Why trek to local bank to deposit a check when you can slap it on a scanner or use your smartphone’s camera to upload it directly to your bank? Even though it still scares most of the bigger banks, remote deposit checking represents the future of consumer banking. Inside, a list of twenty-one credit unions and banks that are ready to save you a trip to the bank and the hassle of deposit slips.
- Addison Avenue Credit Union (scans)
- Alliant Credit Union (scans)
- Boeing Employees Credit Union (scans)
- Chase Bank (iPhone)
- Digital Federal Credit Union (scans/Android/iPhone)
- Everbank (scans)
- First Command Bank (scans)
- First Internet Bank of Indiana (scans)
- The Golden 1 Credit Union (scans)
- Hanscom Federal Credit Union (scans)
- NASA Federal Credit Union (scans)
- PenFed Credit Union (scans)
- Penn State Employees Credit Union (scans)
- Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union (scans)
- Sharon Credit Union (scans)
- Service Credit Union (scans)
- Summit Bank (scans)
- Texas Security Bank (scans)
- USAA Bank (scans/Android/iPhone)
- Vystar Credit Union (scans)
- WV United Federal Credit Union (iPhone)
Setting up remote deposit checking doesn’t mean losing your existing bank account since almost all credit unions allow customers to electronically transfer funds back to a traditional account. Just keep an eye out for membership requirements and other restrictions. USAA, for example, despite being one of our favorite financial institutions, limits its remote deposit feature to members with a military connection.
Remote Check Deposit [Paperless Office Wiki via FiveCentNickel]
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Having just moved to a new state without any Chase locations I just had to deal with the whole mailing a deposit thing. Two phone calls to customer service and never once did anyone mention the iPhone scan for checks. Not once. That could have made my life a lot easier.
In all fairness, this is a very new feature.
I was hoping. I had just moved 3 weeks ago.
It may be even newer than that. I downloaded an update that had that from the app store about 2.5 weeks ago.
Chase is idiotic. They have an app for the iphone yet doesnt allow scans. Thank god I got USAA.
USAA FTW. They are incomparably awesome.
You speak the truth. We use them exclusively for banking and insurance. They are fantastic.
Agreed. I used to keep a B of A account for local deposits. When they came out with the Android app, I dumped B of A. Despite being an insurance agent with access to great rates through my employer, all of my insurance is through USAA; they rock.
I haven’t had my banking through them for a while since I have a stellar local credit union, but if I ever move away I’ll definitely be going back to using them. I use them right now for my car insurance and one CC and couldn’t be happier.
Although now you don’t have to have a military family member to bank with USAA, you still do if you want to scan your checks. They shouldn’t be on this list!
Curious as to why Chase supports iPhone only.
Doing it on a PC/Mac first would be MUCH easier and reach a larger audience. I think some money changed hands.
Of course, I bet there’s a hidden fee for using it anyway.
Nope. I used it several times and no fees at all. The only drawback is the deposit seems to take a day or two longer to clear than if I deposited with the teller or at the ATM.
No hidden fee. I did it a few weeks ago and it went really easily.
the hidden fee is the cost of the iPhone.
this scares the ish out of me. washing checks becomes as simple as photoshop.
But people have to deposit into their own accounts. If someone washes a check, the goal is generally to cash it.
Scanning of checks is nothing new to banks. They have been doing this for decades. What do you think happens when you deposit your check? A teller actually enters the information manually? Hell no, it goes to a main check processing facility in your area (not even your bank) and is scanned. This new technology that is now available to the home user only takes some of the cost of processing checks off of the banks and puts it on the user, while making things far easier for the user. I use USAA android scan and it’s amazing. Before you get too worried about it though I will say this. The USAA app does enable your GPS, so I assume that when a check is submitted, were it to be a fraudulent check, they would know right where to send the authorities.
The bank I work at is currently “testing” scan-in deposits but it’s only available for employees at this time. They say the fee will only be a penny per deposit if it ever gets released to the public.
If the fee is so low, why don’t they just make it free?
To cover the cost of printing out those checks, duh.
My nearest bank branch location is about a 1 minute walk from where I work, so no real need for this, but I’d use it otherwise. Alliant (high interest checking) and Penfed (rewards card) are already on my credit union to do list.
Finally, the U.S starts to get close to the way banking apparently works in a lot of Europe. I’ve seen so many things on the internet where a U.S person mentions a ‘check’ and someone from Holland goes, “what is a check? We only use electronic transfers here!”
(ING Direct lets you make ACH transactions directly to other people. When they started, I believe the person had to get an email and log in somewhere themselves but now you put in the info and it just goes.)
I can do direct transfers to someone else’s checking account through Chase’s website.
Most big banks actually already do this. BofA, Wells Fargo, etc have ATM’s that scan the checks and no longer have any human interaction. The difference is they scan them in. With banking now able to clear a check over night, I don’t see this as much of an issue for banks. Maybe don’t be so eager to open an account for everyone that walks by while offeringthem a credit card and home re-fi.
I heard the Iphone for checks on the radio for Chase, but it is BS. You should be able to do that through the website.
No one with money owns an iphone, they have phones with real qwerty keyboards.
The radio ad said they money does not go into the account until they verify the check, so i dont know how long that takes.
I don’t have an iPhone, but I’m curious about your statement: “No one with money owns an iPhone”. What does that mean?
It’s a nonsensical jab at the iPhone, I suppose. Funny, considering that all of the professionals I know carry iPhones. Maybe it was in support of Blackberries? I know one or two that have them, but it’s usually because they’re tethered to their employers at all times.
I guess you’re right. I’ve heard people make fun of iPhones, but I’d never heard that particular insult. Most folks I know who have them work in my industry and make about what I make. The comment just struck me as odd.
Yup, cause all those kids working at McDonald’s can afford an iPhone. Guess i’m in the wrong line of work.
I don’t care for the iPhone for several reasons, but probably half the people I know have one. And saying the keyboard is inefficient is obviously a sign you have never touched one.
The iphone is a kids phone.
It means only kids have the iphone. Those of use with jobs and money buy phones with a qwerty keyboard. Typing on the iphone is not efficient.
It takes no longer than depositing the check in an ATM, and as for people with money not having iPhones, well, that’s cute. Juvenile, but cute.
America First CU in Utah does too.
Watermark Credit Union in Seattle, formerly the Telco CU has remote deposit via scanner. Or you can go to any 7-Eleven and risk that there is a skimmer on their ATM.
Greater Texas FCU in Austin also does check scanning. A credit union near my apartment (Amplify Credit Union) doesn’t do the scanning, but you can enter the deposit through their online banking, have access to the funds immediately (if you’re approved for the service) and you get an envelope to mail the actual check in. I reckon it’s only a matter of time before they adopt the check imaging of other Institutions.
My CU does something similar where you can post funds ahead of depositing the check. I’ve never used it, being that just about every ATM will let me deposit a check without any additional charge. (I live 2+ hours from my credit union, but I can use other CU’s ATM’s for free withdrawls/deposits).
For $20 you can join NMFA.org and be elgible for a PenFed account. They run a credit report for a checking account. Only count on getting a savings account there unless you have good credit.
http://www.militaryfamily.org/participate/join/civilian-family/
https://www.penfed.org/howToJoin/overview.asp#NMFA
From what I’ve heard from other PenFed (are they officially not Pentagon Federal CU anymore?) members is that the “qualification” for an account there is hardly enforced.
Even easier than joining that group may be just finding a buddy who is a member and willing to say you are roommates. I doubt they would follow up on it too hard.
Just to correct your list, PSECU is actually Pennsylvania State Employees CU (employees of the PA state government). While Penn State (the university) employees have access to PSECU, the wording you use makes it sound like it’s a CU specifically for employees of PSU.
USAA also allows cheques to be sent through the mail. The scans take effect pretty much immediately, whereas the mail method does take a few days. But through dozens of cheques that I’ve sent through the mail over the years I’ve never had one not make it.
This is one of the best features EVER for a bank. I get checks from family and my job doesn’t do direct deposit so I get a check from them too. It’s so nice to just go home and scan your check in. With checks being transferred digitally now, I don’t see why all banks are clamoring to do this.
I keep hoping that my online bank will make the leap into the 21st century and start accepting scanned checks. I understand that there are some security concerns, but one would assume that banks go through a validation process to decrease the risk of outright fraud for each account (i.e. checking social security numbers, credit reports, etc).
21 banks and this idea of scanning and submitting checks is brought about by Check 21. Coincidence?
Now, if I only ever had a check to deposit, I could consider switching banks.
Wait… I get a refund check from Wells-Fargo every year because I over-pay my escrow because my property taxes keep dropping because the value of my house is tanking.
td bank has had this service for its business customers for years.
I use Alliant Credit Union. They are great. You can scan and deposit checks from home.
They also have a free checking account with free checks and a rate of 1.5%. That is better than any other major bank. Alliant also has a huge ATM network of over 80,000 ATMs. That is more than any other major bank. Literally, I get paid hundreds of dollars in interest every year compared to what I would have gotten if I had left my money at Chase. I wish I had switched to Alliant earlier.
Huge fan of Alliant. Great features, easy to use, and excellent 24-hour support.
Is there a special circumstance to using this with BofA? I don’t even have a BofA branch in my state and I have been depositing checks this way for almost 2 years with my home scanner – I haven’t seen any phone apps for it though…
Member of PSECU. Absolutely love the credit union!
Hmmm….haven’t had to cash a check in years, with direct deposit over here, so I’m a bit confused. After you scan the check in, do you ever have to mail/turn in the physical check? Do you just chuck it? The bank never needs to verify the scan?
State Farm Bank recently released mobile check deposit for iPhone within their Pocket Agent app. The feature is coming soon to the Android as well as scan at home later this year.
Matt Edwards
State Farm Public Affairs
USAA restricts this service to customers who qualified for their credit card or a loan.