In a word – yes! In the United States, this process is referred to as a third-party check, and essentially requires the friend in question to endorse the check made out to them – usually with a signature on the back – as now being yours.
However, whether your bank will allow you to do so or not is up to them, as there is no legal requirement for them to do so. The decision they make is dependent on a variety of factors – they could just reject you outright and refuse to process it.
Certain banks might only take an endorsed check if the original recipient comes down to the bank in person to deposit it with you, bringing an official form of ID so that their identity can be verified.
Likewise, it may also be the case that banks only endorse checks that have been sent to two people at once, say a couple, with one endorsing it to another in order to deposit it into a separate savings account.
If a cheque has the account payee only crossing or reads “non-negotiable” then it cannot be transferred – if the account number of the payee is printed on the check, then it is prohibited to cash it into a different one, so you won’t be able to.
It’s worth checking your bank’s official policy on depositing checks before you head down there, in order to avoid disappointment – it’s not the innocent teller or clerk’s fault that someone who works above them made this decision!
There are several steps that must be followed in order to successfully deposit a check that was originally made out to someone else. Remember, you might not be able to do so successfully – it’s all about context.
Designate The Recipient
It could be an individual, a group or even a business – just figure out who it is you want to sign your check over to. It’s occasionally difficult to do, so make sure you set aside plenty of time before the money is needed in order to do it.
Double Check The Recipient Will Accept It
Don’t just assume that whoever you want to cash a check for you will do it! Ask them if they will accept it for you, as both parties must be in complete agreement about the process in order to follow it through.
Determine If The Recipient’s Bank Accept Third-Party Checks
Ascertain whether or not the bank that the receiving party belongs to will accept an endorsed check, as they aren’t bound by law to do so. Be sure to confirm before you attempt to cash it, as you may find yourself in hot water for fraudulent behavior.
Correctly Sign The Check
If a check can be endorsed, there will normally be a box on its reverse labeled “Endorse Check Here” or something to that effect. In order to correctly endorse a check, you must sign your name as it is given on the check itself.
It is also important that you write “Pay To The Order Of” followed by the name of the recipient, making sure this is well within the endorsement area and comes directly beneath your signature. This is clearly indicative of ownership transfer
Go To The Bank Together To Cash It
Although it might not actually be necessary, it is recommended that you go with the check’s recipient to cash it, as they may wish to see some proof of ID before they will fulfill the process for you.
That depends – by law, any bank is permitted to hold funds for a “reasonable” period of time, typically up to two business days, but this figure can be increased to over a week in certain circumstances, as additional procedures must be carried out.
The bank you have an account with might want to wait until they actually receive the funds from wherever the check is coming from before they will release them to you.
Nope! The majority of government-issued checks cannot be endorsed, and won’t have the optional space on the back of them which needs to be signed for the check to be handed over to someone else.
As a result, you won’t be able to deposit a stimulus check into any account other than the one that is owned by the individual to whom it is addressed.
However, your friend may be eligible to cash their stimulus check via a third party service, like Paypal, after which they can transfer the cash over to you – you might want them to do this in your presence though, if they aren’t trustworthy!
