How to accept cheque payments on a WordPress site
WooCommerce includes cheque payments, so you do not need a plugin for the basic setup. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Take offline payments, enable Check payments, add your payment instructions, and keep orders on hold until the cheque clears.
- 01Open offline payment settings
- 02Write clear cheque instructions
- 03Place a test order
- 04Verify payment before shipping
- 05Prevent common payment mistakes
- 06Add a gateway plugin if needed
What you need
- A WooCommerce store with checkout enabled
- Administrator or Shop Manager access
- A cheque payee name and mailing address
- A way to place a test order
Open offline payment settings
The fast way is to use WooCommerce's built-in gateway. In WordPress, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Take offline payments, find Check payments, and click Enable or Manage. WooCommerce used the label “Cheque” before version 3.3, so older tutorials may show a different name.
Write clear cheque instructions
Set the checkout title to something customers will understand, such as Pay by cheque. Use the description to explain that the order will not be shipped until payment is confirmed.
In the instructions field, give the exact payee name, postal address, order number reference, and any deadline you use. WooCommerce displays these instructions on the thank-you page and in the order confirmation email. Save the changes before leaving the page.
Place a test order
Open a private browser window, add a product to the cart, and choose the cheque option at checkout. Confirm that the payment method appears with the correct title and description, that the order can be submitted, and that the payment instructions appear after checkout and in the customer email.
Check the order in WooCommerce > Orders. A cheque order should normally be On hold, because WooCommerce cannot know whether the cheque has cleared.
Verify payment before shipping
When a cheque arrives, match it to the order and confirm that the funds have cleared in your bank account. Do not treat the customer's promise to post a cheque as payment.
Open the order, add an internal note if useful, then change its status to Processing when payment is received and you still need to fulfil it. Use Completed only when the order has been fulfilled. WooCommerce reduces stock for these offline orders, so leaving old unpaid orders on hold can make products appear unavailable.
Prevent common payment mistakes
Keep the payment instructions consistent across the checkout, thank-you page, and email. Test the process with a low-risk product and check both the customer email and the admin order screen.
The usual Friday-afternoon problem is shipping an order while it is still on hold. Also review your stock-hold settings: unpaid orders can reserve stock, and WooCommerce may cancel eligible unpaid orders according to the configured hold period.
Add a gateway plugin if needed
You only need a plugin if the built-in method does not provide the workflow you want, such as additional cheque notifications, transaction tracking, or more detailed offline-payment handling. The manual WooCommerce route is fine for a small shop that only needs instructions and a simple on-hold workflow.
For that more managed workflow, GetPaid Cheque Payment Gateway is a possible option because it is designed to add cheque instructions, notifications, and transaction tracking. Check its current WooCommerce compatibility and documentation before installing it, and test it on a staging site first.
Let GetPaid Cheque Payment Gateway do it
Adds cheque payment instructions, notifications, and transaction tracking for stores that need an offline payment option.
Sources
- woocommerce.com /document/cheque/?cid=25599%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F…
- woocommerce.com /document/managing-orders/order-statuses/?utm_source=openai
- woocommerce.com /document/cheque/?cid=25599&utm_source=openai
Questions
- Does WooCommerce support cheque payments without a plugin?
- Yes, WooCommerce includes a built-in offline payment method for cheques. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Take offline payments, enable Check payments, and add the instructions customers should follow. You only need an additional plugin if you want features beyond the standard title, description, instructions, email, and manual order-status workflow.
- What status do cheque orders use in WooCommerce?
- Cheque orders normally use the On hold status because payment has not been confirmed. Stock is reduced, but you must verify that the cheque has cleared before changing the order to Processing or Completed. Moving an order to Processing too early can make your fulfilment process treat an unpaid order as paid.
- Where should I tell customers to send the cheque?
- Put the payee name, postal address, order number reference, and any payment deadline in the Check payments Instructions field. WooCommerce shows these instructions on the order thank-you page and in the order confirmation email, so customers can find them after checkout without you sending a separate message.
- Why are cheque orders stuck on hold?
- Cheque orders remain on hold by design until you manually confirm payment. Check the cheque against the order, wait for the funds to clear, and then update the order status yourself. If the order is not behaving as expected, confirm that the customer selected the built-in Check payments method and inspect the order notes and payment method shown in the order details.