A company stamp makes a document look approved by your company. That is exactly why it is worth deciding who looks after it. None of what follows is a legal requirement. These are simple habits that stop a stamp being used on documents nobody approved.

Choose a keeper, and a backup

Give one named person responsibility for each stamp. In a small company that is often a director, the finance or office manager, or the company secretary. Name a backup for when they are away, so nobody is tempted to leave the stamp on an open desk "just in case".

Keep it locked away

Store the stamp in a locked drawer or cabinet when it is not in use, not in a pen pot on the front counter. The same goes for a spare, and for a common seal if you have one.

Match the stamp to a signature

Agree that the stamp goes only on documents signed or approved by someone authorised to do so. A stamp on its own shows where a document came from, not who agreed to it. And never stamp blank letterheads, forms or cheques in advance: a pre-stamped blank page can be filled in by anyone. See how to stamp a document properly.

Keep a simple log

For documents that commit the company, such as contracts, guarantees, bank forms and letters of authority, note the date, the document, who asked for the stamp and who approved it. A shared spreadsheet is enough. Everyday invoices and delivery orders do not need logging.

Several offices or teams

If branches or departments have their own stamps, each one needs its own keeper. Keep a list of which stamp is where and who holds it, and use a branch line or department label so the stamps can be told apart; see stamps for branches and departments.

Do not forget the digital stamp

The transparent PNG of your stamp is as easy to misuse as the rubber one, and easier to copy. Keep it in a folder only the right people can open, use it inside your invoice and document templates instead of emailing the file around, and apply the same rule: digital stamp plus an authorised signature or name. Our guide to electronic company stamps has more.

When someone leaves

Collect any stamp they held, and check who still has access to the digital file. If the person leaving was a keeper, hand the stamp and the log over to the new keeper.

If a stamp goes missing

  1. Record when it was last seen and what it was last used for.
  2. If you think it could be misused, tell your bank and the customers or suppliers who rely on your stamped documents.
  3. Consider a slightly different design for the replacement, such as a new border style or ink colour, so documents stamped after the loss can be told apart.
  4. Order the replacement. Your original order files make it quick; see how to reorder a company stamp.

Stamps are ordered in quantities of two or more, so there is always a spare to keep locked away. Setting up from scratch? The new company stamp checklist covers the rest, or go straight to order your stamps.