The price we have to pay our bank to be given a checkbook can often be ridiculously high – banks that use the Highland Clark company always charge in excess of $100 for a supply of 250 checks. For those who wish to rebel against this unfair pricing strategy, the choice to purchase checks online from a company like GirlyChecks.org or BusinessChecks.org is an excellent one. So how do you go about ordering personal checks online? Let’s look at some of the best practices recommended.

When you place your order, make sure that you do not put in your personal bank information on a page that is not encrypted. In other words, double check to see that on the address bar of your browser, the URL starts with an “https”, as opposed to the ordinary “http”. Look for a padlock icon on the status bar at the bottom of the browser window; click on it to see if it’s certified by some authority like VeriSign or GlobalSign.

Once you’ve started the process to purchase checks online, make sure that the checks are sent to you in a safe manner. Using the post office and putting in your personal home address can be asking for trouble; the postman could swing by when you’re at work and just leave your checks sitting on your porch or on your mailbox for any thief of opportunity to happen along. A much better idea would be to have it sent to your workplace, and also make sure it’s sent by a delivery service like UPS that will require a signature. Some people just speak to their mailman in advance and request that a little extra caution be exercised.

The check number that you see printed in strange 70′s-sci-fi characters at the bottom of the check is a basic fraud prevention device that the banks use. If some unauthorized person prints out a check for your account, they would have to use the numbers that your bank knows to expect from you. So make sure that you don’t just use any numbers on there; pick ones that continue from where you left off in your first book of checks.

In the end, the check companies really have no way of knowing how correct the information you enter is. So usually there is no double checking that goes on once you hit Submit. And you’ll need to be extra careful that everythings ship-shape before you hit the submit button to purchase checks online.

For a great selection of personalized checks, with a wide range of designs covering every taste for personal and business use, click here: GirlyChecks.org