If you receive a cheque and don’t fancy making a trip to the bank or can’t because your local branch has closed down, it can be hard to know what to do with cheques. Well, depending on who you bank with, there’s a good chance that you may be able to turn those bits of paper into money in your account via your smartphone.
Several UK banks now have the option to scan cheques into their apps, using your phone’s camera, which then converts them into money in your account.
We’ve broken down the list below into the main banks but should you find that your current bank doesn’t offer the service or it isn’t in this list, you can try contacting it directly and asking if it’s possible.
How to pay a cheque in online with Barclays
Log into your Barclays app, then select Pay & Transfer > Pay in a Cheque, select the account you want the money sent to, enter the amount on the cheque and tap Take a photo. Do this for the front and back of the cheque itself, then tap Pay in Cheque to complete the process.
Barlcays states that you can digitally pay a cheque into any sterling Barclays current or savings account, except for ISA and Bond accounts. Cheques can be up to £1000 each, with a maximum of four every seven days or twenty if you’re a Business customer.
For more info, check the Paying in a cheque page on the Barclays site.
How to pay a cheque in online with Lloyds
You can pay in cheques up to the value of £500 by logging into the app, tapping the three lines up the upper right corner, then selecting Cheques > Deposit Cheques, selecting the account you want to receive the funds, entering the amount, then taking a picture of the front and back of the cheque.
You can find more information on the Lloyds website, plus here’s a helpful video outlining the process.
How to pay a cheque in online with HSBC / First Direct
HSBC allows individual cheques up to the value of £500, with a daily total allowance of £750. To pay in the cheque, open the app and select Move Money > Deposit a cheque, choose the account and amount, then take pictures of the front and back of the cheque and tap Deposit now.
You can read more on HSBC’s banking app options at its official site. As HSBC owns First Direct, it’s not surprising that the latter also offers online cheque deposits through its app.
How to pay a cheque in online with TSB
No luck for TSB customers. Currently they will have to make a trip down to a branch or post office if they want to pay in a cheque.
How to pay a cheque in online with Nationwide
Nationwide doesn’t currently offer the ability to deposit cheques online, instead asking that you post them if you don’t want to visit a branch.
How to pay a cheque in online with NatWest
NatWest doesn’t offer online cheque deposits at the time of writing.
How to pay a cheque in online with Co-Op
Customer of the Co-Operative bank will have to stick with the traditional methods of depositing cheques, as the app doesn’t yet offer paying them in online.
How to pay a cheque in online with Santander
While US customers can take advantage of online cheque deposits, UK and EU customers have yet to be offered these services.
How to pay a cheque in online with Royal Bank of Scotland
It’s a similar story with RBS, with the bank yet to add online cheque deposits to its services.
How to pay a cheque in online with Halifax
You can deposit cheques online through the Halifax app. The steps are pretty much the same as those outlined above, but here’s a video to take you through the process.
How to pay a cheque in online with Starling
As one of the new challenger banks that are smartphone focused, it’s no great surprise that Starling customers can deposit cheques through the company’s banking app. Customers can pay in cheques up to the value of £500, a maximum of four each week, via the app by just tapping the Add Money option and following the instructions.
You’ll find more information about Starling and its services by visiting the official website.
How to pay a cheque in online with Monzo
As with Starling, Monzo is a smartphone-based bank, which makes it all the more surprising that you can’t pay in a cheque through its app. Hopefully this may be addressed in the future.
If your bank isn’t as progressive as you’d hoped or you just fancy looking around for other options, check out our guide to the best student bank accounts, what is Starling bank? and how to use savings bots to save money without even trying.
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
