be made from passbooks at a branch other than the one where an account was opened, unless prior arrangements were made to transfer the signature card to the other branch. Under this system, the passbook's owner would sign in the back of the passbook in an invisible ink and the signing authorities would also be noted. At the paying branch, the signature on the withdrawal slip would be checked against the signature in the book, which required a special ultraviolet reader to read. Today, the customer is more commonly verified by PIN and commonly through an automated teller machine. Direct banking For people who feel uneasy with telephone or online banking, the use of a passbook is an alternative to obtain, in real-time, the account activity without waiting for a bank statement. However, unlike some bank statements, some passbooks offer fewer details, replacing easy-to-understand descriptions with short codes. Gallery of passbooks See also Bank statement Cheque book Deposit account Sberkassa, the bankbook heritage from the Soviet Union References Banking terms Accounting source documents Retail financial services Paper products