Some banks and other companies have developed versions of remote deposit that interact with other financial/bookkeeping software such as QuickBooks or NetSuite. Some are also designed to work with various business or practice management software. Many remote deposit programs include the ability to create data files in common formats that are easily imported by other programs and databases.
For financial institutions using RDC, the numbers are impressive. For example, in 2008, Zions Bancorporation in Utah and its affiliates reported that more than 11,000 customers were using their RDC service, depositing more than $400 million daily. Zions reported adding 45 new RDC customers per week.9
Some banks offer RDC for free on the condition that the customer maintains a certain minimum deposit balance. Others charge a fee, perhaps $60 a month.10 Specialized scanners record and transmit images of the front and back of the check being deposited.11 Scanners, which cost between $225 and $2,500, can be purchased by the customer or leased from the financial institution as part of the RDC service. One bank reports that RDC costs less than $10,000 to implement, well below the $300,000 minimum capital cost of a new branch office.12
Although RDC offers considerable benefits to financial institutions and their customers, the service is not without risks. For example, an institution no longer has the opportunity to examine the physical item being deposited, which heightens risk in the check-clearing process. The operational, legal, and compliance risks associated with RDC are discussed below, with particular emphasis on the risk of fraud.
Customer screening is the single most effective risk mitigation technique that financial institutions should implement when offering RDC. Not all customers need RDC services, and not all may qualify for them. The institution should consider whether the customer is a long-standing client with effective management and close control of financial processes or a new customer whose business characteristics and transaction history are relatively unknown. Many financial institutions offering RDC services require customers to maintain minimum deposit balances to insulate the institution from the risk of fraudulent deposits or items that do not clear owing to insufficient funds.
Financial institutions should regularly produce internal reports on the status of their RDC service. For example, the reports should cover duplicate deposits, violations of deposit thresholds (the total value of checks that may be deposited daily via RDC), velocity metrics (the number of items being deposited daily), transaction dollar volume, return item dollar volume, the number of checks rejected owing to poor image quality or other factors, and other adjustments made after deposit owing to discrepancies in the check amount. Management should review these reports in a timely manner, and any aberrations should be addressed promptly within the institution or with the customer or the RDC vendor.
In the very near future, financial institutions may apply RDC technology in other ways to reduce deposit-processing costs and expand their deposit base. The first way is making RDC available to retail customers in their homes. Consumers would not need to visit a branch or ATM to deposit checks, but rather would simply run the check through a scanner connected to a personal computer with Internet access.22
Remote deposit or mobile deposit is the ability of a bank customer to deposit a cheque into a bank account from a remote location, without having to physically deliver the cheque to the bank. This was originally accomplished by scanning a digital image of a cheque into a computer then transmitting that image to the bank, but is now accomplished with a smartphone. The practice became legal in the United States in 2004 when the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21 Act) took effect, though banks are not required to implement the system.
Remote deposits became legal in the United States in 2004 when the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (or Check 21 Act) went into effect. The Act is intended in part to keep the country's financial services operational in the event of a catastrophe that could make rapid long-distance transportation impossible, like the September 11, 2001, attacks. The Check 21 Act makes the digital image of a check legally acceptable for payment purposes, just like a traditional paper check.
Before 2004, if someone deposited a check in an account with one bank, the banks would have to physically exchange the paper check to the bank on which the check is drawn before the money would be credited to the account in the deposit bank. Under Check 21, the deposit bank can simply send an image of the check to the drawing bank. This reduction of the transportation time from total processing life cycle of a check provides a longer time for the corporation to process the checks, allowing for later deposits and faster check clearance.[1]
Initially remote deposit capture (RDC) was used primarily by businesses. Check scanners were priced between $250 and $2,500 and were either purchased by the business or rented from the bank. These businesses were also often required to pay monthly fees or maintain a minimum account balance to reduce the risk of fraud. Businesses were screened by the bank to determine the risk of fraudulent checks and bounced checks, and were audited by the bank to ensure proper check handling and disposal.[2]
On July 4, 2009, Element Federal Credit Union (formerly WV United FCU)[3]) became the first financial institution to deploy a smartphone app for mobile check deposit. USAA closely followed launching a mobile application in collaboration with Mitek Systems in August 2009.[4] Several other banks began accepting mobile deposits in the early 2010s as the technology became more popular.[5] Mobile Deposit allows smart phone users to snap a picture of the check with the phone's camera. The application automatically processes the picture and sends it to the bank for deposit. The customer does not mail in the original check, instead voiding or discarding it.[6]
Remote deposit use has grown. A June 2009 survey by group Independent Community Bankers of America found that 62% of banks in the United States offered merchant remote deposit, and 78% had plans to adopt the technology by 2011.
According to an industry study conducted in late 2013, only 10% of U.S. banks and credit unions offered mobile deposit, though many more planned to do so.[11] Research by Celent in 2013 showed that 20 million customers used mobile check deposit in 2013, a growth from 10.9 million in 2012 and 2.2 million in 2011, beating previous estimates.[12]
The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic accelerated trends of shifting consumer behavior, further increasing use of mobile check deposits and reducing in person check deposits, contributing to branch closures.[14]
With Remote Deposit Capture+, banks and businesses that process more than 10,000 check deposits per month can help reduce per-deposit costs, boost deposit volumes, and increase profits with a fully customizable remote deposit solution.
Save time and money by using Remote Deposit Capture instead of going to the bank to deposit checks. We provide all you need to deposit them from your office, including training and assistance. All you need is an internet connection.
Deposit thresholds vary and are based on multiple factors, including the account type, your deposit history and your relationship with us. Please refer to the Digital Services Agreement for more information.
Customer agrees to only process original paper checks made payable to Customer. Bank will not process ineligible items, including but not limited to checks payable to third parties, demand drafts or remotely created checks, checks drawn on a foreign bank or payable in foreign currency, government warrants and substitute checks (paper checks created from an electronic image). All checks deposited through the Remote Deposit Service will be deposited under the provisions of the applicable Deposit Agreements as modified by this Agreement.
Remote deposit items submitted after the cutoff time of 4:00 PM MST/MDT may not be processed and credited until the next business day. Remote deposits are typically available the day after the deposit is processed and credited, however these deposits may be delayed further due to additional processing or other issues. In certain instances, the bank may determine that a hold is necessary to protect the bank from potential loss on CUSTOMERS deposit. In those circumstances, the bank will provide written notice to the customer of the delay in availability.
Customer will retain each original Item for a period of thirty (30) calendar days following deposit in a locked location with access restricted to authorized personnel only. Customer will destroy each Item by a commercially reasonable means on the Business Day following the thirtieth calendar day.
Customer agrees to review all Items prior to scanning to detect altered or counterfeit Items and will not deposit suspicious Items via the Remote Deposit Service. Customer will report all suspicious Items to Bank immediately. Customer agrees to review and validate the accuracy of each Item image captured by the Remote Deposit Service prior to submitting each deposit. Customer warrants to Bank that all Item images are properly prepared and presented in the Remote Deposit Service prior to submitting each deposit. If the Remote Deposit Service reports Item errors after imaging, Customer agrees to enter the correct information as found on the Item.
Mobile Remote Deposit Service is designed to allow you to deposit an Eligible Check into your designated Account(s) from your mobile device by creating an image of the front and the back of the Eligible Check ("Check Image") and delivering the Check Image and associated deposit information to Bank's designated processor. The CUSTOMER is required to have, and maintain, a checking/savings account with BANK in order to use the eMobile Remote Deposit Service. If CUSTOMER does not currently have a checking/transaction account with the BANK, CUSTOMER must open a checking account prior to use of the Remote Deposit Service and maintain a checking account with BANK at all times while using the Remote Deposit Service.