When you receive a paper check in your mail, what are you going to do? I bet you’ll not throw it away. You have to cash the check or deposit it to your bank. But what if the check is for $25? What if the amount is even smaller? Like $5. Check cashing fees make the check not worth the hustle.

However, if you have a Chime Bank account, you can deposit check right from your home using your beloved smartphone. The feature is called “Mobile Check Deposit”

How does Mobile Deposit work?

Mobile check deposit works similarly in most of the banks. By default the feature is disabled. But if you receive any direct deposit of at least $1, Chime turns the feature on. Direct deposit is your salary or paycheck. Almost any payment that is not a peer-to-peer transaction. Keep in mind, that tax refund is an exception and doesn’t qualify as a direct deposit.

Requirements for the check

There are certain requirements for a check, that sound obvious, but still worth mentioning.

The check should be valid. Valid means a check written from a financial institution registered in the U.S. Check should be payable to you so you cannot deposit a check that is payable to your neighbor. The check should be written within the last 6 months.

The most important requirement is that money for this check should be allocated on the source account, otherwise deposit can bounce back. Declined check is an unpleasant surprise. Keep in mind, that even a few bounced checks or a disputed check can lead to termination of your Chime account.

Can your deposit money order? No. Chime’s mobile check deposit doesn’t work for money orders, travelers checks, and few other uncommon papers.

How to make the deposit?

To make the actual deposit, take your mobile phone, launch Chime App. Once the app is loaded – tap on “Move Money” and then tap on “Mobile Check Deposit.” Then enter check amount.

Place the check on a dark surface. Almost anything that gives a good contrast should work. Make sure to perform the operation in a place with enough light.

Take the front picture. Then make sure to sign the check and take the picture of the back of the check.

After a couple of days the money from the check should be available on your balance. Chime has a disclaimer, that check amount cannot exceed $2,000. If you want to deposit check with larger amount, you have to use some other banks.

Watch this tutorial for more details.