How to endorse a check

A check has two sides: the front, where the owner’s information (name, address, and account number), the payment information (written amount, numeric amount, date) and the

financial institution information (name, place and MICR numbers at the bottom) are located; and the back side, which is mostly blank, and that is used to print the various information to track its processing through the banking system.

The name of the payee (in this case, you) is on the front, above the written amount. And of course, it’s written from left to write.

When you flip the check over, on the reverse you may see some gray or colored lines on the end of the check located behind where your name starts on the front side. Those lines are the endorsement area of the check.

Note: sometimes a check is lacking a clear endorsement area, and it’s just blank on the back. If that is the case, the endorsement should be made on flipside of the check end where your name starts.

The proper way to endorse a check is to sign it and add the words “for deposit only to account XXXX-XX”. The Xs indicate your account number, with the proper suffix -01, -60, -03 etc. for which sub-account you want the deposit to be made to). If you endorse a check to deposit to an OAS FCU account and do not indicate the suffix, it will be deposited to the account with the most activity.

Special circumstances:

If a check is made payable to two persons (John and Jane, for example), both must endorse the check. If you are depositing a check at OAS FCU payable to you and another person, and that person is also a member, we will be able to verify his or her signature. If it’s payable to you and a person who is not a member, that person must be present to confirm his/her identity, or you must provide a copy of that person’s ID to verify his or her signature.

If a check is written to one of several payees (John or Jane) either person can endorse it and deposit it.

If a check is unclear as to how many payees it has (the names may be written with commas in between, or with “/” the law says that anyone can endorse it and process it.

Checks have expiration dates: the standard acceptable time for cashing a check is 6 months from the date on the check, unless it states differently on the check itself.

OAS FCU will not transact any check or monetary instrument that has been endorsed Without Recourse.