How to Make a Check Stub in 4 Steps (With a Template)

Last updated: July 9, 2026

To make a check stub, pick a template, enter the payer and payee details, the date, amount, and a memo, then print or download it. Most people who search “check stub” actually need a pay stub instead, which adds tax and deduction detail for payroll – see below to check which one you need.

Check Stub or Pay Stub: Which One Do You Need?

This is the question most people actually have, so let’s answer it first. A check stub and a pay stub look similar, but they’re not built for the same job:

• Check stub – a simple record: date, payee, amount, and a memo line. Works for a vendor payment, a contractor payment, or a one-off reimbursement.
• Pay stub (or paycheck stub) – a payroll version of a check stub. It adds gross pay, federal and state tax withheld, deductions like insurance or a 401(k), and year-to-date totals.

Use this table to check which one you need:

Simple rule: every pay stub is a kind of check stub, but not every check stub is a pay stub. If tax withholding is involved, you need a pay stub.

What Is a Check Stub?

A check stub is the record of one payment. It shows who got paid, how much, and why. The name comes from paper paychecks. The stub was a strip you tore off and kept before depositing the check. People still use “check stub” and “pay stub” for the same thing today. Most pay stubs are now a separate digital document instead of a paper attachment, but the old habit stuck.

If you typed “checkstub” as one word, or “cheque stub” (the UK and Canadian spelling), you’re in the right place. All three mean the same record. You might also see this called a check stub generator or check stub maker – same idea, different name for the tool that builds it.

What to Put on a Check Stub

A check stub only works if it has these fields:

• Payer name and business address
• Payee name
• Payment date
• Amount, in numbers (and written out in words if it’s attached to a full check)
• Check number or payment ID
• Memo or reason for payment – an invoice number, project name, or pay period
• Running balance, if you’re tracking more than one payment from the same account
• Company logo, if you want the stub to match your other business checks and records

Leave your full bank account and routing number off a stand-alone check stub. You don’t need them for a payment record. Putting full account details on a document that might get shared, emailed, or handed to someone else is an unnecessary risk.

If you need working account and routing numbers on the document, you’re printing an actual check, not just a stub. Use a proper check-printing setup for that job, not a plain record template. For your own internal tracking, use an account nickname or the last four digits instead of the full number.

A payroll pay stub needs everything above, plus gross pay, tax withheld, other deductions, and net pay.

How to Make a Check Stub in 4 Steps

1. Choose a template. Start with a blank check stub layout, or use your existing check design if you’re printing the check and stub together.
2. Enter payer and payee details. Your business name and address, and who you’re paying.
3. Add the amount, date, memo, and a check number or payment ID. Include a running balance if you’re tracking more than one payment from the account.
4. Print or download. Plain paper works for a stand-alone record. If you’re printing an actual check with the stub attached, use a check printing tool built for that, so the check lines up correctly with standard check stock.

Filled Check Stub Example

Here’s what a filled-in check stub looks like:

Realize you actually need tax and deduction detail instead? Use the paycheck stub tool to create a full pay stub instead.

Check Stub vs. Employee Pay Stub

If you run a small business, you’ll likely need both at some point:

• Paying a vendor or 1099 contractor: a simple check stub is enough. Add an invoice or reference number so it’s easy to match to your books.
• Paying a W-2 employee: you need a full pay stub with tax withholding and deductions listed. That’s a payroll job, not just a check-writing one.

In most cases, 1099 contractors don’t get a payroll pay stub, since there’s usually no tax withholding on their side. One exception: if a contractor doesn’t provide a valid W-9, or the IRS has sent a backup withholding notice, the payer may need to withhold 24% and report it. Outside that case, many contractors still want a check stub or a payment record to show proof of income for a loan or a lease. A check stub can be one supporting record, but lenders, landlords, or agencies usually ask for stronger proof too, such as bank statements, tax returns, or a call to your employer.

Pay Stub Fields for Employees

If tax withholding is part of the payment, a check stub isn’t enough. You need a full pay stub with these fields:

• Employer name and address
• Employee name
• Pay period and pay date
• Hours worked (if hourly) or salary, with overtime hours and rate broken out separately
• Gross pay
• Federal income tax withheld
• Social Security tax withheld
• Medicare tax withheld
• State income tax withheld (where applicable)
• Other deductions (insurance, retirement, garnishments)
• Net pay
• Year-to-date totals

List each tax separately instead of lumping them into one “taxes” line. Several states require this level of detail by name, and getting it wrong can mean a real penalty, not just a paperwork issue – California is a well-known example. Pay stub rules are not the same in every state, and some also set rules for how a stub can be delivered. Check your state labor department’s wage-statement rules before you run payroll.

OnlineCheckWriter.com – Powered by Zil Money generates full pay stubs, and connects with payroll software built for small businesses.

Common Check Stub Mistakes to Avoid

• Using a check stub when the payment really needs a full pay stub
• Leaving off the invoice or payment reference number
• Making a stub that doesn’t match the payment that actually happened
• Forgetting year-to-date totals on an employee pay stub
• Mixing contractor payments into employee payroll records
• Putting a full bank account and routing number on a stand-alone stub
• Skipping your state’s wage-statement rules before running payroll

Once you make a check stub or pay stub, hold onto it. The Department of Labor requires payroll records to be kept for at least 3 years under the FLSA, and the IRS requires employment tax records to be kept for at least 4 years.

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