Why Security Should Be Standard on Every Office Product
Shouldn't every office product offer superior security? An important part of doing business is protecting the privacy of your company and clients. But sadly, so many suppliers cut corners in order to save money, producing paper that's thin, weak, transparent and fraught with shoddy features that make it an easy target for intrusion.
That's why Check O Matic puts huge stock in security, innovating new ways for you to safeguard confidential information while ensuring every letter arrives at its destination intact and tamper free. From employee paychecks and customer invoices to classified paperwork and important memos, there's no reason to skimp on safety features.
First, cash in on a secure approach to payroll with computer check paper with multi-point fraud protection including official micro text bordering, signature endorsement and marble-patterned background. Pair these professional sheets with premium #10 flip and stick envelopes featuring opaque tinting, tamper-evident seals and tear resistance, and you've got a dependable duo to take on the most determined thieves and vandals.
This month, take a minute to assess the security of your office supplies.
Your friends at Check O Matic remind you: Safe correspondence is smart correspondence!
Browse the full range of secure business checks and business envelopes at Checkomatic ; built with the security features your correspondence deserves.
The Six Security Features That Actually Stop Check Fraud
The original content correctly calls out multi-point fraud protection as the standard your check paper should meet. Here is what each protection layer does and why it matters for your business.
QuickBooks-compatible checks from Checkomatic with all six security features standard ; no upgrade needed.
| Feature | What It Does | What Fraud It Stops |
|---|---|---|
| Chemically sensitive paper | Reacts with a visible stain when washing chemicals contact the paper | Check washing ; chemical alteration of payee name or amount |
| Microprinting | Ultra-small text along borders that becomes a blurred line on photocopies | Photocopied or scanned counterfeit checks |
| Void pantograph | Background pattern that reveals the word VOID when copied | Counterfeiting and unauthorized copying |
| UV fluorescent fibers | Fibers embedded in the paper visible only under ultraviolet light | Counterfeiting using standard printer paper |
| Heat-sensitive ink | Ink that disappears briefly under thumb pressure to confirm authenticity | Counterfeiting ; fake checks cannot replicate this behavior |
| Genuine watermark | Visible when held to light ; embedded in paper during manufacturing | Paper substitution ; counterfeit checks on standard office paper |
All six features work at different points in the fraud process. Chemically sensitive paper stops check washing attempts before the check reaches the bank. Microprinting and void pantograph stop counterfeiting attempts at the copy stage. UV fibers and watermarks stop counterfeiting at the paper stage. Heat-sensitive ink provides a quick authentication test at the bank counter or teller window. For the complete guide to which security features matter most for your check volume and fraud risk level, see are business checks safe? Security features that actually matter.
How to Choose Security Envelopes for Business Check Mailing
Double window check envelopes from Checkomatic ; security tint, tamper-evident seal, and tear resistance standard.
As the original content correctly identifies, the envelope is half of the security equation. A check printed on fully secured paper can still be intercepted if it travels in a transparent, easily opened envelope. The features to look for match exactly what the original content describes.
Opaque Security Tinting
A security tint envelope has an interior pattern ; typically a cross-hatch or geometric print ; that makes the envelope contents invisible when held up to a light source. Standard white envelopes allow backlit viewing that reveals the outline of a check, the payee name, and sometimes the dollar amount. A security tint eliminates this visibility. Any envelope mailing a business check, payroll check, or confidential invoice should have interior security tinting as a minimum standard.
Tamper-Evident Seals
The flip-and-stick closure described in the original content creates a tamper-evident seal: once pressed closed, the adhesive bonds in a way that shows visible damage if the flap is forced open. This is different from a basic self-seal envelope where the adhesive can sometimes be carefully separated without obvious damage. A true tamper-evident seal leaves a visible trace of any opening attempt, making tampering detectable before the envelope reaches the recipient.
Tear Resistance
Heavier paper weight and more durable stock make the envelope harder to breach without a clear opening attempt. The original content notes tear resistance as a key feature: a thicker envelope stock requires more deliberate force to open, making quick mail theft more difficult in high-traffic mail environments.
Double Window Format for Check Mailing
For businesses mailing voucher-format business checks, double window envelopes match the check's printed return address and payee address to two windows in the envelope ; no address labels needed. The check itself provides both addresses through the windows. Combined with security tinting and tamper-evident seals, double window envelopes provide the most efficient and secure format for volume business check mailing. For the full range of double window security envelopes, see double window envelopes at Checkomatic.
The Check Washing Threat: Why Security Paper Matters
The original content warns against thin, weak, transparent paper that makes an easy target for intrusion. Check washing is the specific fraud method that exploits exactly this weakness in standard check stock.
How Check Washing Works
A criminal intercepts a business check in the mail. Using chemicals readily available at hardware stores, they remove the ink from the payee line and the dollar amount field. The check number, date, signature, and MICR line remain intact. The criminal rewrites the payee as themselves and inflates the dollar amount, then deposits the altered check. Under UCC 4-401, the bank that paid the altered check bears liability for the altered amount if the drawer can prove the check was not negligently written or mailed. According to FinCEN reports, check fraud losses in the US exceed hundreds of millions of dollars annually, with mail theft and check washing representing a significant portion.
Why Chemically Sensitive Paper Is the Key Defense
Standard check paper has no reaction to washing chemicals. The criminal can remove the ink cleanly. Chemically sensitive paper reacts when washing chemicals contact it, leaving a visible stain or discoloration on the paper surface. The stain cannot be removed or covered. When the altered check reaches the bank teller or automated processing equipment, the discoloration is immediately visible and the check is rejected. The chemical reaction turns the paper itself into a defense mechanism.
For the complete guide to check washing methods, the specific chemicals used, and every defense layer available, see what is check washing and how to protect your business.
Positive Pay: The Bank-Side Layer That Completes Check Defense
Check paper security features and security envelopes protect the physical check during transit and at the point of presentment. Positive pay adds a verification layer at the bank that catches any check that does not match your issued records ; regardless of how convincingly it was produced or altered.
How Positive Pay Works
When your business issues checks, you send your bank a data file listing every check issued: check number, issue date, payee name, and dollar amount. When any check is presented for payment at your bank, the bank compares it against your issued list. If the check number does not match a check in your list, or if the dollar amount differs from what you issued, the bank flags it as an exception and contacts you for approval before releasing payment.
Why Positive Pay Matters Even With Security Check Paper
Security paper stops most check washing attempts by making tampering visible on the paper itself. But a sufficiently skilled criminal may attempt to create a counterfeit check using your routing and account numbers without altering a real check. Positive pay catches this scenario because the counterfeit check number will not appear in your issued check list. No check number match, no payment released. The combination of secure check stock and positive pay closes the two most common fraud vectors from both directions. For the complete guide to positive pay and how to set it up with your bank, see what is positive pay and how does it work.
What Customers Say About Checkomatic
All reviews below are published on checkomatic.com and reproduced verbatim. Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product, 4.5 stars from 166 verified reviews.
"Been with them for 15 years. Always reliable, always good quality, good service. What more can you ask for?"
ATV Inc. | ★★★★★ 5/5 | April 5, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"First time ordering and I am super impressed with the quality of the checks. No issues with delivery. I will be ordering again!"
TClinton | ★★★★★ 5/5 | April 9, 2025 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"We use CheckoMatic for all of our check needs! They have great prices and we receive our products in a timely manner!"
CG's Tax Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 | September 18, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"I got 500 checks for less than half of what the bank wanted for 200!"
VVA Voucher Checks (Vietnam Veterans of America) | ★★★★★ 5/5 | July 6, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"ASJ Wilson Construction has been a client of checkomatic for some years now and they've never disappointed this company. Thank you checkomatic for all that you do."
ASJ Wilson Construction | ★★★★★ 5/5 | June 6, 2024 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
"Affordable and efficient. My go-to business check printer."
Doe | ★★★★★ 5/5 | January 24, 2025 | Source: checkomatic.com/quickbooks-starter-pack-product
Why Choose Checkomatic for Secure Business Checks and Envelopes
All Six Security Features Included at the Base Price
As the original content correctly identifies, many suppliers cut corners on security to save money. At Checkomatic, all six check security features are standard on every business check order at the base price. There is no security tier upgrade. No premium pricing for fraud protection. The same chemically sensitive paper, microprinting, void pantograph, UV fluorescent fibers, heat-sensitive ink, and genuine watermark ship on every order regardless of quantity. Browse all formats at business checks and computer checks for business.
Computer Check Paper with Multi-Point Protection
The computer check paper described in the original content ships with the official micro text bordering, signature endorsement area, and marble-patterned background on every order. These are not decorative features. Micro text bordering is the microprinting security layer. The marble-pattern background is the void pantograph that reveals VOID when copied. Every visual element serves a security function. For QuickBooks-compatible computer check paper with full security features, see QuickBooks checks.
Security Envelopes That Match the Check Format
Ordering checks and envelopes from the same source ensures the double window envelope windows align with the check's address layout. The return address and payee address show through the correct windows without adjustment. For business check envelopes with security tinting, tamper-evident seals, and double window format, see double window envelopes and the full range at business envelopes. For the complete security guide and ordering advice, see what is the best place to order checks online.
