Filling out a deposit slip takes about a minute once you know where each number goes. To fill out a deposit slip, write the date, your name, and your account number at the top; enter your total cash on the cash line; list each check on its own line; add everything for a subtotal; subtract any cash you want handed back; and write the final figure on the net deposit line. That last number is what the bank credits to your account.
What to Have Ready Before You Write
Grab a slip from the back of your checkbook or from the counter at your bank’s lobby. Pre-printed slips already have your name, address, and account number encoded along the bottom in magnetic ink, which saves a step. Counter slips, the generic pads banks keep near the writing desks, are blank, so you’ll need to write in your account number yourself. Either version works the same way.
Before you pick up the pen, count your cash and sort your checks. Add all bills and coins together so you have one cash total ready. For checks, note each amount separately, because you’ll list them one per line. Having these numbers in hand keeps the math clean and keeps you from holding up the line.
Filling In Each Field
Slips vary slightly between banks, but nearly all follow the same layout.
- Date: write today’s date in the top-right area of the slip.
- Name: print your first and last name exactly as it appears on your account. Counter slips always need this; pre-printed slips may already have it.
- Account number: if it isn’t pre-printed along the bottom, write your full account number in the designated field. Double-check every digit. A transposed number sends money to someone else’s account.
- Cash: enter the total amount of bills and coins on the line labeled Cash. You don’t need to break out denominations.
- Checks: list each check on its own line in the Checks section with the dollar amount. Some banks also want the check number or the issuing bank’s routing number next to each entry. If you have more checks than lines on the front, flip the slip over and continue on the back.
- Subtotal: add the cash amount and every check amount. Write that figure on the Subtotal line.
- Less cash received: if you want part of the deposit handed back as cash, enter that amount here. Otherwise leave it blank or write zero.
- Net deposit (or Total): subtract any cash received from the subtotal. This final number is what actually goes into your account.
The net deposit line is the one that matters. It’s what the bank credits to your balance, and it’s what should match your own records when you update your check register or budgeting app later.
Endorsing Your Checks
Every check you deposit needs your signature on the back, inside the endorsement area, usually marked by a line or a gray box near one end. Just signing your name creates a blank endorsement, which means anyone who gets hold of the check could potentially cash it. A safer move is a restrictive endorsement: sign your name, then write “For Deposit Only” and your account number directly beneath the signature. That limits the check so it can only be deposited into your account. If it falls out of an envelope or gets lost on the counter, nobody else can use it.1Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Does It Mean for a Check to Be Indorsed For Deposit Only
Use blue or black ink, keep the signature inside the endorsement area, and don’t write below any “Do not write below this line” markers. The bank’s processing equipment uses that space. Endorse checks right before you deposit them, not days ahead, so a signed check isn’t sitting around waiting to go astray.
Asking for Cash Back
Most banks let you receive part of your deposit back as cash during the same transaction. This works like a partial withdrawal bundled into the deposit: you hand over $500 in checks, request $100 back, and the bank credits $400 to your account.
Fill in the amount you want returned on the Less Cash Received line. Here’s the catch. Whenever you request cash back, the bank requires your signature on the deposit slip. Your signature authorizes the teller to hand over funds, and without it the teller won’t process the cash-back portion. If you’re depositing only, no signature is needed on the slip.
Fixing a Mistake
Wrote the wrong amount or transposed a digit? For a small error, draw a single line through the mistake so it’s still legible, write the correction nearby, and initial next to it. Don’t use correction fluid or tape. Banks treat altered documents with suspicion, and a white-out blob can slow processing or cause the teller to reject the slip.
If the slip has multiple errors or looks messy enough to cause confusion, throw it out and start with a fresh one. Counter slips are free, and a clean form is worth the extra thirty seconds. Aim for a document the teller can read without squinting.
Handing the Deposit Over
Once the slip is filled out and every check is endorsed, you have a few ways to submit everything:
- Bank teller: walk up to the counter and give the teller your completed slip along with the cash and checks. The teller verifies the amounts, runs the checks through a scanner, and hands you a printed receipt.
- ATM: many ATMs accept deposits. Insert your debit card, select Deposit, feed in the cash or checks as prompted, and confirm the amounts on screen. The machine prints a receipt. Deposits at an ATM owned by your bank generally clear faster than those at a third-party ATM.
- Drive-through: place the slip, cash, and checks in the pneumatic tube canister. The teller inside processes everything and sends your receipt back through the tube.
Whichever route you use, check the receipt before you leave. Confirm the date, account number, and deposit amount all match what you intended. Tellers occasionally mis-key a number, and catching it on the spot is much easier than disputing it later. Keep the receipt until the deposit posts and you’ve verified the balance in your account.
One more thing worth knowing: a single large cash deposit will take a bit longer at the counter. If you deposit more than $10,000 in cash in one day, the bank is required to file a Currency Transaction Report with the federal government.2FinCEN. Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the FinCEN Currency Transaction Report CTR The bank handles the paperwork. Expect the teller to ask for identification and to take a little more time with the transaction, then walk out with your receipt the same as any other day.