2. If your indorsement is the first, write it about two inches from
the top of the back; if it is not the first indorsement, write
immediately under the last indorsement.
3. Do not indorse wrong end up; the top of the back is the left end of
the face.
4. Write your name as you are accustomed to write it, no matter how it
is written on the face. If you are depositing the cheque write or
stamp "For Deposit" or "Pay to ______BANK______," as may be the
custom, over your signature. This is hardly necessary if you are
taking the cheque yourself to the bank. A cheque with a simple or
blank indorsement on the back is payable to bearer, and if lost the
finder might succeed in collecting it; but if the words "For Deposit"
appear over the name the bank officials understand that the cheque is
intended to be deposited, and they will not cash it.
5. If you wish to make the cheque payable to some particular person by
indorsing, write "PAY TO ______(NAME)______ or ORDER," and under this
write your own name as you are accustomed to sign it.
6. Do not carry around indorsed cheques loosely. Such cheques are
payable to bearer and may be collected by any one.
7. If you receive a cheque which has been transferred to you by a
BLANK indorsement (name of indorser only), and you wish to hold it a
day or two, write over the indorsement the words "PAY TO THE ORDER OF
(yourself--writing your own name)." This is allowable legally. The
cheque cannot then be collected until you indorse it.
[Illustration: A cheque payable to order and a blank indorsement.]
8. An authorised stamped indorsement is as good as a written one.
Whether such indorsements are accepted or not depends upon the
regulations of the clearing-house in the particular city in which
they are offered for deposit. The written indorsement is considered
safer for transmission of out-of-town collections.
9. If you are indorsing for a company, or society, or corporation,
write first the name of the company (this may be stamped on) and
then your own name, followed by the word "TREAS."
10. If you have power of attorney to indorse for some particular
person, write his name, followed by your own, followed by the
word "ATTORNEY" or "ATTY.," as it is usually written.
11. It is sometimes permissible to indorse the payee's name thus,
"BY ______(your own name)." This may be done by a junior member of
a concern when the person authorised to indorse cheques is absent
and the cheques are deposited and not cashed.
12. Do not write any unnecessary information on the back of your
cheque. A story is told of a woman who received a cheque from
her husband, and when cashing it wrote "Your loving wife" above
her name on the back.