How to mobile deposit a check

Life is busy, and mobile check deposits can be a big time saver. To help you out, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide for how to mobile deposit a check at Desert Financial, along with some important facts you need to know about this handy feature.

Remember when you had to drive to a bank or credit union branch just to deposit a check? Those days are (thankfully) in the past! All big banks and most credit unions, including Desert Financial, offer mobile check deposit, a banking feature that allows you to deposit checks remotely through your smartphone or tablet. You can cross an errand off your to-do list without leaving home!

Mobile check deposits are a safe and convenient way to add funds to an account with just a few clicks; however, if you aren’t informed on how it works, things can potentially go wrong. The check may not clear, the numbers might be incorrect and you can be left wondering if your deposit actually went through.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of tips for utilizing the mobile check deposit feature for your Desert Financial account along with important information to know about this feature.

Getting started

Before making a mobile check deposit, you’ll need to have your online banking and mobile banking app set up. If you don’t already have a login and password, you can sign up for online banking through our website and then download the mobile banking app on your smartphone or tablet. Once you’ve downloaded the app and signed in, choose “Deposit Check” from the menu.

Enter information

At this point, you’ll need to input the information about your check. This will include the exact deposit amount and designated account for the deposit.

Prepare your check

After entering in the required information about the check, the app will ask you to capture an image of both the front and back of the check.

First though, you’ll need to endorse the check with your signature. It’s also a good idea to write “for mobile deposit only” under your name in the endorsement area.

Next, place the check on a clear, dark background. Make sure the entire check is in the frame. As soon as the check is positioned correctly, snap a picture. You’ll then be directed to flip the check over and do the same for the back.

Confirm the deposit

After sending the image of the check, you’ll be asked to confirm the deposit amount. Look twice to make sure the amount is correct, especially if it’s handwritten on the check. Once you’ve verified the amount, the check will be set for deposit into your account — just as it would have been if you made the deposit at an actual branch.

What to know

While the process of making a mobile deposit is fairly simple, there are aspects of this banking feature that are important to know before getting started:

• A check that is deposited remotely is not guaranteed to clear. Like any check, it can be rejected a few days after it’s deposited.
• The funds you deposit may not be immediately available, typically most funds are available in about 15 minutes after mobile deposit, but if you’ve made your deposit after normal banking hours there could be a longer review time.
• For security reasons, the image of the check will not be stored on your phone.
• It’s best to hold on to the paper check until you can be sure that the deposit went through. After that time, you may opt to shred the check for safety or place it in a secure file until you are comfortable shredding it.

Utilizing the mobile check deposit feature is an easy way to avoid having to go out for an extra errand. With Desert Financial’s top-rated mobile banking app, you can remotely deposit a check anytime and from anywhere. Now that you know how to use this feature and some important information about the process, you’ll likely get the hang of it quickly.