by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: June 05, 2009   Last Updated: July 26, 2010

If you need to endorse a check to someone else, you have to be aware of the specific differences between endorsing a check to someone else and endorsing a check to deposit into your bank account. Endorsing a check improperly can and will put a hold on the transaction altogether and could even cause the check to be void.  Here is how to endorse a check to someone else:

Step 1- Make sure that front of the check has all of the correct information. It should be made out in your name and be sure that it has the correct amount in it. You should also check to make sure that the check was signed by whoever was writing it out to you.

Step 2. Turn the check over so that you can see the back of it. There should be lines on one end of the check. That is the area that you will endorse it in. It is important that you don't write in the area below the endorsement line. The bank needs the area below it to place important information in.

Step 3- Always use a pen. Signing with a pencil means that anyone can erase it and put whatever they choose to on the back of the check. Avoid using red ink as well.

Step 4- Write Pay to the order of on the first line of the endorsement area. This is one of the most essential parts of signing your check over to someone else.

Step 5- On the next line, write the name of the person who you are signing the check over to. It should be the full name of the person, which should match how they sign their check.

Step 6- The next line is where you should sign your name as it appears on the front of the check.

You don't have to do anything else except hand the check to the person you were signing it over to. This person can now take the check to his/her bank or to the bank which it is drawn on to cash or deposit it. The person will also have to endorse the check in order to cash the check.

Be sure that you have double checked all of the information before handing over the check to someone else. Make sure that you can trust the person you are signing it over to if you are simply asking the person to cash it for you. This is critical. If you endorse a check over to someone else, you can't do anything about it if they take off with your money.

Endorsing a check for someone else to cash isn't difficult at all. There may be several reasons that you may wish to do this. It could be so that the person can cash the check for you because you have to work over that day. It could be because you owe that person money. Whatever the reasons are, you should have no problems if you follow this step-by-step guide to how you endorse a check for someone else to cash.

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