Can You Deposit Cash at an Online Bank?

Depositing cash at an online-only bank takes an extra step, since most have no branches and no tellers. Here are the main options and the trade-offs of each.

Online-only banks handle almost everything through an app, a transfer or an ATM, but paper money is the awkward exception. Most have no branches and no tellers, so getting cash into an account takes planning that branch customers rarely think about. The good news is that several options exist, and each carries its own fees, limits and waiting periods.

Why Is Depositing Cash Different at an Online Bank?

Because an online bank usually has no physical locations and does not handle physical money directly. A branch bank takes your cash across the counter, credits your account and moves on. An online bank has to route that same cash through an ATM, a retail partner or another account first.

This is the central trade-off of online-only banking. You often get lower fees and convenient digital tools in exchange, but everyday tasks that involve paper money take extra steps. Our comparison of online-only banks vs. branch banks breaks down what else changes without a branch.

Can You Deposit Cash at an ATM, and Which Ones?

Often yes, but only at machines that accept deposits. Like traditional banks, most online banks belong to ATM networks you can use to deposit and withdraw cash. Within a network, though, not every machine takes deposits, so use the bank’s ATM locator and filter for deposit-taking locations rather than assuming the closest machine will work.

A few details affect the cost and speed:

• Staying in network avoids ATM charges. Our article on ATM fees explains how out-of-network costs add up, and some online banks automatically reimburse fees for using any ATM. One credit union reimburses them up to $20 a month.
• Handing cash to a machine that belongs to a different bank can lengthen the hold, so who owns the machine matters as much as where it sits.
• Don’t expect the money to be available right away. Banks can cap how much of an ATM deposit you can access the same day, and the rest may take one or more business days. At least one online bank holds funds deposited at out-of-network ATMs for up to five business days.

Timing also depends on cut-off rules. A bank’s cut-off time for receiving deposits can be no earlier than noon at an ATM, so a deposit made late in the day counts as the next business day’s deposit.

What Retail and Third-Party Deposit Options Can You Use?

Two main ones: retail partners and payment apps. Several online banks partner with retail chains, where a cashier or self-service kiosk swipes your card or scans a code from the bank’s app, takes your cash and credits your account. Chains that work with some banks’ partners include Walmart, 7-Eleven, CVS, Dollar General and Kroger.

Retail deposits are not always free. Some locations charge for the transaction, and fees at some banks’ retail partners run as high as $4.95 per deposit, so check the partner list and the price before you carry cash across town.

Payment apps offer another route. Some let you deposit paper money at participating retailers, then transfer the balance to your bank. Two things to know: these platforms set their own limits on paper money deposits, and a payment app is a financial services platform, not a bank, with banking services handled through partner banks. That makes this the most roundabout option, but it can help when no ATM or partner store is nearby.

Can You Use a Money Order or Another Workaround?

Yes. A money order is a paper payment you buy with cash, and once you have one you can deposit it much like a check. Whether an online bank accepts money orders, and whether it takes them through mobile deposit or by mail, varies by bank, so ask before you buy. Buying the money order costs a fee, so this workaround trades convenience for a small price.

The most common workaround is simpler: keep a small account at a branch bank or credit union, deposit cash there, and transfer the money to your online account. Setting up a linked account between two banks can take a few business days, and our guide to how long an ACH transfer takes explains the timing in detail. Once the accounts are linked, electronic deposits generally must be available by the next business day.

What Do Cash Deposits Cost and How Fast Do They Clear?

It depends on the method, and the differences are large enough to matter.

Method	Typical cost	When funds are available
In-network ATM	Usually none	Same-day access may be capped, with the rest in one or more business days
Out-of-network ATM	Possible ATM fees	Can carry a longer hold; one bank holds these up to five business days
Retail partner	Up to $4.95 per deposit at some partners	Depends on the bank’s funds availability policy
Linked-account transfer	Usually none	ACH deposits generally must be available by the next business day

Money orders add a purchase fee of their own. Timing follows federal rules under Regulation CC, which governs when banks must make deposited funds available and requires them to disclose their availability policies. Banks must post availability notices at ATMs, and anything you hand over once the daily deadline has passed is treated as arriving on the next business day. Holds can also run longer for accounts open less than 30 days.

What Should You Check About Cash Deposits Before Opening an Account?

Focus on where, how, at what price and how fast, plus the disclosures the bank is required to give you. Ask these before you fund the account:

• Does the bank accept cash deposits at all, and through which methods?
• Which ATMs near you accept deposits, and are they in network?
• Which retailers are partners, and what do they charge per deposit?
• What are the deposit limits for each method?
• What are the hold times and the daily cut-off?
• Does the bank reimburse out-of-network ATM fees?

Federal law requires banks to disclose any fees they charge on a deposit account in the account opening disclosure and fee schedule, and to provide funds availability disclosures before you open an account. Deposits at an FDIC-insured bank are federally insured up to $250,000, no matter how the money gets in.

Do this

Call the bank’s support line and ask how you would deposit cash before you apply. The specificity of the answer tells you more than the marketing pages do.

If most of your deposits are checks rather than cash, the process is easier: our guide to getting started with mobile check deposits walks through it step by step. And if you are still weighing whether an online bank fits the way you actually handle money, the branch comparison linked above is a good place to finish.

Good questions

Can I deposit cash at any ATM?

No. Most online banks belong to ATM networks, and within those networks only some machines accept deposits. Use your bank’s ATM locator and filter for deposit-taking locations.

Do online banks charge fees for cash deposits?

Some methods do and some do not. Out-of-network ATMs may charge fees, retail partner deposits can cost up to $4.95 per transaction, and money orders carry a purchase fee.

How long does a cash deposit take to clear?

ATM deposits may have a same-day access cap, with the remainder available in one or more business days. Using another bank’s machine, or having an account open less than 30 days, can extend the hold.

Can I move cash to an online bank through another account?

Yes. Deposit the cash at a branch bank or credit union, link the accounts, and transfer the money. Setting up the link can take a few business days.

This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice. Bank fees, account terms and screening policies vary by bank and change over time, so check the account’s fee schedule and terms before you open it. For federal rules, see the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the FDIC.