Rant: The ATM deposit envelope still confuses people in 2024

I was at a Chase ATM in Phoenix last week and watched three people in a row stuff cash into the deposit envelope without filling out the slip. They just put the money in and walked away. Now I get it, the machine reads the bills, but that envelope goes to a human if there's any issue. I used to work at a credit union in 2019 and we got missing funds claims every single week because of this. How do you usually handle mixed cash and checks at an ATM? Do you still use the envelope for everything just to be safe?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_coleman21d ago

Read somewhere that Chase is actually testing machines that skip the envelope entirely for cash deposits, just feed the bills straight in. People got so used to that they forget the envelope step when they have a check mixed in or the machine's being weird. Saw a guy at my local ATM last week do the exact same thing, just shoved a fold of cash in the envelope and bolted. The slip is a pain but it's your proof, your backup if something goes sideways. If I've got mixed stuff, I'm doing the envelope with the slip every time, no shortcuts.

the_diana21d ago

And honestly that envelope is like a paper trail for the whole thing, even if it feels ancient. I had a check bounce once and the only reason I got my money back was because I kept that stupid receipt. Yeah it's extra steps but it's better than fighting with a bank over twenty bucks later.