What is a manager's check?

Manager's checks provide an alternative method of payment when a person or institution does not accept cash or personal checks. They are also called treasurer's checks, official checks and certified checks. Customers purchase these checks at a bank and then write in the chosen payee on the check.

Manager's checks draw on the purchaser's account funds. Cashier's checks, another alternative to cash and personal checks, draw on the bank's funds. Banks most often use cashier's checks to pay the proceeds of a loan, either to a customer or a third party indicated by the customer. The bank's cashier, or another bank official, signs cashier's checks.