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Endorsing Checks: How, Why, and Joint Account Considerations

March 16, 2018

Even in the age of electronic banking, checks still have a very important purpose and are widely used to pay invoices, facilitate employee payroll, make donations, and award personal gifts. Endorsing a check requires placing a signature on a check before depositing it to an account. But there are certain considerations that you should keep in mind about check endorsements.

Here is some useful information about endorsing checks, including how to endorse a check, why it’s important, and how to handle an endorse check joint account situation.

What Does It Mean to Endorse a Check?

To endorse a check means to sign the back of a check to give your bank the right to cash it or deposit into a bank account. This is the legal way to confirm that the recipient of a check is the rightful owner of the money, and it provides documentation of when and where the money was deposited or cashed.

Why Endorse a Check?

Endorsing a check ensures that it is in the right hands and is being deposited into the correct account. It is an anti-fraud measure that has proven very effective in making sure money isn’t stolen or misplaced.

How to Endorse a Check Properly

The first consideration when endorsing a check is to confirm that all of the information on the front is correct, including the amount, date, and signature of the person who wrote the check. Then you’ll need to flip the check over and sign your name on the gray lines, but don’t write anything below them.

Always make sure to endorse your checks in a way that the spelling of your name matches how your name was printed on the front of the check. You can also write “For deposit only” on the top endorsement line on the back of a check to restrict how the check can be used.

Can a Spouse Endorse a Check for You?

Many people wonder what the correct protocol is for endorsing a check for a joint account. This commonly happens in situations involving married couples and business partners. If the check is made out to two people with the word “and” in between their names, then both recipients need to endorse the back of the check. However, if the check is made out to two people with the word “or” in between their names, only one person needs to endorse it.

What Are Endorsement Stamps?

If you are required to sign many checks on a regular basis as a part of your business, an endorsement stamp can make the task of endorsing checks much quicker and easier. This is also a great way to authorize your assistant or trusted employee to endorse checks received on your behalf when you are not available.

In addition to secure bags designed for a wide variety of industries, Superior Bag offers endorsement stamps and other accessories For security purposes, you may want to include the words “For deposit only” on your endorsement stamp so that someone else doesn’t cash the check and keep the money. For more information about our endorsement stamps, please give us a call at 800-522-1236.

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