The M&T direct deposit form is a one-page authorization you download from M&T Bank’s website or pick up at a branch, fill in with your routing and account numbers, and hand to your employer’s payroll department so your paycheck lands in your M&T account electronically.1M&T Bank. Direct Deposit The form supports up to three accounts, so you can split your pay between checking and savings in whatever ratio you want. Most people see their first electronic deposit within one to two pay cycles after handing it in.
What to Gather Before You Fill It Out
Have these in front of you:
- Your M&T routing number. It’s a nine-digit number, and M&T uses different ones depending on where your account was opened. The next section lists them.
- Your account number. If you don’t have paper checks, open the M&T mobile app, tap your deposit account on the Account Summary screen, then tap “ACCT INFO” in the upper-right corner to see both numbers.1M&T Bank. Direct Deposit
- A voided check or a pre-printed savings withdrawal ticket to attach for accuracy. A printout of your account details from M&T online banking works for most payroll departments if you don’t have checks.
- Your employer’s name, which goes on the “To” line at the top.
Your Social Security number and employee number appear on the form as conditional fields. Fill them in only if your employer asks.
M&T Routing Numbers by State
M&T assigns one of three routing numbers based on the state where your account was opened. The right number is printed at the bottom of your M&T checks and also listed on the form itself:
- 022000046 — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, and Massachusetts
- 031302955 — Pennsylvania and Delaware
- 052000113 — Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Using the wrong routing number is one of the most common reasons a direct deposit bounces back to the employer. If you opened your account in one state and later moved, the routing number tied to your account doesn’t change. Use the one from the state where the account originated, and confirm it against the “ACCT INFO” screen in the M&T mobile app rather than relying on memory.
How to Complete Each Field
The form is short. At the top, write your employer’s name in the “To” line. Below that sit three identical account blocks. You only need to complete one if your entire paycheck goes into a single account.
For each account block, check whether the account is checking or savings, then enter the account number and routing number. In the “Deposit Amount” field, pick one of three options: a percentage of your pay, a flat dollar amount, or “Remaining,” which catches whatever is left after other accounts get their share. If you’re only using one account, mark the deposit amount as “Remaining” or “100%.”
At the bottom, fill in your name, address, and daytime phone number. Add your Social Security number and employee number only if your employer requires them. Sign and date the form. Without the signature, payroll won’t process it.
Splitting Your Pay Across Multiple Accounts
The three account slots make it easy to build savings automatically. A common setup is to route a fixed dollar amount into savings and mark a second account as “Remaining” so the balance of your paycheck lands in checking. You can also split by percentage, say 80% to checking and 20% to savings.
One rule matters when you split: always mark exactly one account as “Remaining.” That account acts as the catch-all and prevents rounding from leaving a few cents undeposited. If you use flat dollar amounts on every account and your paycheck varies, the deposit will fail any time your net pay falls short of the combined total.
Where to Send the Form
The completed form goes to your employer’s payroll department, not to M&T Bank.2M&T Bank. Welcome to M&T Bank Checking Attach the voided check or savings withdrawal ticket, and keep a copy of everything for your own records. Some employers accept the form through an internal HR portal, though a physical or scanned signature is still required.
After payroll receives your form, they typically run a prenote, a zero-dollar test transaction sent through the ACH network to verify that the routing and account numbers connect to a live account.3Oracle. Managing the Prenotification Process If the numbers are wrong, the bank rejects the prenote and payroll will contact you to fix them. During the prenote window, you’ll get a paper check as usual.
How Long Until the First Deposit
Plan on one to two full pay cycles before your first electronic deposit arrives. The prenote itself requires a minimum of three banking days under ACH network rules, but most employers build in a full pay period as a buffer. You may get one last paper check during the transition.
Once active, verify the first deposit by checking your M&T account on payday morning. If the amount doesn’t match your pay stub, contact your payroll department first. The issue is almost always on the employer’s side, not the bank’s.
Switching From Another Bank
If you’re moving your paycheck from a previous bank to M&T, submit the new M&T authorization form to your employer and confirm that the old direct deposit instructions have been canceled. Don’t close the old bank account until at least one full paycheck has successfully landed at M&T. Deposits sent to a closed account get rejected and returned to the employer, which can delay your pay by a week or more.
Keep an eye on both accounts during the transition. Some employers process the switch immediately; others wait until the next payroll cycle. If two pay periods pass without a deposit at M&T, follow up with payroll. The form may not have been entered into their system.
Monthly Fee Waivers Tied to Direct Deposit
Setting up direct deposit can zero out the monthly maintenance fee on certain M&T checking accounts. On MyChoice Plus, the $14.95 monthly charge drops to zero when your direct deposits total $1,500 or more per service charge cycle.4M&T Bank. Compare Checking Accounts EZChoice carries no monthly fee regardless of deposit activity, and the MyWay Banking account’s $4.95 fee is waived with any single transaction per cycle, including a direct deposit.5M&T Bank. Open a Personal Checking Account Online If your paycheck is your main strategy for avoiding fees, MyChoice Plus with $1,500 in monthly deposits is the sweet spot.
Federal Benefits Use a Different Process
The employer form doesn’t cover Social Security, VA compensation, or other federal benefit payments. Enrollment for those goes through a separate federal process, and the government requires most benefit payments to be delivered electronically.6Go Direct. Go Direct – Home M&T’s direct deposit page links to the online enrollment path for Social Security and supplemental income.1M&T Bank. Direct Deposit To enroll, you’ll need your Social Security number, your claim number or information from your most recent benefit check, your M&T routing number, and your account number. You can also enroll by calling 1-800-333-1795 for Social Security or 1-877-874-6347 for Go Direct.