U.S. Bank Third Party Authorization Form: Shared Access, POA, or Paper

U.S. Bank does not use a single third party authorization form. For most day-to-day account sharing, you set up a digital feature called Shared Access through online banking or the mobile app, and no paperwork is involved. Paper forms come into play for specific purposes, such as a verification of deposit for a mortgage lender or an affidavit that accompanies a power of attorney. Which route you take depends on what you actually need the other person to be able to do.

Setting Up Shared Access Online or in the App

Shared Access is the fastest way to give another adult permission to see or use your accounts. The person must be at least 18.¹

In online banking, go to Profile & settings, select Login preferences, then choose Manage from the Shared Access tile. In the mobile app, open the main menu, select Manage accounts, then choose My shared accounts. From there, select Add User and enter the person’s first and last name.¹

For personal accounts, you can either link the person’s existing usbank.com login (you’ll need their username and ZIP code) or create a new username for them by providing their email address and phone number. Business profiles skip the existing-login option and go straight to creating new credentials.¹

Then pick which accounts to include by checking the boxes, and for each one choose an access level:

View Only lets the person see balances, statements, and transaction history but not move money or make changes.
Transactions Allowed lets the person perform transactions on the account in addition to viewing it.

After you agree to the terms and submit, U.S. Bank emails the person an invitation. It expires in 72 hours. If they miss the window, you send a new one.¹

Before you start, have the account numbers you want to share and the third party’s full legal name in front of you. If they already bank with U.S. Bank, you’ll need their username and ZIP code; if not, their email and phone number. A mismatch between the name on the invitation and the person’s ID or existing profile can block them from accepting.

When You Need a Paper Authorization Form

Some situations don’t fit the Shared Access tool. If a mortgage company needs to verify your deposit balances, if a government agency requests records, or if you want someone to handle a specific transaction at a branch, U.S. Bank uses purpose-specific paper forms. These typically ask for your full legal name, Social Security number, account numbers, the third party’s identifying details, and your dated signature.²

Verification of deposit requests get processed within three business days, and the authorization must be dated within the last 12 months. Electronic signatures are not accepted on VOD authorization forms.²

For any other paper authorization, visit a branch or call U.S. Bank’s 24-hour customer service line at 800-872-2657 to request the correct form for your situation.³ There is no single generic third party authorization PDF you can download for every purpose; the form depends on what the third party is being authorized to do.

When a Power of Attorney Is the Right Tool

Shared Access and paper authorizations work for routine account activity. If you need someone to act with full legal authority over your finances, especially in case you become incapacitated, you’ll need a power of attorney instead.

U.S. Bank does not provide blank POA forms. You have the POA document prepared separately, usually with an attorney, and then submit it to the bank along with U.S. Bank’s Durable Power of Attorney Affidavit and Indemnification form. The POA itself must be notarized.⁴

Several limits apply:

U.S. Bank does not allow power of attorney on business accounts, custodial accounts, estate accounts, or other fiduciary registrations.
If the POA is a springing power that only activates on a triggering event like incapacity, the bank will honor it only after you submit written proof that the event has occurred.
If the POA names more than one agent, the person submitting it must certify they can act independently. If they can’t, U.S. Bank will not process the request.
On a joint account, every joint owner who is not named in the POA must sign the bank’s affidavit. If any joint owner refuses, the bank cannot honor the POA.⁴

The affidavit asks you to indicate whether the underlying POA is durable (survives your incapacity) or non-durable (ends if you become incapacitated). If the whole reason for the POA is to cover a scenario where you can’t manage your own finances, a non-durable version defeats the purpose.

Turning Off Access

How you revoke access depends on how you granted it. For Shared Access, you manage and revoke authorization through the same path in online banking or the app that you used to set it up. U.S. Bank’s Digital Services Agreement confirms you can manage data sharing instructions and revoke authorization through Digital Services.⁵

If you shared your login credentials with someone instead of using Shared Access, you’ll have to contact U.S. Bank directly to block digital services access until new credentials are established.⁵ That extra hassle is a good reason to use Shared Access from the start.

For paper authorizations, revocation generally takes a written request delivered to U.S. Bank. Authorizations tied to a mortgage or loan typically stay in effect until you revoke them in writing.

What You’re Responsible for After You Authorize Someone

Once you give someone access, transactions they make are treated as legitimate activity because you gave permission. Federal consumer protections under Regulation E cap your liability for truly unauthorized electronic transfers at $50 if you report within two business days of discovering the transfer, and up to $500 if you report later but within 60 days of your statement.⁶ The catch: transfers by someone you authorized are not “unauthorized” in the legal sense, even if they went beyond what you intended. A dispute over an authorized user’s spending is between you and that person, not a fraud claim against the bank.

The same logic applies on credit cards. The Fair Credit Billing Act limits your liability for unauthorized charges to $50 in most cases, but charges by someone you authorized do not qualify.⁷ Grant transactional access only to someone you trust completely, and use View Only when the person only needs to watch the account.

1
U.S. Bank. How Do I Add a Shared Access User?
2
U.S. Bank. Verification of Deposit (VOD) Contacts and Fees
3
U.S. Bank. How Do I Contact Customer Service for U.S. Bank?
4
U.S. Bank. Durable Power of Attorney Affidavit and Indemnification
5
U.S. Bank. Digital Services Agreement
6
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation 1005.6 – Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
7
U.S. Bank. How to Report a Scam