Deposit slips are the neglected half of the same problem: the bank sends a book of fifty, a business with daily deposits runs out constantly, and reordering has the same lead time as checks.
What goes on a deposit slip
- Account holder name and address
- Bank name and branch
- Date
- Cash subtotal — currency and coin
- Checks listed individually, usually with the maker or the check number and the amount
- Subtotal, less cash received, and net deposit total
- Signature line, required only when cash is taken back
- MICR line at the bottom
How the MICR line differs from a check
Both use the same E-13B character set — see what is a MICR line — but the content differs:
| Check | Deposit slip | |
|---|---|---|
| Routing number | Yes | Yes |
| Account number | Yes | Yes |
| Sequence number | Check number | Usually none or a slip number |
| Transaction code | None | Present, identifying it as a deposit |
That transaction code is why a deposit slip is not a check with a different heading, and why software has to build the line specifically for deposits.
Multiple checks per deposit
The itemized list is the part that saves real time. A business depositing thirty checks writes thirty lines by hand; printing them from the register turns that into a keystroke, and the printed list doubles as the record of which invoices were paid. Keep the copy — when a deposit is short, the itemized slip is the evidence.
Practical notes
- Print on the same security stock or on a deposit slip format from your supplier; ordinary paper is accepted by some banks and not others.
- Slips are commonly three per page, similar to personal checks.
- Alignment follows the same method as checks: plain paper test, hold to the light, adjust offsets.
- Ask your branch about their preference before printing five hundred. Deposit slip handling is more variable between banks than check handling, largely because slips are processed by a teller rather than by a clearing system.
Is it worth it?
For a household making a few deposits a year, no — use the bank's book, or the generic counter slips that every branch keeps at the desk. For a business with a daily or weekly deposit and multiple checks per deposit, the itemized printing is a real time saver and produces a much better paper trail than a handwritten list.