Yes. You can take a picture of your check and deposit it using your bank’s mobile app, a feature most banks and credit unions call mobile deposit or remote deposit capture. It works for most personal, payroll, and government checks, and the money usually starts becoming available the next business day. The rest comes down to endorsing the check correctly, taking a clean photo, and staying within your bank’s limits.
How To Endorse and Photograph the Check
Before you open the app, sign the back of the check and write “For Mobile Deposit Only” beneath your signature. Most banks require this specific restrictive endorsement, and leaving it off is one of the most common reasons a mobile deposit gets rejected. The language signals that the check has already been submitted electronically and should not be cashed or deposited again anywhere else.
Use dark ink so the app’s imaging software can read your signature and endorsement cleanly. Place the check on a flat, dark, non-reflective surface in a well-lit area. A dark background helps the camera detect the edges of the check and cuts down on glare.
Which Checks You Can Deposit This Way
Personal checks, payroll checks, and government-issued checks like tax refunds and Social Security payments are generally accepted through mobile deposit. Several categories usually are not:
- Third-party checks made out to someone else who has signed them over to you typically must be brought to a branch.
- Foreign checks, meaning checks drawn on banks outside the United States or not denominated in U.S. dollars, are usually excluded.
- Postdated checks give the bank reasonable cause to doubt collectibility, which can result in rejection or an extended hold.1Federal Reserve. A Guide to Regulation CC Compliance
- Stale-dated checks more than six months old may be rejected for the same reason.1Federal Reserve. A Guide to Regulation CC Compliance
- Altered checks showing crossed-out amounts, whiteout, or mismatched handwriting will typically be declined.
Each bank sets its own list, so your institution’s mobile deposit terms may be narrower or broader than this.
Deposit Limits
Banks cap how much you can deposit through the app each day and each month. For personal accounts, daily limits commonly fall in the $2,500 to $10,000 range, with monthly limits often between $10,000 and $25,000. Your specific limits depend on your account type, history, and relationship with the bank. Premium or preferred accounts often qualify for higher thresholds. If your check exceeds your limit, take it to a branch or ATM instead.
Steps Inside the App
Open your bank’s mobile app and log in. Find the deposit feature, usually labeled “Deposit” or “Mobile Deposit” on the main screen, and choose the account you want the money to go into.
The app will ask you to photograph the front of the check first, then the back. Hold your phone directly above the check, keeping it parallel and steady, and make sure all four corners are visible and the image is in focus. If the photo is blurry or a corner is cut off, the app will usually prompt you to retake it.
After both images are captured, enter the exact dollar amount of the check. The app may auto-read the amount, but verify it against what is written on the check before you tap submit. You should get an on-screen confirmation, and most banks follow up with an email or notification.
Why Deposits Get Rejected
If a deposit fails, the cause is almost always one of the following:
- Blurry photos, poor lighting, or shadows across the check that stop the system from reading the MICR line (the string of numbers along the bottom edge) or the written amount.
- Corners cut off, or wrinkles and folds that hide the edges of the check.
- Overexposure from a glossy surface or underexposure from dim lighting. A dark, matte background in a well-lit room works best.
- A missing signature or the “For Mobile Deposit Only” language left off the back.
- A check that exceeds your daily or monthly cap.
Most rejections are fixable by retaking the photo under better conditions or adding the missing endorsement. Your app will usually tell you the specific reason.
When the Money Shows Up
Under Regulation CC, the first $275 of your total daily deposit must generally be available by the next business day.2eCFR. 12 CFR Part 229 – Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks (Regulation CC) – Section 229.10 That threshold rose from $225 to $275 effective July 1, 2025.3Federal Register. Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks The remaining balance from most checks clears by the second business day after deposit.
Your bank can place an extended hold in several situations:
- Any amount above $6,725 may be held longer, though the first $6,725 still follows the standard schedule.1Federal Reserve. A Guide to Regulation CC Compliance
- If your account has been open less than 30 days, the bank may hold funds beyond the first $6,725 until the ninth business day after deposit.1Federal Reserve. A Guide to Regulation CC Compliance
- Accounts that have been repeatedly overdrawn can face longer holds.
- Postdated checks, stale-dated checks, or checks the paying bank has said it will not honor can all trigger extended holds.
When the bank places an exception hold, it must notify you in writing with the reason and the date the funds will be available. Watch your account notifications and avoid spending against the deposit until it fully clears.
What To Do With the Paper Check Afterward
Keep the original paper check in a safe place until the funds have fully posted. Retention advice varies by institution, from as few as five days to as long as 30 days; your bank’s mobile deposit terms will specify. Once the deposit has cleared, write “VOID” across the check or shred it so no one can deposit or cash it again.
Do not deposit the same check at a branch, ATM, or another bank after completing a mobile deposit. Even an accidental duplicate can cause one transaction to be reversed, and your bank may charge a returned-item fee.
Depositing the Same Check Twice
If you accidentally submit the same check through mobile deposit and then at an ATM, or through apps at two different banks, your bank will typically reverse one deposit and may charge a fee. When a deposited check bounces or is flagged as a duplicate, banks commonly charge the depositor between $10 and $19.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CFPB Issues Guidance to Help Banks Avoid Charging Illegal Junk Fees on Deposit Accounts
Doing it on purpose is a different matter. Knowingly depositing the same check twice to collect the funds twice can be prosecuted as bank fraud under federal law, which carries penalties of up to $1,000,000 in fines, up to 30 years in prison, or both.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1344 – Bank Fraud Banks use automated systems that compare check images and MICR line data across institutions to catch duplicates.
If You Have a Business Account
Business accounts usually carry higher mobile deposit limits than personal accounts, with daily limits often starting around $20,000 and monthly caps between $50,000 and $100,000. They also may carry costs personal accounts do not. Some banks charge per-item fees on business mobile deposits, often around $0.25 per check, and business accounts may have monthly maintenance fees on top of that. Check your account agreement before relying on mobile deposit as your main way to collect payments.