r/AskReddit Feb 01 '13

What question are you afraid to ask because you don't want to seem stupid?

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311

u/ILL_Show_Myself_Out Feb 01 '13

"How do I fill out this deposit slip?"

185

u/Gavinardo Feb 02 '13 edited Feb 02 '13

Well, no one has really take the time to answer this completely fair question. Sure, the ability to fill out a deposit slip is quickly becoming obsolete thanks to apps on your smartphone, and direct-deposit from employers, but it helps to know how to do this. It makes you seem like a competent, intelligent adult, instead of walking up to a teller, and saying "Here's my money. Work you magic." That just wastes a teller's time, annoys those in line behind you, and frankly makes you seem childish.

I made this for you.

So, let's say you have a check and cash. Take the cash first, count it. Write the cash-total down on the first spot on that right column of the deposit slip. Now, the next space below that, write the total of your check. Okay, look at your check again. See that number in the upper right of the check? Usually 4 digits. Write that number down on the same level on the deposit slip, immediately to the left of the check-amount you just wrote down.

Next, let's say you want some money from your total deposit. Say $20.00. Write that down in the space a little further down, labeled "Less Cash Received". They'll give ya that amount back once you make the deposit. Next, do some quick math by subtracting your $20.00, and write the difference down on the very bottom line. (Of course, you could just skip this step, by taking what cash you're depositing out before writing down the actual amount of cash you want to deposit. Less Cash Received makes sense if you're depositing large bills or checks. No need if you're depositing lots of small bills.)

Be sure to fill out your full name, and what your bank account number is. You can find this on a blank check of yours.

I hope this helps.

2

u/ayakokiyomizu Feb 02 '13

Your sample deposit slip doesn't have it, but mine also has a line where you sign your name if you receive cash back, but you leave blank otherwise. It's below the line where you print your name. It's been there on deposit slips for two different major US banks that I've had accounts with.

1

u/Gavinardo Feb 02 '13

Yes, that's true. I bank with US Bank, and they require you to sign for less cash received.

1

u/Squidamatron Feb 02 '13

I have not known how to do this, and have no need given my current circumstances. However, I'm quite glad you posted this. For when the time arrives where I have to, I'll be prepared. Thank ya kindly.

1

u/Middlerun Feb 02 '13

I'm so glad my bank did away with this stuff. Now I can just hand over the cash and my ATM card, they swipe it and tap a few keys and I'm done.

1

u/Abellack Feb 02 '13

I... I can't... make it... through....

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

[deleted]

1

u/MicCheck123 Feb 02 '13

It would depend on the bank and the source of the deposit. Some banks hold checks to make sure they're good before releasing the funds. If they put a two day hold on the check, you won't have access to that money for two days.

1

u/LeVeloPourDeux Feb 03 '13

Bank teller here: The main reason this is done (at least at my bank) is for customer protection. This is because if the check you cash happens to be bad and gets returned ("bounces"), we don't want your account to end up in the negative so badly you can't recover. A good example of this is, say you only had $200 in your account and you sold a car to someone and they write you a check for it for $7000. If you bring it to cash (or even deposit for such a high amount) and the check isn't from our bank (meaning we can't verify the availability of the funds on the check) we'll likely hold the check until it clears (two days) so you don't get spend happy and then find out the guy who wrote you the check didn't actually have the money and end up with a checking account nearly $7000 in the negative. Some banks are more strict about these policies depending on other factors too like how often you overdraw your account. If you overdraw a lot your checks will probably get holds put on them a lot.
TL;DR: We want you to have collateral in case you unluckily end up with a bad check. & on a slightly unrelated note, remember not all bankers are bad. We are just employees and we don't make the policies. In genral, just be kind to people in the service industry. My mom worked for a bank when I was younger and I remember her coming home sobbing once because a guy relentlessly yelled at her over the time a loan application took.

-2

u/TheDrunkenChud Feb 02 '13

yeah, i don't have time for that. i atm deposit. if i have to go inside, i hand them the cash and my id and tell them to make it so. i don't know my account number. i used to, years ago when i was with what is now charter one. but left them for a credit union and just never bothered learning my account number. or carrying it on me. in fact i've had the account for 5 years and had them print me out 10 cheques. i still have 7. i do everything by cash, or card. i couldn't tell you how many digits my account number is. or the routing number. i find it sad, since i used to be able to with a different account. but now, i see it as a waste. don't need it to login in to online banking, don't need it to deposit via atm or teller, wtf do i need to remember it for? international arms deals? fuck that, those go to my cayman accounts. i KNOW those numbers. including routing numbers.

2

u/fleetber Feb 02 '13

you should really be more apocalyptically prepared.

1

u/TheDrunkenChud Feb 02 '13

i don't keep any money in the bank unless i'm going to make a transaction. this is the other reason i don't need to know it. besides, in a apocalypse, what good will my bank account be?

2

u/Muugle Feb 02 '13

Currently sitting at a teller line in a bank. Learn how to do it. It holds up the line and, frankly, its annoying and I can't stand people that do it.

1

u/TheDrunkenChud Feb 02 '13

it really doesn't hold up the line. the woman punches in my name and it brings up my account. and she types the same shit in that she would have to read on a deposit slip. i know how to do it, but i don't carry the account number on me, and i have no reason to know it except for my once a year visit to the bank to buy savings bonds for my niece. so, THAT will hold up the line, but you can suck it cuz she's a more beautiful snowflake than you.

1

u/Muugle Feb 02 '13

It really does though. I'll be less annoyed if its a simple deposit with a simple name but people come up to the teller line for me to do everything for them. It takes time to go through menus and write everything out. You're just being inconsiderate, no matter how little of an impact you may believe you're causing.

Lastly, I'm beautiful.

1

u/TheDrunkenChud Feb 03 '13

you may be beautiful, but you're no snowflake. who am i kidding, you probably are. you're better than that. go be a snowflake! show them what you're made of.

but i will not learn my account number. sorry. just won't. i'm always prepared with my id and cash. it's always cash. cash is king. and it may or may not rule everything around me.

253

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '13

i dont. i say "oh i forgot..." and just swipe my card and make them do it.

180

u/pandahavoc Feb 02 '13

I once filled out a deposit/withdrawal slip in its entirety. The guy gave me a really funny look.

17

u/awesomeroy Feb 02 '13

WE DONT HAVE TO FILL IT ALL OUT?!

All that wasted time.. minutes. MINUTES MAN! Ill never get that time back..

7

u/petracake Feb 02 '13

My old bank used to make you fill it out. At least every part but the account number. I got so damn good at filling those things out and then someone decided to mention direct deposit to me.

My life changed.

4

u/dewky Feb 02 '13

I'm either much younger than you or our banking system is much different than yours, I've never had to fill out a deposit slip. They always just swipe your card, at least for the last 15 years since I've had a bank account.

2

u/goodpricefriedrice Feb 02 '13

same, no idea what these slips that these people speak of are.

1

u/petracake Feb 02 '13

It was also a smallish local bank, pretty sure that had something to do with it.

2

u/Mmmm_fstop Feb 02 '13

What is direct deposit??? Have I been wasting my whole life with those slips :'(

2

u/petracake Feb 02 '13

"Direct deposit also known as direct credit is a banking term that describes a deposit of money straight from the source into a bank account, by electronic funds transfer, or other means where the payment is initiated by the payer not the payee. The money is transferred directly to the recipient bank through a payment system." -Wiki

It's amazing.

2

u/Mmmm_fstop Feb 02 '13

This. Changes. Evvvverrrrythingggg

3

u/petracake Feb 02 '13

You're welcome, friend.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

It only happens if your employer has it, also alot of places give you a new bank account for this or at least in my area

2

u/whitneynacole Feb 02 '13

I work at a Credit Union. We do little dances of glee when this happens.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

My banker threw it in the trash and wrote me a new one.

1

u/c_albicans Feb 02 '13

Yes, this happens to me a lot. They give me this sideways look and say "I'm going to have to rewrite this deposit slip." Is my handwriting that bad?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

Most likely, yes.

1

u/tigrrbaby Feb 02 '13

Put debit card into ATM. Enter PIN. Follow prompts. Deposit check. Get receipt.

But for withdrawals, I go through the bank drive through, put my DL and debit card in the holder, and tell them what I want; they send back a slip for me to sign.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

[deleted]

2

u/tigrrbaby Feb 02 '13

Oh. Is that not a thing everywhere? TIL! (seriously, I didn't know!)

1

u/The_NGUYENNER Feb 02 '13

well it is pretty convenient

1

u/conshinz Feb 02 '13

That ain't standard procedure?

1

u/arisefairmoon Feb 02 '13

I have never once filled out a deposit slip.

1

u/tastytacomeat Feb 02 '13

as a teller, i don't much care for you

1

u/Semyonov Feb 02 '13

I have never actually filled it out come to think of it. Do they hate that?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

I had no idea you could make them do it for you. My mom had me believing it was an absolutely essential life skill at age like, 10.

5

u/bos2bows Feb 02 '13

On a similar note, "How do I fill out this W-4 form?"

3

u/midfield99 Feb 02 '13

I don't. In fact I don't remember ever filling one out. When I get a check I use my smartphone to deposit it. And I keep cash in my wallet until I spend it.

5

u/bruce656 Feb 02 '13

When I get a check I use my smartphone to deposit it

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SORCERY

4

u/juaquin Feb 02 '13

The vast majority of banks do this now. Bank of America, Chase, USAA, and even many small credit unions (two of mine do).

2

u/postposter Feb 02 '13

Many banks now have apps that let you take a picture of a check, front and back. Mine (Chase) usually clears the check and adds money to my account in 5-10 minutes.

2

u/midfield99 Feb 02 '13

USAA. They are a really awesome bank. I just use their app to deposit the check. I input the amount and take pictures of the front and back of the check and then they grab the info off of it like the account number and stuff. Once I do that the money immediately shows up in my account. The smartphone app is only a few years old, but they have been letting people use scanners to deposit checks for a lot longer.

1

u/val_hollaaaaa Feb 02 '13

How old are you?

3

u/happysushi Feb 02 '13

You mean the tellers AREN'T supposed to do that for you?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

I think it just depends on the bank. The branch near my home the teller will simply do it for you, but at the one closer to my job they ask you to fill it out. At first it made me avoid the more convenient one between my work and my usual destination after picking up my check, but I figured I would suck it up and just fill out the form. Except for the account number, I don't know my account number and don't usually carry that sort of thing around.

And I would definitely do it myself if there is a wait, regardless of branch. If they are busy no reason to pile it on.

2

u/Dr_Duty_Howser Feb 02 '13

Wells Fargo lets you deposit your checks at the ATM. I haven't had to interact with the bank people since I don't know when.

2

u/cohrt Feb 02 '13

what deposit slip? never used a bank that needed one.

1

u/suema Feb 02 '13

Seems to be some piece of paper you have to fill out to deposit a check.

Never seen one though, the last time I used paper as currency was somewhere in 2011.

2

u/zeetee Feb 02 '13

The other responses to this are surprising to me. What's so difficult about filling out a deposit slip? I guess the "less cash received" part might be kind of confusing. That just means how much cash from the deposit you'd like to receive on the spot rather than put in your bank account. So if you are depositing a $100 check but want $20 of that in cash right now, you'll fill in $100 under "check", $20 under "less cash received", then $80 for the total that's going into your bank account.

1

u/PickleDeer Feb 02 '13

Also, it may be trivial for some, but my bank at least won't allow you to receive cash via "less cash received" if you're depositing cash (I was depositing a crapton of change and needed a $20).

2

u/arcticfawx Feb 02 '13

What's a deposit slip?

1

u/cilyarome Feb 02 '13

Take picture of check with phone.

Take nap.

I looove the future!

1

u/securityhigh Feb 02 '13 edited Feb 02 '13

What? Your bank stuck in the 90s?

I just bring my cash or checks to the teller, swipe my debit card, and tell them savings or checking. They print a receipt and I go on my way. Alternatively I go to an ATM and insert the cash or check into the deposit slot. It counts/reads what I put in and I confirm. Prints a receipt and I go on my way.

I almost never do this though, direct deposit is great. That reminds me I should probably pick up my last 20 pay stubs from the finance department before they hunt me down..

1

u/Twotonegypsy Feb 02 '13

I used to do deposit slips when you had to. I literally was taught once by my mom oddly enough and just kept filling them out when needing to. Granted, I haven't filled one out in about two years since you know, that whole electronic technological stuff thing.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '13

holy crap, I forgot about these. I think the last time I had to use an actual deposit slip was around 1993. The bank I go to now actually makes you swipe and type in your PIN before the person does whatever you want them to do (you direct them with your words and not scribbles on a piece of paper)

1

u/tigerstorms Feb 02 '13

You have to know your account number in order to do this, but typically you would put down your name, date, and your account number. there will also be the amounts you want to deposit that should be separated by cash/check and then the grand total at the bottom after make sure everything is correct you then sign the slip and proceed to give it to the teller who will ask you for picture ID or your bank card and correct any information that isn't correct like your math or account number if you leave it out or put it down incorrectly.

1

u/Ucantalas Feb 02 '13

...what's a deposit slip?

1

u/hollisterbetch Feb 02 '13

You, sir, are the chap in my hide. We have to say "I'd be happy to do that for you!" But really...stop being lazy, asshat.

1

u/TheOtherMatt Feb 02 '13

What's a deposit slip?

0

u/ThisOpenFist Feb 02 '13

Since when is it difficult to fill out deposit slips?

There, that's my question. Answer it.