Introduction
Cheque tracking refers to the monitoring of a cheque at every stage of its life cycle, beginning with origination and authorisation, passing through printing, mailing, and end-of-day bank clearing. Cheque tracking helps organisations monitor the payment status, early identification of variances, and accurate financial records.
This is where ChequePRO comes in. ChequePRO provides you with a clear, structured picture of each cheque in your system from start to end. Whether you’re issuing a handful of cheques per week or processing hundreds, it streamlines the whole process and ensures that you’re always in charge.
Here, in this blog, I have described the step-by-step procedure by which ChequePRO simplifies cheque tracking, without compromising on safety:
Step 1: Creating and Authorising the Cheque
This all starts with the inputting of cheque data. In ChequePRO, it is easy and mostly automated.
You type in the payee name and amount. The rest, it does for you, like the date, amount in words, “A/C Payee Only” stamps, and other format requirements. This reduces errors and makes all the cheques look uniform.
But what really tightens the system is the Maker-Checker process. Someone drafts the cheque, and someone else checks it before it can be printed. A simple two-step approval maintains a firm hold on financial control and accountability.
Also Read: Building Global Trust: A Key to International Business Success
Step 2: High-Volume Batch Printing
For businesses to print dozens or hundreds of cheques, ChequePRO’s batch printing facility is a real time-saver.
You set up a spreadsheet with all the details required such as date, payee, payment, and notes. You simply import the file, and the system will queue up each cheque to print. It’s still totally traceable and every cheque has its own record in the system.
Even digital signatures are accommodated. You can scan-in images (JPEG, PNG, etc.), and ChequePRO will place them on the cheque in a WYSIWYG layout, so you always have a clear idea in advance what the completed print will look like before it’s sent out.
Step 3: Real-Time Cheque Tracking and Audit Trail
After a cheque is written, then what?
You must be able to view whether it’s printed, handed over, pending or cleared already. ChequePRO gives you real-time status updates at each step. If it’s a draft, awaiting approval, printed or cleared, you can view it in the system.
Aside from that, the software has a full audit trail. All of it, including the logins, changes, approvals, and prints, is tracked with a timestamp and user ID. In the event that something ever does go wrong or there is a discrepancy, you have a full electronic trail to work back through.
Step 4: Printing Security and Fraud Protection
Cheque tracking is not just logistics. It’s also ensuring the cheques are not compromised. ChequePRO has several security measures for this purpose:
- Asterisks are automatically placed around payee names and amounts so that it is difficult for anyone to alter the figures.
- Cheques can be printed on watermarked, micro-text, and chemically sensitive security paper to protect them from forgery.
- For more intricate designs, the system even accepts heat-sensitive inks and void-pantographs.
And naturally, all of it, including the account numbers, payees, and amounts, is encrypted, which adds an extra layer of protection.
Step 5: Clearance and Reconciliation
The final step in the follow-up is reconciliation, to verify if the cheque you issued has cleared.
In ChequePRO, this process is automated too. You can mark a cheque as cleared manually when you see it in your bank statement, or if you have a setup with your bank, you can sync both of them and have it done automatically. The software monitors:
- Date of clearance
- Bank reference number
- Clearance status (cleared or pending)
- Any deviation in the amount cleared (occasional, but it does occur)
Uncleared cheques are highlighted so they don’t go through unnoticed. The end result is a clean, current view of your liabilities and cash flow.
There is support for post-dated cheques too. The system tracks their due dates and reminds you when it is time to act, so you will not be caught off guard.
Step 6: Reporting and Business Intelligence
Cheque tracking does not end there with clearance. ChequePRO also offers a powerful reporting dashboard. You can filter by time period, bank, payee, or status, and export reports in Excel, Word, or PDF for audit or review.
So if you want to know how many cheques were issued in the fourth quarter, or which ones are pending clearance, It’s all just a few clicks away. And you can find out everything very easily.
The system also cautions you against duplicate cheque numbers or improper cheque usage and offers you an early warning system for either in-house mistakes or fraud.
Built to be Flexible, No Matter the Size of Your Business
ChequePRO has more than a single setup procedure. It supports:
- Multiple businesses and bank accounts
- Different currencies and languages
- Standard printers (laser, inkjet, multifunction).
- A massive collection of pre-made cheque templates (or design your own using the align tool)
Therefore, whether you are a multi-national company or a corner shop, the cheque tracking system accommodates your surroundings without the need for specialised hardware.
Also Read: Reliable Cheque Printing for Small and Large Enterprises
Conclusion
Cheque tracking can be a slow, error-ridden process, unless you have the support of the proper system. ChequePRO converts what used to be a cumbersome, manual process into an efficient, traceable, and smart process. Each cheque is traced, each step is recorded, and each phase is transparent.
So, if you’re still handling and tracking your payments through spreadsheets and manual follow-ups, it’s probably time to change the process and let ChequePRO take care of that for you.
