When you receive a paper check as payment, you want to either deposit that check into your bank account or “cash” the check, meaning you give the bank the check in exchange for cash. In order to deposit or cash the check, however, you need to understand how to endorse it.
Endorsing a check is really just a fancy way of saying that you sign the check. By signing the check, you are “endorsing” the fact that the check was written to you and that you are the person whose name is on the front of the check.
How To Endorse
So, you’ve got a check. It maybe looks something like this:
If we take that check, and flip it over, one end of the check will look something like this:
To endorse the check, you simply write your name on one of the lines after the words “Endorse Here”. In the picture above you will see that there is a message that tells you not to write, stamp, or sign below the bottom line. So, don’t write below that line. Only sign your name in the area designated for endorsement, like this:
If you are looking at the check in its normal horizontal position, the back of the check will look something like this:
That’s it! You’ve endorsed the check! That was easy, right?
Now you can take it to the bank to deposit it into your bank account or to get cash up to the amount of the check.