After setting up your paper check settings, you can start mailing checks to your team members.
Submitting a payroll creates the paper checks in Workstream and moves them to a status where they can be mailed.
📌 When to use manual checks
Use paper checks for team members who can't be paid by direct deposit, such as:
New hires without bank info
Special payroll adjustments
Off-cycle payroll
Workstream only shows mailing options for team members set to Manual (paper check). If everyone is paid by direct deposit, there is nothing to mail.
Submit payroll with manual checks
Checks can only be mailed after payroll is submitted (with Paid or Partially Paid payroll status).
Go to Team View, then Payroll.
Confirm that the team members who need paper checks are set to a Manual payment method.
Submit the payroll.
At this point, Workstream creates the manual check line items, but mailing doesn’t start until you complete the check mailing wizard.
Mail checks using the check mailing wizard
To start mailing paper checks, follow these steps:
Step 1: Access the check mailing wizard
Step 1: Access the check mailing wizard
Open the submitted payroll and go to the Payments tab.
Select Mail checks.
❔Why you may or may not see “Mail checks”
You’ll only see the Mail checks option when both conditions are met:
The payroll includes at least one team member paid by manual check.
There are manual checks that are still eligible to mail (in Ready to mail status).
Step 2: Select checks to mail
Step 2: Select checks to mail
All eligible checks are selected by default.
You can individually select team members’ mailing addresses or use the bulk option to assign all to their Primary Workplace Location.
Verify Check number, Check amount, and Mail to columns.
Note: Check numbers follow the starting number set in the payroll entity settings.Select Next to proceed.
💡Available mailing address types
When mailing paper checks, you can choose from the following address types:
Primary work location
The main work location assigned to the team member
Commonly used for on-site teams
Eligible for bundled mailing with other checks sent to the same location
Other work locations
Any other work locations set up in your company
Available even if the team member is not assigned to that location
Eligible for bundled mailing if the address matches
Team member personal address
The primary personal address saved on the team member profile
Commonly used for remote or terminated team members
If a check is being mailed to a personal address, it will always be sent as an individual bundle, even if multiple checks go to the same address.
Step 3: Select shipping method
Step 3: Select shipping method
Checks are grouped into bundles based on where they are sent and how they are shipped. If either the address or shipping method is different, a separate bundle is created.
For each bundle, select a shipping method:
FedEx 2-day (1–2 business days)
FedEx overnight (next business day)
Note: Delivery timelines are estimates and depend on carrier conditions and destination.
Review the total mailing cost, which updates automatically.
Select Next.
Step 4: Review and confirm
Step 4: Review and confirm
Review a summary of:
Total number of checks
Selected shipping methods
Total mailing cost
When ready, select Confirm and mail checks.
After you confirm check mailing, Workstream processes, ships, and delivers checks based on your order time and selected shipping method.
📌 Timing note:
Orders confirmed before 4 PM ET (Monday–Friday) are processed the same day.
Orders after 4 PM ET are processed the next business day.
❔What's next?
You can monitor each check’s progress through the Payments tab to see updates on when checks are shipped or delivered.
