Getting Started With Mobile Check Deposits

Depositing a check with your phone takes a few taps, but endorsement rules, limits and hold times matter. Here is how the process works, step by step.

Mobile check deposit lets you add money to a checking or savings account by photographing a check with your phone instead of visiting a branch or ATM. Most banks and credit unions include the feature in their mobile apps, and the workflow is similar everywhere: endorse the check, photograph the front and back, confirm the amount and submit. The parts that catch first-timers are endorsement rules, deposit limits and hold times, so this guide covers each in order.

What Mobile Check Deposit Is and Which Banks Offer It

Mobile check deposit is a feature inside a bank’s mobile app that accepts images of a check as a deposit. A typical flow: you log in, open the check deposit screen, photograph your signed check on both the front and the back, pick the account to receive the money, enter the amount and submit. You then get an on-screen confirmation that the deposit is processing, and many banks follow up by email.

Nearly every bank and credit union with a mobile app offers some version of this. Online-only banks have no teller windows, so apps, ATMs and mobile deposit do the work a branch would. Our comparison of online-only banks vs. branch banks explains that trade-off. If you are still choosing an account, our guide to opening a bank account lists what to have ready.

Step 1: Find the Feature and Check Your Deposit Limits

Open your bank’s app and look for a button labeled “Deposit” or “Deposit Checks,” often on the home screen or in a “Transfer and pay” menu. If you have not enrolled in mobile banking yet, you will need to register first, usually by answering identity-verification questions and setting up a username and password.

Before you photograph anything, find your limits. When you enter the check amount, most apps display your remaining daily and rolling period limits, such as 30-day or weekly, on the same screen. Limits vary by bank and customer, based on factors such as account type and deposit history. New accounts can start out especially restricted; one large bank says limits for accounts opened within the last 90 days can be as low as $50.

Timing matters too. Banks have a cut-off time for what counts as that day’s deposit, and a deposit made after the cut-off is treated as if it were made the next business day. If your check exceeds your mobile limit, you still have options: deposit at a branch or ATM, or mail the check to the bank with your account number written on it, following your bank’s instructions.

Step 2: Endorse the Check the Right Way

An endorsement is your signature on the back of the check, on the line marked for endorsements. It tells the bank you approve the payment. Without a valid endorsement, most mobile deposits will not go through.

Flip the check over and sign your name exactly as it appears on the front. Many banks also ask you to write “for mobile deposit only” below the signature, which helps prevent the check from being cashed again if it is lost after you have deposited it. If a check is made out to two people, the wording on the front matters: a check payable to “Pat and Chris Doe” generally needs both signatures, while one payable to “Pat or Chris Doe” can generally be signed by either person.

Step 3: Photograph the Front and Back Clearly

Photo quality causes most technical problems, and it is easy to avoid:

• Lay the check flat on a dark, plain surface with good lighting, and detach it from any stub or cover letter.
• Hold the phone flat and level above the check so the lens points straight down, and fit all four corners inside the guides on the screen.
• Photograph both the front and the back, showing the full endorsement.
• Confirm the amount you typed matches the amount written on the check.

Banks generally accept standard-sized personal and business checks drawn on U.S. financial institutions in U.S. dollars. Oversized or undersized items, such as some rebate checks, may not be accepted by mobile deposit, so check your bank’s eligibility list for anything unusual. After you submit, keep the confirmation screen or email until the money appears in your account.

How Long the Hold Takes and When Funds Are Available

A hold is a delay between your deposit and the moment the money is available to spend. Until then, the deposit may show as pending, meaning it has not fully posted to your account. Federal rules set the boundaries: under Regulation CC, the federal rule on check availability, a bank generally must make the first $275 of a check deposit available by the start of the next business day, with the rest available by the second business day.

Longer holds are allowed in specific situations: an account overdrawn repeatedly in the last six months, a deposit made at an ATM owned by another institution, a bank’s reason to believe the check may be uncollectible, or a check for more than $5,525, with amounts above that figure generally available within seven business days. Redeposited checks and daily check deposits totaling more than $6,725 can also trigger longer holds for the excess. All of this depends on your bank’s cut-off time, which can be no earlier than 2:00 p.m. at branches and no earlier than noon at ATMs and elsewhere.

Be wary

Funds appearing in your account does not guarantee a check is genuine. Banks must make deposited money available quickly, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks, and if the check is fake you owe the bank that money back. Never deposit a check from a stranger who asks you to send part of it back, by wire, gift card or any other method.

What to Do With the Paper Check Afterward

Once the deposit is confirmed, mark the paper check so it cannot be deposited again. One large bank instructs customers to write “mobile deposit” and the date on the front, then keep the check somewhere secure for five days before destroying it. Your bank may set its own retention window, so follow its instructions rather than tossing the check the moment you hit submit.

Common Reasons a Mobile Deposit Is Rejected

Rejections happen, and most are fixable. The usual causes:

• Missing or wrong endorsement. No signature, a name that does not match the payee line, or a missing “for mobile deposit only” note where the bank requires one.
• Unreadable images. Blur, glare, shadows or corners cut off the frame.
• Amount mismatch. The number you typed does not match the check.
• Limits exceeded. The deposit is above your remaining daily or rolling allowance.
• Ineligible item. The check is the wrong size or otherwise not accepted for mobile deposit.

If a deposit is rejected or stuck, check its status in the app, where most banks list pending and processed mobile deposits. Fix the problem and resubmit if the app allows it, or deposit the check at a branch, an ATM or by mail.

A sensible first step: open your bank’s app today and find the deposit feature, then check your limits before the next check arrives, so the process is familiar when you actually need it. For where deposits belong once they land, our explainers on checking vs. savings accounts and FDIC insurance cover how the two accounts differ and how your money is protected.

Good questions

Do I have to sign the back of a check to deposit it by phone?

Yes, a valid endorsement is required for most mobile deposits. Sign exactly as your name appears on the front, and note that checks made out to two people with ‘and’ generally need both signatures.

Why is my mobile deposit still on hold?

Common reasons include depositing after your bank’s cut-off time, depositing a large check, using another institution’s ATM, or an account history of overdrafts. Your bank’s funds availability policy spells out its specific timelines.

What happens if my mobile deposit is rejected?

Check the deposit status in your app, fix the problem such as a missing endorsement or a blurry photo, and resubmit if allowed. You can also deposit the check at a branch or ATM, or by mail.

Can I deposit a check that exceeds my mobile deposit limit?

Usually yes, just not by phone. Banks typically let you deposit larger checks at a branch or ATM, or mail the check with your account number written on it.

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.