There’s something about the combination of money and technology that can make us a little nervous. Ok, so maybe it’s really nervous. But you’re already doing pretty much everything on your phone—connecting with your friends, ordering dinner or a car, and probably paying your bills through a mobile banking app. But depositing checks by phone is not as scary as it seems. Here are a few reasons you should consider using mobile deposit if you’re not.
YOU VALUE YOUR TIME
The classic cliché “time is money” rings true—your time is valuable, and unless you value a personal relationship with a teller, visiting a bank branch or ATM can be a waste of time. Depositing your check via your smartphone or mobile device is fast and can be done anywhere you have cell service or Wi-Fi.
YOU DON’T LIKE OVERDRAFT FEES
None of us want to pay unnecessary fees, and using mobile deposit can help you avoid those nasty overdraft fees. If you’re not able to get to a brick-and-mortar bank but still have expenses like rent and other monthly payments, you can use mobile deposit to quickly deposit any outstanding checks. That way, you’ll have enough time to get funds into your account and hopefully avoid any potential overdraft fees you could incur by waiting to deposit.
YOU’RE ALWAYS ON THE GO
Nothing is worse than traveling and realizing you have to make a deposit, only to find there’s no branch of your bank nearby. Using mobile deposit means you don’t have to wait until you get home to get access to your accounts. As a bonus, many banks give you the ability to have immediate access to your funds from mobile deposits.
I’M INTERESTED—WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
Using mobile deposit is essentially taking a photo of the front and back of your check and confirming the information on the screen is accurate. The deposit process takes seconds, and usually, you can access your funds in the next 24 – 48 hours, depending on your bank’s processing time. It’s important to validate that your deposits are clearing into your account, just as you would with a paper check.
