# Name misspelled on a paycheck... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025 "2006-06-17T02:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lupine73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@lupine73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lupine73)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/1 "2006-06-17T02:16:16Z")
Hi all, Like the title indicates, I recently received my first check after starting a new job and learned that my last name is misspelled on it by one letter (A instead of E). Is this going to prevent me from being able to desposit the check until I get one with the correct last name, or are there procedures in place at banks and the such in these kinds of circumstances, provided I can provide information about myself, etc? Thanks in advance… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/2 "2006-06-17T02:19:03Z")
I’ve never had a problem with stuff like that at my credit union. Just endorse the back, fill out the deposit slip and stick it into the ATM. Less chance of it being checked that way, I think. Then get you job on the ball to fix it before next time. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/3 "2006-06-17T02:27:18Z")
Most banks won’t notice. Contact HR to get it corrected next time, but you shouldn’t have any problems depositing it. ---
**Author:** ![lupine73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@lupine73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lupine73)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/4 "2006-06-17T02:30:41Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’ve never had a problem with stuff like that at my credit union. Just endorse the back, fill out the deposit slip and stick it into the ATM. Less chance of it being checked that way, I think. Then get you job on the ball to fix it before next time. Hmm… I was thinking the same thing. Only problem there is that I can’t do it that easily. I just literally applied for an account at a new bank after moving to NC. It’s approved and I’m basically just waiting for the “go” to go ahead and make the initial deposit… this check was supposed to be it. I know traditionally banks won’t even ask for a signature unless you’re asking for cash back. Even then, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked for ID even when requesting cash back. Heh… I just _realllly_ need to get this account up and going… got bills coming up soon and they needs to be paid! :eek: Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/5 "2006-06-17T02:42:51Z")
I once got a rebate with my name misspelled. The girl at the bank told me to sign it twice: how it was spelled on the check, and the proper spelling. This seemed to work, since I’ve never heard of any problem from the bank. ---
**Author:** ![lupine73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@lupine73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lupine73)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/6 "2006-06-17T02:45:43Z")
Okay cool… So it seems the consensus is gonna be “not a problem”, then. -whew- Thanks all 🙂 Damn I love this site. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/7 "2006-06-17T02:50:23Z")
I had a bank that made me sign a check over to myself once. I sign my name F. Middle Lastname and the check was made out to Firstname M. Lastname I’d signed it the normal way and they just had me sign it again the way it was made out. I’ve never had my name misspelled on a check, but I own a small office supply store and I get checks mistakenly made out to Office Depot all the time and the bank never has a problem taking it for deposit. ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/8 "2006-06-17T03:01:03Z")
I did not change my name when I got married (Horrors!!!). I had a few relatives who for _years_ would send checks to me with my first name and my husband’s last name in the TO: box. As long as I endorsed the checks with my real (maiden) name, I never had a problem. I even occasionally get checks with my last name misspelled–a common error, actually–like _Thomson_ instead of the more normal _Thompson_. The bank has never blinked an eye when I deposited them. Most paychecks do include your mailing address on the check, so the bank can always use that as a confirmation. (It would be very unusual to have _Kiminy Thomson_ living at the same address as _Kiminy Thompson_!) In the long run, I think that banks depend more on the signee to cancel erroneously-written checks than they do on the fact that a person might try to deposit or cash a check that they received fraudulently. After all, how often would it happen that Kiminy Thompson would have an account at the _same_ bank that Kiminy Thomson has an account??? ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/9 "2006-06-17T03:09:10Z")
My name is Elizabeth and one time I got a check made out to Eleanor. The bank would not let me deposit it. (I told the guy that wrote it: “I know when you think of Elizabeth, you probably think of Elizabeth Taylor, and I am more like Eleanor Roosevelt (not stylish, more earthy) but my name **is** Elizabeth and the bank won’t let me deposit my paycheck”) One of my current bosses routinely forgets to put the year on the check when he dates it, and my bank won’t accept it. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/10 "2006-06-17T15:41:35Z")
The (soon to be discarded) business name I use for selling my jewelry contains the word “Artwear.” I’ve deposited several checks made out to “Artware” with no comment from the bank. (Granted, they were always in a stack of checks after a show, but still.) ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/11 "2006-06-17T15:54:05Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I once got a rebate with my name misspelled. The girl at the bank told me to sign it twice: how it was spelled on the check, and the proper spelling. This seemed to work, since I’ve never heard of any problem from the bank. This is my understanding of the proper procedure in such events. ---
**Author:** ![biometricks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@biometricks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biometricks)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-misspelled-on-a-paycheck/361025/12 "2006-06-17T18:10:03Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I once got a rebate with my name misspelled. The girl at the bank told me to sign it twice: how it was spelled on the check, and the proper spelling. This seemed to work, since I’ve never heard of any problem from the bank. I’ve had to do this several times. Peolpe like to add letters to my last name for some reason.