How to make a mobile check deposit

As more banking customers turn to digital transfers and peer-to-peer payment platforms to send money, paper checks have become far less common than they once were: According to the Federal Reserve, paper checks made up just 3% of all payment transactions in 2023.

However, many businesses, financial institutions, and even state and federal governments still issue paper checks, so you may still need to deposit one into your account. An October 2023 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that 40% of U.S. consumers had made at least one payment via paper check during the prior 30 days.

Whether you have an online bank or simply don’t want to trek down to your local branch or ATM, here’s how to deposit a check from your smartphone directly into your account.

The convenience of mobile check deposits

Depositing a check from your phone or other device is arguably one of the most convenient features of mobile banking today.¹ It allows you to put funds from a paper check directly into your bank account without visiting a branch.

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Mobile deposit is especially convenient if you need to deposit a check after business hours, on a bank holiday, or even over a weekend. Depending on when you submit your mobile deposit and how long you’ve been a banking customer, your funds could be available for use as soon as the same business day.

Mobile check deposits: What you need

You’ll need three things to make a mobile check deposit into your checking or savings account. You should have:

• a smartphone or other mobile device (like a tablet) with an internet connection and a camera
• access to your bank’s online platform or app
• an endorsed check (or checks) payable to you

Depending on your account type and the length of your relationship with your financial institution, you might have limits on how much you can deposit via mobile app each day, week, or month.

How to deposit a check online

If you have a checking account with mobile deposit capability, you can make a check deposit from your phone or tablet by following these steps:

1. Download your bank’s mobile app and ensure you have active login information. You also might need to enable access to your phone’s camera.
2. Log in to your account. Choose the account into which you want to make a deposit (such as your checking, savings, or money market account). Navigate to the section for depositing checks. This might be labeled something like Mobile Deposit or Check Deposit).
3. Confirm you’re the designated payee of the check. If the check isn’t payable to you, you won’t be able to make an online deposit successfully. Third-party checks (checks endorsed to you by someone else) will also not be accepted.
4. Ensure your check is from a financial institution based in the United States and is eligible for mobile deposit. Money orders, traveler’s checks, savings bonds, substitute checks, and checks from foreign banks (or written in a foreign language) aren’t accepted.
5. Endorse the back of the check. Include your signature, as you would on any check you plan to deposit. Another tip on how to endorse a check for mobile deposit: Some checks have a mobile check deposit checkbox below the signature line that you should mark.
6. Take a picture of both sides of the check. When prompted by the app, take a legible and well-lit picture of the front of the check. Ensure the entire check is visible within the guidelines provided by the app. Most apps will require you to hold the camera steady for a moment to ensure the picture is clear and properly aligned. Repeat the process and photograph the reverse side, ensuring you’ve endorsed it.
7. Confirm the check information is correct. Double-check that the images were accepted and the deposit amount is accurate. Then, submit the deposit.
8. Hold the check until it’s processed. Discover® recommends keeping a hard copy of the check for 10 business days.

Now, you’ll wait for your funds to appear. How long does mobile deposit take? Depending on the check, your account, and how long you’ve been a customer at your bank, this might happen on the same day or take up to five business days. 

Here’s the typical mobile deposit wait time for existing Discover customers.

	Availability of Funds (Timing)1
Check Type	Same business day	2 business days after deposit	5 business days after deposit
From an existing Discover account		Full amount available
U.S. Treasury or all other checks	Up to $250	Next $5,300	Remaining amount

Keep the check until you’ve received confirmation that your bank accepted the deposit and your funds are available. Once you know there isn’t an issue that would require you to redeposit, shred the endorsed check to prevent any potential misuse.  

Other questions about the mobile check deposit process

Once you start using the mobile deposit feature of your account, it will become second nature. But you might still want to know more about how to mobile deposit a check and what to expect.

Is mobile deposit safe? 

Mobile check deposit is generally considered safe, depending on your bank and the security features in place. Discover, for example, encrypts your data with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology within the mobile app (see the section “How we’ve got your back” on the Discover Online Banking Security Center), making it virtually impossible for someone else to steal the information. It’s also important to ensure you only log in to your bank account when you’re using your cellular network or a secure connection rather than a public Wi-Fi network, which may be more easily compromised by fraudsters.

Can I deposit any kind of check?

It may depend on your financial institution or the amount of the check. Generally speaking, most types of checks—personal, business, cashier’s, government-issued, etc.—are accepted via mobile deposit.  

Discover’s Mobile Check Deposit is quick – snap photos of your signed check and upload them in minutes to deposit them with our mobile app. The mobile check deposit feature makes it easy to add funds directly to your Discover checking account from the comfort of your home (or wherever you may be). Just download the app and take a photo—in some cases, you may have access to that cash as quickly as the same day.

¹ For further details about mobile check deposit, refer to the Discover Bank Mobile Check Deposit Service User Agreement. 

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The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as professional advice. Nothing contained in this article shall give rise to, or be construed to give rise to, any obligation or liability whatsoever on the part of Discover Bank or its affiliates.