Authorisation Letter For Bank To Collect Cheque Book Template for England and Wales

An authorisation letter to collect a cheque book is a formal document that lets you authorise another person to collect your cheque book from your bank branch. You need it when you cannot visit in person, and it keeps your banking running while staying within England & Wales banking rules. This page explains what to include, gives a worked sample, and covers the Word format so you can adapt the content and sign it before handing it over.

When do you need this letter?

You'll need this authorisation in several common situations. If you're travelling abroad or living overseas temporarily, the letter lets a trusted family member or friend collect your cheque book. Business owners often authorise an employee or partner to handle the collection on the company's behalf. Medical situations where you're in hospital or recovering may mean delegating the errand. Elderly or mobility-impaired account holders frequently authorise a carer or adult child to manage banking tasks, keeping access to everyday financial services.

What should the letter contain?

Whether you write the authorisation letter from scratch or start from a sample, the content should identify both the account holder and the authorised person with full names, addresses, and identification details. State exactly what the authorised person may collect, in this case the cheque book, so there is no confusion. Include your bank name, branch, and account number, and make the authorisation language unambiguous about the scope of what is permitted. Decide whether this is a one-time collection or an ongoing arrangement, and word it accordingly. Because banks verify the identity of anyone collecting on your behalf, add the authorised person's ID details so they can be checked at the counter.

What does the Word format sample look like?

A typical letter to collect a document is short and follows a fixed structure, so a free Word format is easy to adapt. Here is a formal letter example you can edit:

• Date and your address: the day you sign the letter and your registered address with the bank.
• Addressee: The Branch Manager, [Bank Name], [Branch Address].
• Subject: Authorisation to collect cheque book for account [account number].
• Body: "I, [your full name], holder of account number [account number], authorise [authorised person's full name], holder of [ID type and number], to collect my cheque book from your branch on my behalf."
• Sign-off: your full name, signature, and contact number. You can close with a short line to thank the branch for processing the request.

Fill in the bracketed fields, print the letter, and sign it. If a company account is involved, name the company as the account holder and the employee or partner as the person authorised to collect the document.

How do you write and submit the letter?

Once you've completed the content and signed it, give the letter to the authorised person along with a copy of your identification if your bank asks for one. The person collecting will usually present their own ID at the branch so the bank can match it to the details in your letter. Confirm your branch's procedure in advance, since some banks accept a signed letter alone while others request the account holder's ID or a follow-up call, or ask you to post the letter ahead of the visit. Keeping the wording clear and the identification details accurate is what prevents delays at the counter. If your bank has its own authorisation policy, check it before you write the request so the letter matches what the counter staff expect.

Related documents

If you need to authorise someone to act more broadly on your behalf, a letter of authority or an authorisation letter covers a wider set of tasks than a single cheque book collection.