how to mobile deposit a check on cash app

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The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Check Deposit: How It Works and Why You Should Use It

As mobile banking has taken off, many people never visit a bank, and online banks with no physical branches have opened their virtual doors. One of the most convenient developments in mobile banking is mobile check deposit, which allows you to deposit a check without visiting a physical bank location. Learn more about how the process works, why you might consider using it and some pros and cons the service offers.

What is a Mobile Check Deposit?

How to mobile check deposits are a time-saving and personal accounting dream come true. Instead of going to an ATM or bank to deposit a physical check, you can take a photo of it using your banking app on your smartphone and upload the image for your bank’s verification.

This makes check deposits nearly real-time to where you can receive a check from a friend, snap a photo and see the pending balance immediately. While there still might be a few days’ lag time between when you deposit the check and when your account’s balance officially changes, the process is swift and simple.

How to Mobile Check Deposit Works

When you deposit a check using a mobile app, the bank is using a service in the background called remote deposit capture. This process is like scanning a document. It captures a digital image of both sides of the check that the bank uses to verify the information and process the deposit.

Types of Checks That Can be Deposited Through Mobile Check Deposit

You can deposit a wide range of check types into your account when you deposit a check online. Each financial institution will have varying rules and regulations, but often, the following types of checks are prohibited from this service.

  1. Checks that are more than 6 months old, have been postdated or have no date on them
  2. Checks made out to someone who is not the account holder or named on a joint account
  3. Checks payable to cash
  4. Foreign checks
  5. Money orders
  6. Traveler’s checks

If you’re unsure how to deposit a check into your account, you might need to call or visit your bank for more information. You might need to visit a physical location to complete a deposit for these items.

How to Make a Mobile Check Deposit

When you mobile deposit a check, you should follow these simple steps and any additional information from your banking institution:

  1. Sign your check. Some banks also require that you write “for mobile deposit only” below the signature line. Failing to do so might result in the check being rejected.
  2. Open your bank’s mobile app.
  3. Navigate to the deposit check screen from the app’s menu.
  4. Select the account you want to deposit the check into.
  5. Follow the prompts to capture the front and back of the check.
  6. Confirm the deposit amount shown, which your app might have you input manually or it might pull directly from reading the check’s image.
  7. Review the photos and information and click submit.

Most banks provide notifications when they receive a check and when it is approved. Check your notification settings on your app to confirm whether these features are active. You should see an update on your balance within a few business days.

Pros and Cons of Mobile Check Deposits

For the most part, depositing checks via your bank’s mobile app is a convenient feature worth using. But be aware of these pros and cons before using the service.

  1. Deposit checks from anywhere
  2. Never forget to take a check to the bank and lose its value
  3. Enjoy the same security on the mobile app as you get with check deposit at your banking branch
  4. Process is user-friendly, walking you through the steps you must take
  5. You should keep the physical check on hand until the deposit goes through and you see the deposit in your account
  6. The process requires good Wi-Fi or cell service
  7. You’ll still need to endorse the check and follow the provided guidelines to avoid issues

Tips for a Successful Mobile Check Deposit

While the mobile process for depositing checks is impressive, it’s still an automated online service that can experience hiccups. To avoid issues and ensure timely funds in your account, follow these tips:

  1. Review the check for errors before accepting it from the writer. This means ensuring it is signed and has today’s date on it.
  2. Endorse the check on a hard surface where your signature will look like it has in previous deposits to avoid any digital confusion.
  3. Hold your phone steady while capturing images of the check for the best clarity, and make sure the check’s edges are within the guides on the screen.
  4. Confirm the check’s status before disposing of the check to ensure it was accepted and that the money shows up in your account balance.
  5. Retain the deposited check for 60 days to avoid any long-term issues and possibly missing out on that cash.
  6. Deposit checks you were expecting or from known sources. Some scams involve sending checks to people at random to get their banking information or stealing their identity to apply for a loan.
  7. Be aware that deposits are subject to holds. Don’t spend the money before it clears your account because you might incur overdraft fees.
  8. Communicate with your household about what checks you’ve deposited to avoid confusion and depositing a check twice, causing one deposit to be rejected.

Mobile check deposit has revolutionized personal finance and banking. It’s made it so that you don’t have to wait until you can make it to a bank location to get access to the cash that someone owes you. Simply follow the rules and steps your financial institution outlines for mobile deposits and enjoy the convenience of fast deposits from anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. The process and information are encrypted when you deposit a check on a mobile banking app. That means that the images of your check are not stored locally on your phone anywhere for it to be stolen or for you to accidentally send it to the wrong person. The process is safe.
  2. Each bank handles mobile check deposits differently. You might have the option to pay a fee for your funds to be available the same or the next day. Most banks make the balance available within a few days of depositing a check.
  3. The following checks are not eligible for mobile deposit: international checks, savings bonds, money orders, remotely created checks, convenience checks and checks that are older than 6 months or have no date on them.
  4. Some banks feature the option to cancel pending mobile deposits. Ask your bank about policies surrounding pending check deposits.
  5. Mobile check deposit is often faster than going to an ATM for the deposit both in the time required from you and the time until the balance is available in your account. It all depends on your bank’s policies and the amount of the check.

how to mobile

What is mobile check deposit and which banks offer it?

With the rise of digital banking, customers can now complete many common banking services online or using a bank’s mobile app, including depositing checks.

Depositing a check from your mobile device eliminates the need to track down a brick-and-mortar branch for your financial institution and often allows you to access your funds as soon as the same or next day.

Here, CNBC Select reviews some of the top banks that offer mobile check deposits and how you can best take advantage of this feature.

What we’ll coverWhat is a mobile check deposit?

How to mobile check depositing allows a customer to save time and energy by depositing a check remotely on their smartphone through a bank’s mobile app. The customer can simply endorse their check, take photos of the front and back of the check, upload them to an app and digitally deposit the funds to the proper checking or savings account without having to drop off the check in person.

Several different types of checks can be deposited using how to mobile check deposit, including personal checks, business checks, cashier’s checks and even government checks like tax refunds, unemployment checks and stimulus checks. Some banks may not allow for mobile deposits on certain items, such as foreign checks, so make sure to review your bank’s policies beforehand.

Banks that offer how to mobile check deposits

Many banks now offer how to mobile check deposits, including big names such as:

Additionally, how to mobile check deposits are available through online-only banks like Ally and SoFi, as well as many credit unions.

Generally, there is no additional fee for using mobile check deposit services beyond any usual wireless carrier fees. Processing times vary by bank, but funds are generally available either the same day or the next business day.

For example, Bank of America offers how to mobile check deposits and generally processes funds to be available the next business day.

With PNC how to mobile deposits, any funds submitted before 10 p.m. EST on a business day will be available to access the following day for no charge. However, those who want faster access to their funds can opt-in for PNC Express Funds in order to receive instant access to their money for an additional fee.

Ally offers easy, free and secure online check deposits through Ally eCheck℠ Deposit. Similar to other banks, Ally has a few restrictions such as the check must be dated within the last 180 days and you may deposit up to $50,000 in a single day and up to $250,000 every 30 calendar days. If you have been an Ally customer for more than 30 days, you’ll get more immediate access to your money which can be useful if you need to make swift payments.

One of the biggest benefits of how to mobile banking, and particularly mobile check deposits, is the flexibility that it provides. You are no longer tied to a physical location for a key aspect of your financial needs, and many banks offer this service for no extra charge.

For those who need relatively quick access to their mobile check deposit funds, a lot of banks offer either same-day or next-day access. Just remember that while how to mobile deposits can be made any time of the day, after certain cutoff times, you may need to wait an extra business day for the funds to become available.

Online deposits are also great for keeping all of your checks archived online. Banks will store digital copies of the checks that you deposited on the app, and you can use this as a database instead of keeping old paper checks lying around.

Perhaps most importantly,how to mobile check deposits are as safe as any other online banking service. As long as you’re using the bank’s legitimate how to mobile app, the data you upload is protected by encryption, and check images aren’t stored on your device.

In addition to how to mobile check deposits, most how to mobile banking apps allow checking customers to send and receive money using Zelle®, and offer additional features, such as the ability to check your credit score.

Other how to mobile check deposit considerations

To reduce the risk of fraud, banks generally impose limits on how to mobile check deposits. The policies vary by bank and account, but there can be restrictions on how much customers can deposit daily, weekly or monthly.

Checks being deposited digitally also need to be endorsed just as they do when being deposited in person. In addition, banks generally require you to write a note like “for how to mobile deposit only” below your signature.

After submitting a check, it’s important to hold on to the paper copy for a few days before discarding it. If a problem arises, you may need to attempt how to mobile deposit again or take the paper check to a branch for deposit.

As with standard check deposits, how to mobile check deposits can bounce even after you receive confirmation. For example, the check can be returned if the images are illegible or because the check issuer has insufficient funds in their account. Unfortunately, banks generally also charge penalty fees for returned checks.

Keep in mind that how to mobile check deposits require an online connection to go through and will impact your data usage or any fees associated with your phone plan. Also, there’s no great way to deposit cash without going to a physical bank or ATM.

Mobile check depositing is an easy and safe way to deposit your money into your bank account without having to make the trek to a physical location. Most top banks offer this service to help save you time and energy while still meeting all of your financial needs. Just beware of any potential limits before making mobile deposits.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

how to mobile

What Is Mobile Cheque Deposit? How Does It Work?

While there’s a lot to like about how to mobile cheque deposit, there are some potential downsides. Technical difficulties, for example, could make it impossible to use your mobile cheque deposit app if there’s a glitch. And you may not be able to use how to mobile cheque deposit if the cheque you need to deposit is above the limit allowed by the bank.

Confirmation of a how to mobile deposit isn’t a guarantee that it won’t be returned. If the cheque bounces because the person who wrote it doesn’t have enough money in their account to cover it, your how to mobile deposit could be reversed. And your bank could charge you a fee for the bad cheque.

For a mobile cheque deposit to be processed, it has to be appropriately endorsed. If you’re not following the rules—signing it and writing some version of “for mobile deposit only” on the back—then there’s a chance the deposit could be rejected. You’d have to redeposit the cheque, which can add to the waiting time until it clears your account.

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