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Why do check numbers not appear in my custom report? The NUM column appears and a Journal number appears, but no check numbers.

Forum|Forum|5 months ago
January 13, 2026
2 replies
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QuickBooks Online

Best answer by bookkeeper120

Hi there, bookkeeper120. Let me share a workaround so you can show a check number on a report.

Since you recorded the check as a deposit, the check number won’t show on most reports. However, the Check Detail report works because it’s designed specifically for check transactions (money out), not deposits (money in). You can make the number appear on a report by entering it as the deposit’s reference number. Here's how:

Hover over to the Create icon, then select Bank deposit.
Fill out the required details on the fields.
In the REF NO. column, type your desired number.
Click Save and close once done.

Please note that the number won't appear in your customized report. It will appear in the Deposit Detail report under the Num column.

See the photo for reference.

Let us know if you have further questions by clicking the Reply button below.

There is a solution -- see below. For this: Thanks for the effort. I guess that is helpful in that it generates a list that slightly simplifies the task of entering all the numbers by hand in the report where I really need them. That said I don't call that a solution to my problem. Note that in Quickbooks Desktop the standard report generated by listing the account includes a Num column that contains the check numbers.

The actual solution: This solution was found by a QB Accounting Expert: First, you need to be using QBOL Advanced so as to have the expanded range of column options for customizing a report. (Don't ask what I think about that.) Choose Customize/More Columns/Line Items/Attributes/Num. Check Num. You probably will have to browse around the possible columns a bit to find it. This adds a second column labeled Num to your report and it will have the check numbers. You can get rid of the first one. This is the Num column that should have been in the default report, not the other one, so that it behaves like Desktop. Some coder screwed up.

BTW, while I am not happy about buying extra support for finding a workaround to bad programming, the Accounting Expert person was very good. It took her a while to find it, but find it she did.

K

KenoLee_P

QuickBooks Team

Hi there, Book.

Welcome to the QuickBooks Community, and thank you for reaching out about the issue of check numbers not showing up in your custom report. I understand that instead of check numbers, journal numbers are appearing in the Num column, and we’d like to help you resolve this.

To help us troubleshoot, I have a couple of questions:

When you open a check transaction directly, is there a check number entered in the Check no. field at the top of the transaction?
How were these checks created? Were they manually entered, created as part of bill payments, or imported from your bank?

The Num column in QuickBooks reports displays a transaction’s unique identifier, such as a check number. If a check number wasn’t entered during the creation of the transaction, QuickBooks may assign a journal number or leave the field blank. It’s also possible that your report is pulling data from a field that doesn’t specifically reference check numbers.

To quickly check for recorded Check Numbers:

Go to Reports on the left menu in QuickBooks.
Search for Check Detail and select the report.
Set your desired date range and run the report.

This report will show all check numbers for checks. For transactions without check numbers, the field will either display another identifier or remain blank.

If you have any other questions about custom reports or need further assistance, feel free to leave a comment below.

B

bookkeeper120Author

Thanks for the quick reply. The list I am generating is of donations, so the checks are those that have been received from contributors and have been recorded as deposits. I have confirmed that the deposit records include the check numbers. When I generate a report, the NUM column is included, but there are no check numbers in the column.

I ran the Check Detail report as you suggested. It includes the NUM column which is populated with check numbers as you would expect.

Not sure if I included in the original note that I have rebooted the computer, tried a different browser rather than Firefox, and spent an hour on the line with tech support to no avail.

J

JayAnne_C

QuickBooks Team

Hi there, bookkeeper120. Let me share a workaround so you can show a check number on a report.

Since you recorded the check as a deposit, the check number won’t show on most reports. However, the Check Detail report works because it’s designed specifically for check transactions (money out), not deposits (money in). You can make the number appear on a report by entering it as the deposit’s reference number. Here's how:

Hover over to the Create icon, then select Bank deposit.
Fill out the required details on the fields.
In the REF NO. column, type your desired number.
Click Save and close once done.

Please note that the number won't appear in your customized report. It will appear in the Deposit Detail report under the Num column.

See the photo for reference.

Let us know if you have further questions by clicking the Reply button below.

M

MichaelaS

QuickBooks Team

Hi, @bookkeeper120

Just checking in to see if the solution we shared worked for you.

Please let us know if everything is now working smoothly or if you're still experiencing any challenges.

We'll be glad to assist further if needed.

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