A Citibank signature card is the document that records your legal name and handwritten signature so the bank has a reference to verify checks, withdrawal slips, and other transactions on your account. You complete it as part of opening an account or being added as an authorized signer. For a standard personal checking or savings account, the card is handled at a branch or built into the online application. Business accounts, trusts, and accounts with multiple signers require an in-person branch visit with supporting documents.1Citi. Open a Savings Account Online2Citibank. Opening a Business Bank Account: What to Bring
What to Bring for a Personal Account
Gather these before you walk into a branch or start an online application:
- Government-issued photo ID — a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. Online applications may only ask for the ID number rather than the physical card.3Citi. What Do You Need to Open a Bank Account
- Social Security number, used for identity verification and tax reporting.3Citi. What Do You Need to Open a Bank Account
- Date of birth, which the bank cross-references against national databases.
- Proof of address, such as a utility bill, lease, or pay stub showing your current residential address.3Citi. What Do You Need to Open a Bank Account
If a second person is going on the account, they bring the same set. For minors, the bank may accept a birth certificate as identification.3Citi. What Do You Need to Open a Bank Account
What to Bring for a Business Account
The business checklist is longer because the bank needs to verify the entity and every individual with account access:
- The business name and Taxpayer Identification Number, matching your formation documents exactly.2Citibank. Opening a Business Bank Account: What to Bring
- Government-issued photo ID for each signer.2Citibank. Opening a Business Bank Account: What to Bring
- Name, date of birth, residential address, citizenship status, country of residence, and SSN or ITIN for every account signer, authorized signer, owner holding 10 percent or more, and any controlling person such as the CEO or treasurer.2Citibank. Opening a Business Bank Account: What to Bring
- Expected account activity: monthly transaction volume, estimated balances, and number of employees.2Citibank. Opening a Business Bank Account: What to Bring
- Formation and governance documents: certificates of incorporation, articles of organization, bylaws, partnership agreements, and board resolutions authorizing who may sign on the account.4Citibank. Account Documentation and Signer Updates
The board resolution is where most business applications stall. It has to name the people authorized to operate the account and must be executed according to your company’s articles of association and corporate governance rules.5Citibank. Sample Resolution for Opening Account With Citibank If the names or titles on the resolution don’t match the names and titles on the signature card, the bank will send you back to fix the discrepancy before processing anything.
Before you go in, Citibank recommends contacting your Client Executive or Relationship Manager to confirm the exact list of documents your situation requires, which avoids repeat trips for missing paperwork.4Citibank. Account Documentation and Signer Updates
Filling Out the Card
The card itself is simple compared to the document-gathering. You write your full legal name exactly as it appears on your government ID, enter your address and identification numbers, and sign in the designated field. That signature stays on file and gets compared against every check you write and every withdrawal slip you sign.
Sign the way you normally sign. A stylized or overly careful signature you can’t reproduce consistently will cause problems later when the bank flags legitimate transactions as mismatches.
For accounts with more than one signer, the card also sets the ground rules for how transactions are approved. A joint personal account might need only one signature for a withdrawal, while a business account can require two authorized signatures on checks above a set dollar amount. The account owner can also restrict what an authorized signer may do, for example allowing withdrawals but not wire transfers. Ask the banker to walk you through these options during your appointment so the card actually reflects the access you intend to grant.
Submitting the Card and Verification
At a branch, you hand the completed card directly to the banker. The bank runs the information through internal identity verification and files the card. Until verification clears, large withdrawals or wire transfers may be restricted as a precaution.
Most personal U.S. accounts don’t need notarization. Citibank’s documentation standards treat notarization as country-specific, and when a notary seal is required it must be in original wet ink and valid at the time of submission.6Citibank. Certification Requirements If your account type requires it, the branch banker will tell you during the process.
Adding or Removing a Signer Later
To add an authorized signer to an existing account, the bank typically needs an updated signature card with the new person’s information and signature, plus supporting customer documents such as formation documents, board resolutions, or a power of attorney if the account is held by a business or trust.4Citibank. Account Documentation and Signer Updates The new signer brings government-issued photo ID. The bank won’t ask again for documents it already has on file.
The account owner can revoke an authorized signer’s access at any time, since the signer holds no ownership rights over the funds. Removal generally requires completing a removal form at the bank. Once processed, the removed person loses the ability to transact, access account information, or use any linked debit card or online banking credentials. The primary account holder, whose Social Security number is used for tax reporting, cannot be removed without closing and reopening the account.
Authorized Signer vs. Joint Owner
The signature card is where you lock in which role someone plays, and the two look similar on the surface while carrying very different consequences. Both can write checks and make withdrawals. The difference is ownership.
An authorized signer can transact on the account but does not own the funds. They have no responsibility for account maintenance or overdrafts, and their access ends immediately when the account owner dies. They have no claim to the balance unless they are separately named as a beneficiary.7FineMark Bank and Trust. Authorized Signer vs. Joint Owner
A joint owner co-owns the account. They share responsibility for maintaining it, can close it, and if one owner dies, the survivor receives the entire balance through right of survivorship, even if a will says otherwise.7FineMark Bank and Trust. Authorized Signer vs. Joint Owner If you want help with day-to-day transactions without giving up any ownership, authorized signer is the right choice. If you want a true co-owner with survivorship rights, list the person as a joint owner on the card.
When You Need a Fresh Card
Several situations call for a new signature card rather than a minor amendment:
- A change in account ownership, such as converting from an individual account to a joint account or the reverse.
- The death of an account holder. Citibank holds individual accounts once notified and requires an original or certified copy of the death certificate before releasing funds to beneficiaries.8Citi. Estate Servicing Center
- Business restructuring, including a new partner, a change in corporate officers, or a shift in entity type such as moving from an LLC to a corporation. Updated formation documents go with the new card.
- A legal name change through marriage, divorce, or court order, so the name on file matches the signer’s current government ID.
A mismatch between your current signature or legal name and what the bank has on file is one of the most common reasons legitimate transactions get flagged or rejected. Keep the card current.