You can record a check from any envelope. Checks decrease the amount of money in a bank account and envelope. To record a check from more than one envelope at the same time see the split check, debit or ATM section.

To record a check to pay off a credit card account, see paying off a credit card.

To write a check select the envelope and use the Transaction > Check... menu command or click the CHECK toolbar button.

The Check transaction window displays the bank account balance in the upper left, and the "Available" envelope and the selected envelope in the upper right. If you have more than one bank account defined see the section on multiple bank accounts.

1. The program places the next check number in the IDENT field (Checks only) and the date in the DATE field. You may change these. Also check the checkbox if the item is tax deductible.
2. Enter the check payee in the PAY TO field. The field has a popup menu on the right. If you have written a previous transaction to the account or envelope it will be placed in the field for you. Budget places a list of previous transactions and entries from the Apple address book in the popup list. You can enter a few characters and Budget will try to auto fill the field with a similar previous transactionor an address book entry. You can also use the popup menu to select an entry in the menu to use. You can click the address book icon next to the field to add a new entry to the address book or to get the information for the entry if it exists. See the Address Book topic for more information.
3. Enter the amount of the check in the AMOUNT field.

The button with the small currency symbols on it is the QUICK CONVERT popup menu. Click and hold on the button to select a currency conversion. The AMOUNT field will be multiplied to the correct amount in the selected currency. You can set up the quick convert menu and the rates used in the Currency Converter window.

4. Enter any additional information desired in the FOR field. This field is optional.
5. For checks, enter any information you want printed on the check in the MEMO field. This field is optional and is not present for ATM transactions.
6. When you have all the information entered, click the RECORD button to complete the transaction and return to the main menu.

If there are not enough funds in the envelope to cover the amount of the check you will be prompted to transfer funds from the "Available" envelope. See the Automatic Transfer from Available topic for more details.

The RECORD & PRINT button works the same as the RECORD button, but it also sends the check to the printer to be printed. See the Printing a check topic for more details.

You can click the RECORD & REPEAT button to enter more checks or debits in the same envelope or use the little black arrow in the envelope box to select different envelopes.

To set up a future check to the same place, turn on the REMIND checkbox. See the Reminders topic for more details.