Overview
If you like to record checks before they clear your bank, you can record them directly from the Ledger. You can also print checks directly from the Ledger to issue them. To see which checks are still outstanding, you can view your outstanding checks balance at any time.
How to Record or Print a Check in the Ledger
Navigate to Ledger
Click the + New button
Select Check
Choose the check direction
From You - A check that you wrote (expense)
To You - A check you received (income)
Note: Once recorded, a check's direction can't be changed. From You (Outstanding Checks) and To You (Undeposited Checks) post to different underlying accounts. If you pick the wrong direction, void the check and recreate it (see How to Edit Recorded Checks).
Fill in the check details
Payee / Payer: Enter the name of the person or business you’re paying or receiving payment from.
Your Account: For outgoing checks, select the account the check is written from.
Amount: Set the dollar amount.
Date: Enter the date the check is being written or received.
Check Number: Enter the number printed on the check.
Memo (optional): Add more context on the payment ("monthly rent" or "utility bill").
Internal Note (optional): Add notes or context to refer back to later.
Attachments (optional): Upload a picture of the check or related documents for reference.
Click Save — or, if check printing is enabled on the account, click Save and Print to record the check and send it to your printer at the same time.
To enter multiple checks back-to-back, select the Create More checkbox before saving.
Once recorded, you’ll see the check appear on both your Ledger and the Accounts tab as a recorded check.
How to Clear a Check in Ledger
When you record or print a check, you're telling Ambrook to expect a matching transaction to post to your Ledger later. Once it does, that transaction represents the payment — a withdrawal for checks you've written or printed, or a deposit for checks you've received (sometimes as part of a larger amount, in the case of check bundles).
"Clearing" is the process of matching the check you recorded or printed to that posted withdrawal or deposit. Clearing reduces the balance of your Outstanding Checks or Undeposited Checks account, and — if you recorded the check on a bill or invoice — links the posted transaction back to it. You can clear checks whether you created them directly from the Ledger or on a bill or invoice.
Once the check clears the bank account, you can clear the recorded check by following these steps:
Navigate to Ledger
Select the three dots next to the recorded check or the posted transaction
Click Clear check
Match the check to either the corresponding deposit/withdrawal from the bank or the outstanding recorded check you recorded in Ambrook
How to Record and Clear Checks on Manual Accounts
If your bank account isn’t connected to Ambrook, you have two ways to record and clear checks you've sent out.
If you want to clear it immediately:
Go to Ledger → New → Check
Fill out the check details
Select Posted as the status
Enter the Withdrawal Transaction Date.
If you want to clear it later: record the check status as Pending. When the payee deposits the check, go back to the transaction, click the dropdown arrow next to Clear Check, and choose Record withdrawal transaction to clear it.
View All Your Checks in Ledger
You have a few different ways to view and manage your checks in Ambrook. Using the Filter menu at the top of your screen, you can customize your view based on the check status or type.
To see which checks still need to be cleared:
Click Filter → Status → Uncleared
This will automatically show all checks that are:
Expected payments
Outstanding
Undeposited
You can deselect any of the above to focus on just one type of check, if preferable.
Click the three dots next to the check
Select Clear check
Tip: Set aside time each month to clear your checks once the matching transactions have been posted to your Ledger.
To see a full list of all checks you've recorded (whether cleared or not):
Click Filter → Type → Recorded Check
Cleared checks will appear in solid text
Uncleared checks will appear in grey
This gives you a quick way to scan which checks still need to be cleared and see an overview of all checks in your books.
Tip: Navigate to your Account Register, a checkbook-style view that includes a running balance for each of your accounts. This view gives you clearer visibility into your cash flow and make it easier to track outstanding checks in one place.
Recording Checks and Expected Payments on Bills and Invoices
You can also record a check or an expected payment directly on a bill or invoice to keep everything clearly linked. This immediately ties the payment to what it’s for, making it easier to track what’s been paid. If you record a payment from the Ledger instead, it won’t be connected to a bill or invoice by default but you can still match it manually after it’s created. Either approach works—just use the one that fits best with your workflow.
When should I record a payment?
If the payment already exists in your ledger, you should match it to the corresponding invoice or bill to properly associate them.
You should record a payment when money has been sent or received, but the transaction isn’t yet reflected in the ledger. For example, if you write a check that hasn’t been cashed yet, you’ll want to record the payment. This updates your accounts payable (AP)—you’ve already paid, so you no longer owe the recipient. Recording payments ensures your accounts receivable (AR) and AP are accurate and up to date.
What does recording a payment on an invoice or bill do?
Recording a payment on a Bill or Invoice will mark it as paid, reducing your Accounts Payable or Accounts Receivable. In the case of checks and expected payments, these will be recorded as balances on system accounts [1] that Ambrook generates for you:
Check payments on bills are recorded to Outstanding Checks
Check payments in invoices are recorded to Undeposited Checks
Expected payments on bills are recorded to Expected Bill Payments
Expected payments on invoices are recorded to Expected Invoice Payments
To record a check or expected payment on a bill or invoice:
Navigate to Bills or Invoices
Click on a bill or invoice to open its details
Click the + button next to Match Payment
Select Check from the options
Enter in the check details
See more details: Matching payments to invoices
How to Clear a Payment on a Bill or Invoice
To clear a check or expected payment on a bill or invoice:
Navigate to Bills or Invoices
Click on a bill or invoice to open its details
Select Clear check under Payments
Match the check to the corresponding transaction from the bank
Click Done to complete the clearing process
Note: When you clear a payment against a posted transaction, the transaction will inherit the line items and tags from the bill or invoice.
Workflow Example
Say you have an invoice in Ambrook that is past due, but your customer recently visited the farm and handed you a check. You won’t have a chance to make it to the bank in the next week or two, but you want to make sure you can mark the invoice as paid. Otherwise your AR manager might reach out to your customer asking them for payment even though you already have the check.
In this case, you would record the check you were handed as a payment on the invoice, noting the date you received the check as well as the check number. When you later deposit that check in your bank (or using Ambrook's mobile deposit) and you see it on your Ledger, you will return to the invoice and go through the clearing process.
Notes
[1] Several of the accounts referenced above are Ambrook System Accounts, meaning their balances are updated automatically when you take actions like recording transactions and clearing payments. For more information on system accounts read here.
FAQ
Q: What’s the difference between recording a check and creating a bill?
A: Recording a check captures a specific check payment, one you've written, received, or printed directly from Ambrook and can be done before or after the money leaves your account. Creating a bill tracks what you owe, whether or not it's been paid, and lets you pay it later by any method (including a printed check). Use a bill when you want to plan ahead and track an obligation; record a standalone check for a quick, one-off payment that isn't tied to a bill.. Check out When should I create a bill? to learn more.
Q: What if the deposit is part of a check bundle and the amount is larger than the recorded check?
A: No problem—you can still clear your recorded check by matching it to the larger check bundle transaction. In Ledger, the matched check and the remaining unmatched amount will both appear as line items beneath the posted deposit.
Q: Am I able to see my available balance, factoring in outstanding checks?
A: Yes, you can see this in the Account Register view.