Even if you're the sole owner, you cannot endorse business checks written out to your company in the same way that you endorse personal checks. This is because the payment belongs to the business.
Turn the check over. On the first line in the area marked "Endorse here," pen in the name of the business to which the check is written. If it was misspelled, write it with the mistake(s). Then write the official, legal name of the business.
Sign your legal name underneath the business name. If the business has another business owner, treasurer or partner who can legally endorse the check, he may sign it instead.
Write "For deposit only" or "For deposit to account number [the business bank account number]" on any checks that you send out to be deposited. This is called a restricted endorsement. Restricted endorsements prevent the check from being cashed out.
Tips
Keep a record of your business check payments before endorsing them.
References
- Endorse a Check
- Huntington Bank. "How to Endorse a Check: What It Means to Endorse a Check." Accessed Jan. 10, 2020.
- BalanceTrack. "Checking Account Management," Chapter 2. Deposits. Accessed Jan. 10, 2020.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "I Lost a Check Written to Me. Someone Forged My Signature on the Back of the Check and Then Cashed It. What Can I Do?" Accessed Jan. 10, 2020.
- Huntington Bank. "How to Sign/Endorse a Check Over to Someone Else," Accessed Jan. 10, 2020.
- Members 1st Credit Union. "New Remote Check Deposit Endorsement Requirements." Accessed Jan. 10, 2020
Tips
- Keep a record of your business check payments before endorsing them.
Writer Bio
Suzie Faloon is a freelance writer who has written online content for various websites. As a professional crafter and floral designer, Faloon owned a florist business for nearly 25 years. She completed the Institute of Children's Literature course in 1988.