A "For Deposit Only" stamp prints a restrictive endorsement, and under UCC § 3-206(c) a check buyer or depositary bank that takes a check endorsed that way converts it unless the money reaches the endorser or is applied as the endorsement directs. The endorsement belongs in the box at the top of the back of the check, clear of the bank's own indorsement. For mobile deposits, each bank sets its own wording. This page covers each endorsement form, business stamp layout, placement, ink and mobile deposit rules.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against UCC Articles 3 and 4, Regulation CC (12 CFR Part 229 and its official commentary), CFPB guidance and the endorsement instructions published by Wells Fargo and Chase. Sources read September 2026.
| Endorsement or rule | What it looks like | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank | A signature or company name with no other words | The check becomes payable to bearer and can change hands by delivery alone until someone adds a special endorsement. | UCC § 3-205(b) |
| Special | "Pay to the order of" a named person or business, then the signature | The check becomes payable to the named person, and only that person's endorsement can pass it on. | UCC § 3-205(a) |
| Blank turned special | A holder writes a payee's name above a bare signature | Changes the open endorsement into a special one naming that payee. | UCC § 3-205(c) |
| Restrictive: for deposit | "For deposit only" or "for collection" with the signature or company name | A non-bank buyer or the depositary bank converts the check unless the money goes to the endorser or is applied as the endorsement says. | UCC § 3-206(c)(1) and (2) |
| Restrictive: pay any bank | "Pay any bank" or similar words | Only a bank can take holder rights until the check returns to the depositor or a bank specially endorses it to a non-bank. | UCC § 4-201(b); UCC § 3-206(c) |
| Mobile deposit restriction | For example, "for mobile deposit at Depositary Bank A only" | A bank that later accepts the paper original bearing it loses its Regulation CC indemnity claim if the check was already paid. | 12 CFR 229.34(f)(3); Appendix E to Part 229, commentary to § 229.34(f) |
| "Pay only" wording | Words that limit payment to one person or forbid further transfer | Has no power to stop the check being transferred or negotiated again. | UCC § 3-206(a) |
| Conditional | Payment tied to an event, such as a job being finished | Anyone paying the check or taking it for value or collection may ignore the condition. | UCC § 3-206(b) |
| Qualified | "Without recourse" | The endorser is not bound to pay the check if it is dishonored. | UCC § 3-415(b) |
| Stamped signature | The business name applied with a stamp or machine | A signature may be made by a device or machine, in any name, including a trade or assumed name. | UCC § 3-401(b) |
| Name mismatch | The pay-to line shows a name that differs from the holder's name | Endorse in the name on the check, your own name, or both; a bank or buyer may ask for both. | UCC § 3-204(d) |
| Two payees | "A or B" versus "A and B" on the pay-to line | With "or," either payee can negotiate it. With "and," all must. Unclear wording is read as "or." | UCC § 3-110(d) |
| Endorsement area | Usually a 1.5 inch box at the top of the back, marked for the endorsement | Keeps the bank indorsement readable; the Regulation CC commentary asks non-bank indorsers to keep clear of the depositary bank's area. | 12 CFR 229.35(a) and its Appendix E commentary; Wells Fargo endorsement guide |
| No endorsement | A check deposited with a blank back | The depositary bank still becomes a holder if the customer was a holder when the check was delivered. | UCC § 4-205(1) |
What does a "For Deposit Only" endorsement actually do?
It turns an ordinary endorsement into a restrictive endorsement. Under UCC § 3-206(c), a non-bank buyer or depositary bank that takes a check endorsed "for deposit" or "for collection" converts it unless the money is paid to the endorser or applied consistently with the endorsement.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau puts it in plain terms: if you write "for deposit only" on a check made out to you and sign it, the check can only go into your account. The CFPB adds that the endorsement should stop anyone, you included, from cashing it.
The code backs this with money. Under UCC § 3-420(b), liability in a conversion claim is presumed to be the amount payable on the check. A payor bank that cashes the check over the counter for someone other than a collecting bank is caught by the same rule, under § 3-206(c)(3). Other payor and intermediary banks may disregard the endorsement under § 3-206(c)(4), so the duty falls mainly on the depositary bank and any non-bank buyer.
Statutes spell the word indorsement; banks and stamp makers usually write endorsement. Both mean the same act. The Uniform Commercial Code has been adopted in some form by every state and the District of Columbia, and Louisiana's version of this rule, for example, sits at R.S. 10:3-206 with the same "for deposit" and "for collection" wording.
How is a restrictive endorsement different from a blank or special one?
A blank endorsement is a bare signature and makes the check payable to bearer. A special endorsement names the next person to be paid. A restrictive endorsement such as "for deposit only" sends the money into a bank account instead of to a new holder.
The blank form carries the most exposure. Under UCC § 3-205(b), a check endorsed in blank can be negotiated by transfer of possession alone until someone specially endorses it, and § 3-201(a) counts a transfer of possession as negotiation whether it was voluntary or not.
A special endorsement reads "Pay to the order of" followed by a name. Under § 3-205(a), only that named person's endorsement can pass the check on. A holder can also turn a bare signature into a special endorsement by writing a payee's name above it, as § 3-205(c) allows. A stamp that prints the restrictive words and the company name together applies the restriction in the same motion as the endorsement, so the check never sits with a signature alone.
What should a business endorsement stamp say, and in what order?
No statute read for this page fixes the wording or line order. The bank guides that address it combine three things: the restrictive words, the business name exactly as it appears on the pay-to line, and an optional account or bank identifier, with an authorized person's signature and title.
Chase gives the restrictive form as "For Deposit Only to [Bank Account Number / Name]." Wells Fargo gives it as "For deposit only to [your account number]," with the signature below. For checks payable to a business, both banks say to sign the business name as it appears on the pay-to line; Wells Fargo adds your own name and title, and Chase says including your title can be helpful. Built from those instructions, a stamp layout reads top to bottom:
- Line 1: For Deposit Only, the restrictive words UCC § 3-206(c) names.
- Line 2: the business name, matching the pay-to line on the checks you receive.
- Line 3: the bank name, or an account identifier if you decide to include one.
- Below the impression: room for the authorized signer's handwritten signature and title, if your bank wants them.
Account numbers are a choice the sources leave to you. Chase shows an account number or a name as the options. Wells Fargo says you can write "For deposit only" without the number, warns that the check writer may see your account number on a copy of the canceled check through their bank app, and notes that leaving it off is less secure because it does not identify the exact account, though most banks will still treat it as a deposit-only instruction.
That layout fits a 4 line self-inking check endorsement stamp, which takes up to four lines of custom copy, or a 3 line version when you leave the account identifier off.
Where does the endorsement go on the back of a check?
Inside the endorsement box at the top of the back. Wells Fargo describes it as typically a 1.5 inch box, often marked "Endorse here" with a line reading "Do not write, stamp, or sign below this line," and says signing anywhere else can interfere with bank processing.
The line is there because banks print their own indorsements on the back. Regulation CC requires every bank that handles a check in collection or return, other than the paying bank, to indorse it so the indorsement can be read, following the ANS X9.100-111 standard for paper checks (12 CFR 229.35(a)). The official commentary adds that indorsers other than banks, such as corporations, gain faster check returns when they keep clear of the area reserved for the depositary bank's indorsement.
Liability follows the back of the check. Under 12 CFR 229.38(d)(1), a depositary bank is responsible for damages to the extent that the condition of the back, arising after the check was issued and before the bank accepted it, keeps a bank from indorsing legibly. A customer's endorsement stamp is applied in exactly that window.
The older rule gave the numbers outright. Appendix D to Regulation CC, removed and reserved effective July 1, 2018, required the depositary bank to place its indorsement so that its routing number fell wholly within the area from 3.0 inches from the leading edge to 1.5 inches from the trailing edge. The appendix defined the leading edge as the right side of the check viewed from the front and the trailing edge as the left side.
Size the stamp to fit. The stock For Deposit Only stamps we sell print about 1/2 inch tall, the large self-inking version about 7/8 by 2-1/4 inches, and the 3 line wood-handle custom stamp about 3/4 by 1-7/8 inches. Measure the box on your own checks before you order a custom size.
Is a stock "For Deposit Only" stamp enough, or do you need custom lines?
A stock stamp prints only the restrictive words. Under UCC § 3-204(a), an indorsement is a signature, alone or with other words, so a stock impression still needs a signature or the business name added. A custom stamp puts both in one impression.
Stock stamps suit an office where someone signs each check by hand anyway. The stock range covers a standard self-inking size that prints about 1/2 by 1-1/2 inches, a large self-inking size at about 7/8 by 2-1/4 inches, a self-inking version that prints a line beneath the words, and a slim pre-inked model at about 1/2 by 1-1/2 inches.
A self-inking stamp inks itself between impressions by rotating the die onto a pad held inside the body, and our self-inking For Deposit Only stamps come in 11 ink colors. Pick the large size when you want the words to read at a glance, and the standard size when the endorsement box on your checks is tight.
What wording do banks ask for on mobile deposits?
Each bank sets its own. Wells Fargo asks for "For Mobile Deposit at Wells Fargo Only" written below your signature, or a checked "Check here if mobile deposit" box where the check has one. Chase asks for your signature plus "For electronic deposit only at Chase."
The wording ties back to Regulation CC. Since July 1, 2018, a bank that accepts a check by remote deposit capture, never receives the original, is paid for it and does not get it back unpaid must indemnify a second bank that takes the paper original, if the loss arises because the check was already paid (12 CFR 229.34(f)(1) and (2)).
The second bank loses that claim if the original it accepted bore a restrictive indorsement inconsistent with the means of deposit (§ 229.34(f)(3)). When it adopted the rule, the Federal Reserve named "for mobile deposit only" as an example of that kind of indorsement.
The official commentary's worked example describes an original check bearing the indorsement "for mobile deposit at Depositary Bank A only" and the customer's account number at Depositary Bank A. Because the second bank accepted a check restricted to a different means of deposit, it cannot claim against the first. The regulation itself asks only for a restrictive indorsement inconsistent with the means of deposit.
A mobile deposit stamp therefore has to carry your own bank's exact phrase. Wells Fargo's endorsement guide also notes that even when a printed box appears on the check, many banks still require the endorsement to be handwritten, so confirm with your bank before you rely on a stamp for mobile deposits.
Can a stamped endorsement stand in for a handwritten signature?
Under the UCC, yes. Section 3-401(b) says a signature may be made manually or by a device or machine, and by any name, including a trade or assumed name, or a word or mark adopted with present intention to authenticate a writing.
Bank instructions can ask for more. Chase says a check made payable to a business must be signed on behalf of the business by an authorized person, using the business name exactly as it appears on the pay-to line. Wells Fargo lists the business name, your own signature and your title.
One way to meet both is a stamp that carries the restrictive words and the business name, with the authorized signer adding a handwritten signature and title beneath it. Ask your bank which form it accepts for branch, ATM and mobile deposits.
A check endorsement stamp is not a corporate seal. For when a company still uses a seal on share certificates and deeds, see our guide to company seal rules for corporations, LLCs and nonprofits.
Which other endorsement words change what a check can do?
Four phrases work differently from "for deposit only." "Pay any bank" limits holders to banks, "without recourse" removes the endorser's duty to pay if the check is dishonored, a condition can be ignored, and "pay only" wording does not stop a transfer.
Pay any bank. Under UCC § 4-201(b), once a check carries "pay any bank" or similar words, only a bank may acquire holder rights until the check goes back to the customer who started collection or a bank specially endorses it to a non-bank. UCC § 3-206(c) applies its deposit rules to this endorsement as well.
Without recourse. An endorser normally has to pay the amount due if a check is dishonored, under § 3-415(a). Writing "without recourse," or other words disclaiming liability, removes that obligation under § 3-415(b).
Conditions and "pay only." A condition on the endorsee's right to payment does not affect that person's right to enforce the check, and a payer may disregard it, under § 3-206(b). Words limiting payment to one person or banning further transfer do not stop further negotiation, under § 3-206(a).
What ink color should an endorsement be?
Dark blue or black. Wells Fargo's mobile deposit instructions say to sign in dark blue or black ink, and its endorsement guide says blue or black. California's State Administrative Manual bars its agencies from purple because purple is reserved for the depository bank's endorsement.
Section 8034.2 of that manual tells California agencies and departments to endorse checks, warrants, money orders and other negotiable instruments in the payee endorsement area and not to use purple ink. The rule binds state agencies, not private businesses, but its stated reason is worth weighing when you choose an ink.
Our self-inking For Deposit Only stamps offer 11 ink colors, purple among them, so select blue or black at checkout if you follow the bank guidance above.
How do you test an endorsement stamp before the first deposit?
Stamp a voided check from the same check stock you receive and read it under three tests: the impression sits inside the endorsement box, every line prints cleanly, and nothing crosses the line below the box.
- Fit. Line the stamp up with the box described above and keep it off the area reserved for bank indorsements.
- Name. The business name should read exactly as it appears on the pay-to line of the checks you are paid with, since both Chase and Wells Fargo tie the business endorsement to that line.
- Wording. For a mobile deposit stamp, compare it word for word with your bank's current instruction. Wells Fargo and Chase use different phrases, so a stamp made for one does not match the other.
Test again whenever you change banks or accounts, because the bank or account line on the stamp will no longer match.
When do pre-inked or wood-handle rubber stamps make more sense?
Choose a pre-inked stamp when you want no separate pad: the ink is held in the stamp itself. Choose a wood-handle rubber stamp when you want to pick the pad and ink yourself, since it needs a separate stamp pad for every impression.
Our pre-inked For Deposit Only stamps come in a slim model rated for up to 25,000 impressions and a large model, with or without a signature line on the slim version. All carry the stock restrictive words, so the signature or business name is added by hand.
On the rubber side, a stock For Deposit Only stamp prints about 1/2 by 1-1/2 inches, and a 3 line wood-handle custom check endorsement stamp prints about 3/4 by 1-7/8 inches with room for the restrictive words, the business name and a bank line. Because you supply the pad, you control the ink color on every check.
Frequently asked questions
What if a check spells my business name wrong?
UCC § 3-204(d) lets you endorse in the name written on the check, in your correct name, or in both. A bank or buyer taking the check may require both signatures, so a stamp in your correct name may need the misspelled version written next to it.
How do I endorse a check made out to two people or two businesses?
It depends on the connecting word. Under UCC § 3-110(d), a check payable to "A or B" can be negotiated by either payee, while one payable to "A and B" needs every payee. If the wording leaves it unclear, the check is treated as payable to them in the alternative.
Does a check have to be endorsed before a bank will take it?
Not under the UCC. Section 4-205(1) makes the depositary bank a holder of a check it receives for collection if the customer was a holder at delivery, whether or not the customer endorsed it. Mobile deposit is different: Wells Fargo and Chase both tell customers to sign and add their mobile deposit wording before submitting.
What do I do with the paper check after a mobile deposit?
Follow your bank's retention instruction. Wells Fargo says to write "Mobile deposit" and the date on the front, keep the check in a safe place for 5 days, then destroy it. Chase says to write "deposited" and the date on the face and keep the check for two business days or until Chase confirms the deposit was accepted.
Can I deposit a check someone signed over to me?
The form for that is a special endorsement. Wells Fargo shows it as "Pay to the order of" the recipient's name with the signer's name beneath, and UCC § 3-205(a) then makes the check payable to you and negotiable only by your endorsement. Ask your bank before depositing one, since the sources read here do not set any bank's acceptance policy.
Start with a ready-made For Deposit Only stamp from our stock office self-inking stamps, sized to the endorsement box on the checks you receive.
