I remember when I cashed my first check. It was one of the most distressing things ever done by the younger me. This was before I knew how to endorse a check for mobile deposit at my bank. So, I stood on a long queue for an hour and some odd minutes waiting for my turn to deposit my check.
After what felt like forever, it got to my turn. The bank cashier told me the check will not be cashed, unless I endorse it on the back. As a twenty-two years old young man then, I was nervous because I did not even understand what he meant by endorsing the back of the check. I did not know whether he meant for me to write my name or just scribble a signature.
I kid you not, my dear reader!
Today, I shudder thinking about waiting for an hour to deposit a check in any bank today. This is because of how utterly ridiculous it is, standing on a slowly moving line just to cash a check. I am sorry, but I am one of those Millennials who is catching checks from the comforts of his home.
It is very convenient to deposit a check from the comforts of your home. All thanks to mobile check instant deposit apps out there that will help you cash a check. I am talking about having your check fund available within a few minutes to a few hours of deposit.
Before those checks can get deposited on these apps, they need to be endorsed. Otherwise, banks or mobile check cashing apps will not accept such a check. This is done to prevent check frauds.
Now, let us talk about what it means to endorse a check for mobile deposit.
What Does It Mean To Endorse A Check?
On the How To Correctly Write A Check To Someone article, I talked about the anatomy of a check. Every check has a part which needs to be filled for mobile deposit. Most, if not all check share similar anatomies.
Here are what you need to know about these check parts.
- Pay To Order Of
- Amount
- Signature
- What you are writing the check for
- Endorsement part
The first four parts are on the front of the check, while the last part is on the back of the check. The last part is what we are going to talk about today. This is because without it, banks with mobile deposit or check cashing apps will not deposit your check.
On the back of the check – right on the top, is where you will always find the endorsement part. Usually, it has some pre-printed words- endorse here, asking you to endorse the check on a dotted line. This is where you sign with your name or signature to make it possible for the check to be cashed by you.
Besides your signature, some banks may want you to write other things on there before using their mobile check deposit service. Like I previously mentioned, the policy differs from bank to bank. It is left for you to inquire about this, before using a mobile check deposit service to cash your check.
What To Write On the Back Of Check For Mobile Deposit?
Some banks with mobile deposit want you to write things below your endorsed signature. Others do not care. How do I know about this, my dear reader?
One of my banks- Charles Schwab always wants me to just endorse the check and deposit it. My signature is enough. And, nothing else is required from me after the check endorsement for mobile deposit.
Then, I use another bank. Let us call it Invictus credit union. It wants me to write “Invictus mobile deposit” below my endorsed signature line, before it lets me use its mobile capture feature to deposit a check.
Now, most banks are like Invictus credit union. They want you to write something similar to the above. It is part of their mobile check cashing process.
If you decide to use any of these 8 best check cashing apps for mobile deposit, be sure to inquire whether there is an extra step after endorsing a check for mobile deposit. This is because once you mess up a check, it could be hard to cash anywhere. This is especially, when you fill the check incorrectly.
What Happens If You Deposit A Check that Is Not Endorsed?
What happens if you deposit an unsigned check, my good reader?
Your mobile check deposit will be denied. As previously mentioned, to endorse a check for mobile deposit is to say you are authorized to cash the check. Otherwise, you are not the intended recipient of the check.
So, I would just sign the back of the check where it says to endorse. Then, call the bank or app you are using to mobile deposit to ask if there is something else required of you. It is how you prevent having your check deposit rejected.
Do I have To Sign the Back Of A Check To Deposit It?
If a check is made to you, then you have to sign the back of a check to deposit it. This is a check deposit requirement for most banks or mobile deposit apps. The only check which may not have you endorsing it, are checks from the government.
But, all printed checks made out to you needs to be endorse for you to deposit. What the endorsement says, is you are allowed to cash that check. Otherwise, you have no business trying to deposit the check.
Also, no bank will deposit a check which is not endorse to you. Again, this has to do with policies meant to prevent a check fraud. This is especially with checks signed over to you. You can read my article- how to sign a check over someone else. The way a third party check is endorsed is different from a check made out to an original receiver.
I highly recommend you read the above article to see the importance of having a check properly endorsed to you. So, always make sure the back of your check is endorsed before depositing it.
How Long Do You Have To Deposit A Check?
Once you have endorse the check, how long do you have to deposit a check?
Most printed checks have an average time of six months. I would recommend you deposit within the time frame. Most banks will take a check deposit, even if it is past six months.
This is especially if it is a printed bank check or government check. These are checks bought from a bank or sent out by a government and court.
Personally, I encourage you deposit an endorsed check within a week or two at most. This is especially, when it is a personal check. The reason being that a personal check is still tied to the issuer’s bank account.
Simply put, any decrease in the issuer’s total balance could affect check fund availability. This is where a check bounces due to an insufficiency fund. Hence, why I recommend endorsing and depositing the check as soon as possible.
To conclude this article, I want you to endorse the back of the check before you deposit it. This is to avoid issues with cashing a check. Be sure to know how your bank wants you to endorse a check before you attempt to deposit it.
Some banks with mobile check deposit feature are okay with just your signature on the back of your check. Others just want extra words below your signature indicating you endorse the check to them for mobile deposit it. As long as you stick to the mobile check cashing policy of the service you are using, you will be alright.
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