Free Direct Deposit Authorization Form

A direct deposit is an electronic transfer of funds into a bank account. The party making the payment is known as the “payer”, and the party receiving the funds is called the “payee”.

This type of transfer does not involve any physical or paper checks and requires the use of a network that allows deposits to be made between banks. These electronic networks are known as automated clearing houses (ACH).

Due to the fact that direct deposits are made electronically and can be initiated at any time, accounts are credited more quickly than a traditional physical check deposit, and it is not usually necessary to wait a long time for the money to clear.

However, to enable a third party to make this type of transfer to your bank account, you must authorize them to do so through a Direct Deposit Authorization Form.

Financial templates like a Direct Deposit Form are typically required when receiving payroll earnings, disability benefits, or other types of subsidies and payments. When used by employees to receive their salary, the document is also known as an:

• Employee Direct Deposit Form
• Employee Direct Deposit Authorization Form
• Payroll Direct Deposit Form

The type of direct deposit form you use will depend on the bank that manages your account.

This document will gather all the required details, including reference information such as identification numbers, to permit a third party to directly send money to your account.

The most common bank direct deposit forms are listed below:

• ADP
• Bank of America
• Capital One (360)
• Chase
• IHSS
• Intuit / QuickBooks
• Key Bank
• Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU)
• NetSpend
• Paychex
• PNC Bank
• RushCard (now managed by Green Dot / GO2bank)
• Social Security Admin
• Standard (Form 1199a)
• TD Bank
• Truist
• US Bank
• USAA
• Wells Fargo

Direct deposit authorization consists of a payee authorizing a payer to transfer funds into the payee’s account.

By using this form, the party transferring the funds will have all the necessary information to correctly carry out the direct deposit through their own bank.

Direct Deposit Authorization Forms must include specific information to make it easy for the payer to transfer the funds, and for the payee to recognize who made the deposit. Therefore, your Direct Deposit Authorization Form should include the following information:

• Company or individual you are authorizing to make deposits to your account
• Your account type (checking or savings)
• Your account number
• Name and address of your bank
• Your bank’s 9-digit routing number (found on your checks)
• The amount or percentage to be deposited into the account (e.g., a fixed dollar amount or a specified percentage of the payment)
• Any additional bank information
• Your printed name, signature, title (if for a company account) and social security number (if personal, only include if strictly required by the receiving party)
• Your phone number and email address
• Date of the signature of the form
• An authorization clause (example below)*

To create a reliable foundation for your document, try one of LawDistrict’s free Direct Deposit Authorization templates. These templates can be quickly filled in with step-by-step instructions and specialized advice.

• “I authorize [Employer/Company Name] to electronically deposit funds to the account(s) listed above and, if necessary, to initiate adjustments for any credit entries made in error, to the extent permitted by law and NACHA rules. This authorization will remain in effect until I provide written notice of revocation or change and the company has had a reasonable opportunity to act on that notice.”

Setting up a direct deposit is a relatively simple process when using a pre-prepared authorization template. All you need to do is fill in the necessary information and confirm the deposit amounts before submitting it.

You can then have a professional review the template to make sure there are no errors.

It’s also important to note that sometimes the party transferring the funds will also require you to submit a voided check (checking account) or a deposit slip (savings account) to ensure that the account is valid.

If you or your company will be making the deposit, then you will need to confirm all the direct deposit information on the authorization form, as well as the identification of the payee.

Then you will be able to make the deposit through your or your company’s bank account.

When creating a Direct Deposit Authorization Form for the first time, it can often help to first see a real example to better understand how to structure and complete your own. Check our direct deposit authorization example below to get a clearer idea of how your final document should look.

A Direct Deposit Authorization Form can prove practical in many situations. However, there are many other important documents that can be helpful if you’re an employe or employer who deals with the transfer of funds:

• Employment Contract
• Independent Contractor Agreement
• Service Agreement
• ACH Authorization