Unlike the director signs on documents using his fancy Montblanc by his beautiful handwriting, various stamps are must-use weapon for all legal activities in China. They represent the enterprise’s power, right, property, and everything.

Let’s talk about company chop first. Company chop is full of legal effect. Any file which is important to the enterprise will be stamped by company chop. Enterprise can’t do anything if no such company chops.

Second is about contract chop. Just as its name implies, contract chop is used for contract only. Commercial negotiations happen every day. So agreements need to be confirmed by contract chop. Sometimes company chops can in place of it. The power of contract chop is lower than company chop.

Third are special financial stamp and legal representative seal. They were used to be widely used in bank activities before the E-banking function goes more popular. For some foreign invested companies, they still use legal representative signature instead of name seal. In that case, better you hope this person located in the company registered city. Otherwise, all paperwork has to post to his residential place. If you have urgent business with authorities, it is alright – keep waiting.

Company chop, contract chop, special financial stamp and legal representative seal are most important to Chinese enterprises. Business can’t run without them. They can only be caved in authorized places which are appointed by Bureau of public security.

Besides them, there are other stamps for different function, such like customs declaration seal, inspection qualified chapter, special invoice stamp, and tax code seal.

The importance of those Chinese stamps is higher than signatures which popular used in enterprises of western countries. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.