Those big checks are a great promotional item to get your name and logo some camera time when you sponsor the prize.
One of the hallmark images of a winner, be it on a game show or at a charity golf tournament, is a big smile and an even bigger check. Those big checks are a great promotional item to get your name and logo some camera time when you sponsor the prize. And you’ve probably found yourself wondering at least once if they’re cashable. The answer is somewhat complicated.
What Makes A Check?
Like most great pieces of writing, it is the content of the check that matters more than its physical characteristics. There are no legal requirements for size, shape, or even material of checks. The only legal requirements are that the check has the payer’s name and signature, the amount to be paid, the payee’s name, the routing and account numbers, the name of the payer’s bank and which state the bank is in, and the date the check was written. If all of that information is there, the check – be it printed on a giant cardboard rectangle or a paper plate – is valid tender.
So Are The Jumbo Ones Cashable?
If the oversized check presented to your winners have all of the information listed above, they should be cashable. The caveat to this is that individual banks often include in the fine print that checks must meet specific standards to be valid for cashing (usually related to both size and materials). If your bank doesn’t have such rules, then you could make the giant check an actual legal tender to be cashed.
Should They Be?
There are two big things to consider here when deciding if you want your printed big check to be cashable. The first is that many winners want to keep the big check as a memento of the occasion. It is a unique conversation piece. This is why in most instances of people receiving these giant checks, the winners also receive a standard check for cashing. The other thing to consider is that the check is going to be photographed and hopefully widely published (to promote your business). Do you want your banking information out there like that? If you look at most pictures of oversized checks, there is not any routing or account information on them, and if there is, it is often a meaningless sequence of numbers, for extra security.
Let Time Printers Help With Your Design
Whether you know already how your marketing materials should look or you want further advice, Time Printers is here to help. We service all of Baltimore, Hunt Valley, and Towson. Our team of professionals can tackle all of your questions. Give us a call at 410-566-3005 and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn for tips and to see what we have been working on and what we can do for you.