Is it OK to buy checks at a place other than my bank?

Is it safe to order checks via a newspaper circular, such as Designer Checks? My bank charges $25-plus to ship and handle two boxes of checks that cost $30.—Sau-Mei Leung Clinton, MA Yes, it’s safe to buy checks from printers other than the one your bank uses. We actually recommend doing so. The company you mentioned is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. But its $43 price for two boxes of basic blue checks with standard trackable shipping and handling is still too pricey for our pocketbook.

Instead, buy from Costco, where $14.18 buys 500 basic checks for Gold Star members, plus $7.75 for standard trackable shipping. The total cost is only $22, a 60 percent savings over your bank’s heist.

—Consumer Reports

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