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How Safe Are Mobile Deposits Of Checks?

Mobile deposit or remote deposit is a relatively recent method of cashing your business and personal checks. Through our mobile app – Touch Banking – you can deposit your checks simply by opening the app, choosing which account it will go into, endorsing the check and taking a photo.

While it might seem scary to make a mobile deposit of your check through your phone, the process isn’t too far from depositing it through an ATM – as long as the hardware and software on your phone aren’t compromised, there shouldn’t be any problems.

If you don’t already have an account with us, contact us today to get set up and start using mobile deposit!

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SECURITY ISSUES WITH MOBILE DEPOSIT

Depositing a check through a smartphone app is a lot like using an ATM:

  • An image of the check is taken, and character recognition or manually entered numbers are used to record the amount.
  • Your bank then verifies the account numbers on the check to make sure everything is accurate, the check isn’t being deposited more than once and the account it’s coming from has enough money.

Even if a thief were able to grab your information in transit from your phone to the bank, the information is encrypted. The image of your check also isn’t stored on your phone, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally sending it to someone else later.

The biggest threat to mobile deposit is if your phone contracts malware from downloading unofficial apps – apps which aren’t from the Google Play or Apple stores. Still, it is a good idea to hold onto the physical check for about two weeks to ensure nothing was misinterpreted by the computer.
 

SAFE SENTRY BANK MOBILE DEPOSIT INSTRUCTIONS

Remember, only deposit one check at a time, up to a maximum of $2,500/day. Deposit time for same-day deposit is 3 p.m. CST; otherwise your deposit will be made on the following business day. The cost is 50¢/deposit.

  1. Log into Sentry Bank’s Touch Banking app. Select the “deposit” icon.
  2. Choose the bank account you want the check to deposit into. Enter the amount of the check.
  3. Take a photo of the front and back of the check with your phone. The back must be endorsed by you and have “For Mobile Deposit” written below your endorsement. Make sure the image is clear and contains all four corners of your check. If not, select “Retake.”
  4. Confirm your deposit information is correct.
  5. View the results screen.
  6. View your deposit history as confirmation.