Mobile Check Deposits

Your Phone Is Now a Branch

Forty years ago, depositing a check required a trip to a physical branch during limited business hours. Twenty years ago, ATMs extended deposit capability to evenings and weekends but still demanded a drive across town. Ten years ago, remote deposit capture technology began trickling into consumer banking apps, and what was once a business-only treasury function became available to everyday account holders. Today, Valley First Credit Union members deposit checks from their kitchen counters, their office desks, their hotel rooms on business trips, and their campsites on weekend getaways — all through the same mobile app they use to check balances and pay bills.

Mobile check deposit, technically known as remote deposit capture, uses your smartphone camera to create a digital image of a paper check. That image, combined with the deposit amount and account selection you enter, is transmitted through encrypted channels to Valley First's check processing system. The system reads the check image using the same optical character recognition technology that physical check scanners employ, extracts the routing number, account number, check number, and amount from the image, and initiates the clearing process through the Federal Reserve check clearing system. What was once a physical item moving through a series of trucks, planes, and sorting facilities becomes a digital file moving through secure data networks — arriving at the paying institution in a fraction of the time.

The feature is available to all Valley First members who have the mobile banking app installed on a compatible smartphone and who have maintained an account in good standing for at least thirty days. There is no separate application, no enrollment fee, and no per-deposit charge. The daily deposit limit starts at $2,500 for new members and increases to $5,000 after ninety days of positive account history. Members who need higher limits for legitimate purposes — a small business owner who receives multiple client checks weekly, for example — may request a limit increase through member support at (509) 555-0185.

Step-by-Step Mobile Deposit

The mobile deposit process was designed to be completed in sixty seconds or less by someone of average smartphone familiarity. The steps are straightforward, but precision at each stage determines whether the deposit processes smoothly or gets flagged for review. Begin by endorsing the back of the check with your signature — the same signature associated with your Valley First account — and write the phrase "For Mobile Deposit at Valley First CU" directly beneath your signature. This restrictive endorsement tells the processing system that the check is intended exclusively for mobile deposit at Valley First Credit Union and prevents anyone from attempting to deposit the same check through another channel.

Open the Valley First mobile app and tap the Deposit Check icon, which appears prominently on the home screen and in the quick-action menu. The app prompts you to select the destination account — typically a checking account, though savings and money market accounts are also eligible — and to enter the exact dollar amount of the check, including cents. The app then activates the guided photo capture interface. For the front of the check, position the check on a dark, flat surface in good lighting, align the check within the on-screen guides, and hold the phone steady while the app automatically captures the image when it detects a clear, properly aligned view. Repeat for the back of the endorsed check. The app's edge detection automatically crops and straightens the images, compensating for minor perspective distortion.

After capturing both images, review the photo quality and the entered amount on the confirmation screen. If either image appears blurry, retake it before submitting — blurry check images are the most common reason for mobile deposit rejections. Once satisfied, tap Submit. The app displays a confirmation with a deposit reference number and an estimated availability date. Store the paper check in a secure location for fourteen days after the deposit clears, then destroy it. Never attempt to deposit the same paper check through any other channel after submitting it via mobile deposit, as duplicate presentment constitutes check fraud. The NCUA provides information on federal funds availability rules that govern when deposited funds must be made accessible to account holders.

Eligible and Ineligible Check Types

Not every piece of paper that looks like a check qualifies for mobile deposit processing. Eligible items include personal checks drawn on U.S. financial institutions, business checks from U.S. entities, cashier's checks and official bank checks, U.S. Treasury checks, money orders issued by U.S. entities, and government-issued checks such as tax refunds and benefit payments. These items pass through the standard U.S. check clearing infrastructure and can be imaged and transmitted through the remote deposit capture system without issues.

Several categories of items are not eligible for mobile deposit and should be taken to a branch for processing. These include international checks drawn on banks outside the United States, checks that are post-dated — bearing a future date — or checks more than six months past their issue date, third-party checks that have been endorsed over to you by the original payee, checks with visible alterations such as correction fluid, crossed-out amounts, or handwritten changes, checks stamped "non-negotiable" or "for deposit only at [another institution]," and checks that have already been submitted through any other deposit method. If you receive a check that falls into one of these categories, visit any Valley First branch location during business hours where a teller can review the item and advise on the appropriate handling. For additional guidance on check handling and fraud prevention, the Federal Trade Commission publishes resources on common check scams and what to do if you receive a suspicious check.

Common Reasons for Deposit Rejection

Most mobile deposit rejections stem from a small set of preventable issues. Blurry or poorly lit check images prevent the character recognition system from reading the routing and account numbers along the bottom of the check. An endorsement that is missing entirely, or missing the required "For Mobile Deposit" restriction, triggers a manual review that delays processing. Entering an amount that does not match the written and numeric amounts on the check creates a discrepancy the system cannot resolve automatically. Submitting a check that has already been deposited — either through mobile deposit a second time or through another channel — triggers a duplicate detection alert. And submitting an ineligible check type, such as an international check or a third-party check, results in outright rejection.

When a deposit is rejected, the app notifies you immediately with a specific reason code. Most issues can be resolved by retaking the check images or correcting the entered information and resubmitting. If the rejection reason is unclear, contact member support for assistance. Rejected deposits do not count against your daily or monthly limits — only successfully submitted deposits reduce your available deposit capacity. For fund availability questions specific to your account, the app displays the availability policy and estimated posting date for every deposit before you submit it.

What Happens to the Paper Check?

After a successful mobile deposit, the paper check itself transitions from a financial instrument to a record-keeping document. Valley First recommends retaining the physical check in a secure location — a locked drawer or a fireproof safe — for fourteen calendar days after the deposit has fully cleared and the funds are available in your account. This retention period covers the window during which the paying institution could return the check unpaid and the credit union might need to reference the original document. After fourteen days, destroy the check by shredding it or otherwise rendering it unrecoverable. Write "VOID" across the front before discarding for an additional layer of protection. Never deposit or cash the same paper check after submitting it through mobile deposit; doing so is illegal and can result in account closure and reporting to check verification services that other financial institutions consult when opening accounts.