There really is very little you still need to go to a bank to do. Most of your everyday banking can take place wherever you are, thanks to your phone. Banking and credit union apps are getting really sophisticated, and even if a function isn’t available from an app, you can use the bank’s website or email someone to get help, rather than calling or having to visit your local bank branch. If you’re not sure what your phone is capable of, here’s a list of every banking transaction you can do virtually.
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Check Your Balance
Instantly get a look at how much money is in your account wherever you are. You can see all of your accounts at a glance including checking, savings and any joint accounts you have access to. This way, you don’t have to stop at an ATM just to get a look at what’s left in the bank.
Deposit a Check
This is truly a game changer. Many banking apps have a feature where you can use your phone’s camera to capture images of a check and it deposits directly into your account. Most of the time, you can see this check reflected in your account the same day you deposit it. You don’t even need to be using Wi-FI to do this. Anywhere with cell reception, you can snap a photo of the check and have access to that money shortly after.
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Transfer Money Between Checking & Savings Accounts
Need to move some money around? You can do it on the go. Using your bank’s app, you can move money from your savings to checking and vice versa. Just make sure if you are withdrawing from your savings account that you keep it under the six allowed transactions per billing cycle.
Transfer Money to Someone Else’s Account
If you want to transfer funds to someone else’s bank account, you can set them up as a recipient. All you need from them is their bank’s name, account number and routing number. You can set up recurring payments or keep it to a one-time transfer. You can also make a payment through Zelle. Zelle works similarly to Venmo, but it’s done through your banking app, so whenever you want to pay someone via Zelle, you can enter their phone number or email to transfer cash.
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Pay Bills
You no longer have to be at home with your checkbook to pay all your bills. Simply set them up as recipients in your banking app and pay bills as they come to you via email no matter where you are. You can also set up automatic payments so you never forget to pay again.