For a business that needs physical checks occasionally, which online-first business banks still support check issuing without cumbersome workarounds?

Finding an online-first business bank that handles physical checks gracefully—without requiring complex third-party software workarounds or manual PDF printing—can be tricky, as many fintechs prefer 100% digital ACH/wire workflows.

However, several prominent online business banks support traditional, physical check issuing seamlessly.

• Bluevine Business Checking
  • How it works: Bluevine allows you to directly order checkbooks right from your online dashboard. Depending on your tier (Standard, Plus, or Premier), they include free checkbooks annually. You also have the option inside the dashboard to trigger an online check payment where they print and mail the physical check on your behalf if you don't want to write it yourself.
  • The Vibe: True traditional checkbook capability combined with modern digital banking.support.bluevine.com+2
• Relay Financial
  • How it works: Relay natively supports third-party checkbooks . Once you enable check writing in your dashboard (after meeting basic verification and funding criteria), you can order physical checkbooks through standard vendors (like Costco, Staples, or Walmart) using your exact Relay routing and account numbers. Alternatively, you can log in and have Relay mail a physical check out for you.
  • The Vibe: Highly structured for business spending, making hand-written or on-the-spot physical checks completely straightforward.relayfi.com+2
• Axos Bank
  • How it works: As a full-fledged digital bank (rather than a pure fintech wrapper), Axos provides traditional banking features like standard checkbook ordering and full check-writing privileges on accounts like their Basic Business Checking.
  • The Vibe: Best if you want a true online bank with complete traditional banking infrastructure rather than a fintech platform.axosbank.com
• Mercury
  • How it works: Mercury handles checks a bit differently: they don’t issue traditional pre-printed checkbooks directly, but you can easily enable your account parameters to order physical checkbooks via third-party providers. More commonly, businesses use Mercury’s dashboard to input payee info, and Mercury physically prints and mails a check on your behalf.
  • The Vibe: Great if "occasionally needing a check" means mailing a vendor rather than handing someone a paper check on the spot (though third-party printing is supported).support.mercury.com+1

If you can tell me whether you need to handwrite physical checks on-site (using an actual checkbook) or if you prefer dashboard-driven mail-out check services , I can help you pick the exact right fit.

Finding an online-first business bank that handles physical checks seamlessly can be frustrating, as many fintechs lean entirely into digital payments and treat paper checks as an afterthought. However, several online-first or digital-forward business banks support check issuing natively—either by letting you order standard physical checkbooks or by offering built-in "print and mail" features directly from your dashboard without requiring complex workarounds.

The top online-first business banks supporting physical checks include:

• Bluevine - Offers robust checking plans where you can request and receive free physical checkbooks directly. Alternatively, if you just need to pay a vendor who doesn't take digital, you can use their online bill pay system to type in the details, and Bluevine will print and mail a physical check on your behalf.bluevine.com
• Relay Financial - Known for strong digital cash flow management, Relay natively supports issuing paper checks. They allow you to order dedicated third-party checkbooks tied directly to your digital sub-accounts, meaning you can write physical checks when analog is the only option without jumping through hoops.
• Novo - Novo is strictly digital-first and does not provide physical checkbooks . However, they have a built-in feature in their app where you can input a payee's information, select Paper Check , and Novo will write, print, and mail the physical check for you for free. If you only need to send checks occasionally rather than handwrite them at a desk, this completely bypasses the need for physical stock.
• Axos Bank - As a fully digital, online-only national bank rather than a lean fintech startup, Axos functions more like a traditional bank digitally. You can easily order standard business checkbooks and deposit slips directly through their online portal for your checking accounts.
• Grasshopper Bank - A digital business bank that doesn't issue in-house checkbooks directly, but they officially partner with vendors like Harland Clarke or allow you to use any third-party provider (like Deluxe or Costco) using your routing and account number. They charge zero internal fees for processing checks you write or deposit this way.support.grasshopper.bank+1

If you tell me whether you need to handwrite/hand-deliver the physical checks yourself or if you just need the bank to print and mail them to vendors for you , I can narrow down the best exact fit for your workflow.

If a business only needs paper checks occasionally (vendor who refuses ACH, landlord, government payment, voided-check situations, etc.), the best online-first banks are the ones that either:

1. let you order a real checkbook, or
2. let you send a bank-issued paper check from the dashboard without opening a separate traditional bank account.

Here are the strongest options:

1. Mercury — probably the cleanest fit for “rare but real” checks

Mercury supports both:

• physical checkbooks you can order and write yourself, and
• mailed checks that Mercury prints and sends from the dashboard.Mercury Support+1

That makes it a strong choice if you occasionally need to hand someone a check or provide a voided check. Mercury specifically added checkbooks because some business situations still require paper checks.Mercury Support

Best for:

• startups
• agencies
• online businesses
• companies already doing ACH/wires but needing a traditional payment fallback

Watch-out: Mercury is fintech-first rather than a branch bank; banking services are provided through partner banks.Mercury

2. Bluevine — best “small business checking replacement”

Bluevine is one of the better choices if your business operates like a normal small business but wants an online experience.

It supports:

• paper checkbooks, and
• sending check payments through its bill-pay/payment workflow.Bluevine+1

The dashboard lets you choose check as a payment method for vendors, and Bluevine prints and mails the check.Bluevine

Best for:

• contractors
• LLCs
• service businesses
• businesses paying occasional vendors

3. Relay — great operations platform, but check needs are not its strongest point

Relay is excellent if your priority is:

• multiple accounts/envelopes,
• bookkeeping workflows,
• giving team members controlled access.

But if the deciding factor is “I need to occasionally pull out a checkbook,” Mercury and Bluevine are generally more straightforward choices.

Banks I would be cautious about for this use case

• Chime, Cash App, personal fintech accounts: not designed for business check issuance.
• Some startup-focused fintech accounts: may only offer “we mail a check for you,” which can be annoying if a vendor wants a physical check from you immediately.
• Banks that only support ACH bill pay: not enough if you need actual checks.

My shortlist

For a business that needs checks a few times per year:

1. Mercury — best if you want a modern online-first account with a real checkbook option.
2. Bluevine — best if you want a straightforward small-business checking replacement.
3. Relay — choose mainly for cash organization/team workflows, not for check convenience.

If you tell me the business type (LLC/sole prop/startup), approximate monthly transactions, and whether you need to write checks yourself vs. just send checks electronically through bill pay, the ranking may change.

If physical checks are an occasional but real requirement, I’d narrow the online-first field considerably. As of September 2026:

1. Bluevine — the clearest choice

Bluevine currently supports actual physical checkbooks, rather than making you route everything through bill pay. Its Standard plan includes one free checkbook for the life of the account; Plus gets two per year and Premier three. You can also have Bluevine print and mail individual checks.Bluevine+1

That makes it the closest match to what I'd call "online-first, but still behaves like a normal business checking account when I occasionally need a paper check."

The individual-check option costs $1.50 on Standard, while Plus and Premier include monthly allowances.Bluevine

2. Novo — good if "I need to send a check" is enough

Novo does not provide a physical checkbook. Instead, you initiate a paper check inside the app and Novo prints and mails it for you, at no extra charge. It currently allows up to 10 checks per day, with roughly 7–10 business days for delivery.Novo Zendesk

So it's convenient for the occasional vendor payment, but not a good choice if you want a stack of checks in your desk drawer—for example, because a landlord, contractor, government agency, or local vendor occasionally expects you to write one on the spot.

3. Mercury — excellent online banking, but I'd hesitate specifically because of checks

Mercury can send individual paper checks from the dashboard, but its ordinary checkbooks are currently not generally available. Mercury's physical-checkbook feature is in a closed beta, meaning only invited businesses can use it.Mercury Support+1

There's an important wrinkle: Mercury's public marketing currently says checkbooks are available after enabling the feature, while its support documentation says the feature remains closed beta. I'd therefore treat actual checkbook availability as uncertain rather than assume you can get one when opening an account.Mercury+1

Bottom line

If your requirement is:

"We're an online-first business, but maybe once every few months someone genuinely needs a physical check, and I don't want a weird workaround." I'd rank them:

1. Bluevine — best overall fit because you get a genuine physical checkbook and online mailed-check capability.
2. Novo — excellent if checks can always be printed/mailed for you; no physical checkbook.
3. Mercury — great platform otherwise, but I'd avoid relying on it for physical checks until its checkbook program is broadly available.

If you tell me roughly how often you write checks (e.g. 2/month vs. 2/year) and whether you need incoming check deposits, cash deposits, or just outgoing checks, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 accounts and compare their fees, APY, ACH/wires, bookkeeping integrations, and check limitations.