank transaction and is separate from the earlier Match step. Clearing moves the matched bank row to a confirmed or cleared state instead of acting like delete or void.
• Clearing a matched check can reuse an existing linked journal entry, or create one at clear time when the check has an offset account and has not posted yet.
• Confirming a matched bank transaction from the Banking workflow is another downstream path that can post to the general ledger and clear the linked check.
• Voiding a posted issued check reverses its linked journal entry, removes an eligible bank match, and keeps the check as Voided history. A cleared check cannot be voided from this action.
• Delete is available only for an unposted draft. It is not a substitute for voiding an issued check.

If something looks wrong

Practice and examples

Use the practice file and screenshot to identify where a hidden Checks page can be made visible before check tracking.

• Practice file: check-match-clear-void.csv

When Checks is hidden, make the page visible from Preferences before managing checks.

Related

• Customize the sidebar
• Set up vendor default expense accounts
• Create and manage bills
• Review common payables workflows
• Manage vendors
• Review and classify bank transactions
• Use grid edit for bulk record maintenance