That day I realized my ATM deposits were always delayed for a dumb reason

Last week I deposited $300 into my account at a Chase ATM in Chicago around 7pm. Three days later it still wasn't showing up. I called support and the guy asked if I was using an envelope. I told him yeah, I always stuff cash in the envelope. He goes 'that's why, you need to use the envelope-free slot for instant credit.' I have been using envelopes for like 5 years and never knew this. Has anyone else been doing it wrong this whole time?

3 comments

3 Comments

sageross2mo ago

Right there with you, man. I've been sliding envelopes into those machines like I'm mailing a letter to the bank for a decade. Found out the hard way when I deposited a check and it took a whole week to clear, meanwhile I was over drafting on pizza. So now I'm just tossing cash into the naked tray like a caveman, hoping the machine doesn't eat it. Did they ever explain why the envelope method still exists if it's just gonna slow everything down?

the_piper10d ago

And the best part is when the envelope jams and you're standing there like a mime pretending to push paper into a slot while the machine just blinks at you. I swear the envelope thing is just a tradition at this point, like having a spare tire in your car that doesn't fit any of your wheels. They probably keep it around to make us feel like we're doing something important, like filing taxes by hand in 2024. Meanwhile I've got apps on my phone that can deposit a check by just me staring at it. Why not just let the machine scan the check and be done with it? Is the envelope some sort of sacred offering to the banking gods?

jakeb251mo ago

It's like ice cream shops still using paper menus when everyone orders on their phones.