Deposit cheques using your app

There’s no need to visit us to pay in most sterling cheques

WAYS TO BANK

How it works

Which accounts?

Any sterling current or savings account in your app, except ISA and bond accounts.

How much?

Sterling cheques from most UK banks for up to £5,000 each.

How often?

Up to four cheques across all your personal accounts and up to 20 cheques across all your business accounts every seven days.

How long does it take?

Pay in a cheque before 4pm on a working day and the money will be available in your account by midnight the next working day(1).

How to pay in a cheque

Step 1

Log in to the Barclays app(2) and select 'Pay & transfer', then 'Pay in a cheque'.

Step 2

Choose the account you want to pay your cheque into, enter the amount and include a reference if you'd like.

Step 3

Follow the steps shown in your app to scan the cheque and pay it in using your device's camera.

Step 4

You'll see the cheque reflected in your balance instantly. If you pay it in before 4pm on a working day, the money will be available by midnight the next working day(1).

Watch how to pay in a cheque using the Barclays app

The Barclays app How to pay in a cheque To pay in a cheque, start by logging into the app.

Then tap, ‘Pay & Transfer’ and ‘Pay in a cheque’.

Next, choose the account you want to pay the cheque into.

Enter the amount displayed on the cheque.

You can pay in any cheque up to £5000 via the app.

Add a reference and if you're happy to continue, tap ‘Scan cheque’.

To help you, we’ll display a helpful guide.

When you’re ready, tap ‘Scan now’.

Place your cheque on a flat, dark surface so it stands out from the background.

Turn your smartphone into the horizontal position and hold it over the cheque so all four corners are visible and inside the gridlines.

If we can’t scan the cheque you’ll see this pop-up with possible reasons why.

And if the app takes a long time to take a photo we’ll show you some additional tips on how to take clear and better quality image.

For example, you may want to turn on the flash before capturing the image.

And for some phones, removing the phone case helps if you’re struggling to successfully capture the image.

Follow the tips and try again.

Once the cheque has been successfully lined up you’ll see a message saying you’ve been successful.

And the app will automatically scan the cheque.

If the photo is blurred or crooked, tap ‘Retake’.

Or, if the image looks OK and is within the gridlines tap, ‘Looks good’.

You'll then need to take a photo of the back of the cheque.

Once you've done this, select ‘Looks good’.

You'll be taken to the review screen.

If all the information is correct and you’re happy that all the images are clear tap ‘Pay in cheque’.

You'll then see this screen to confirm your cheque has been paid in.

If the cheque hasn't been submitted, you'll see an error message.

And, if the cheque is paid in by 3:59pm Monday to Friday excluding UK public holidays the money will be available by 11:59pm the next working day.

Remember to write ‘Paid in’ and the date you’ve paid it in, on the back of the cheque.

You can pay in up to four cheques every seven days 20 if you're a Business customer starting from the day you paid the first cheque in.

If you reach your limit of paying in cheques digitally please visit your local branch if you wish to pay in more.

Finally, tap ‘Done’.

If you want to keep track of the cheques you've paid in tap ‘Pay & Transfer’ and ‘Pay in a cheque’.

Then tap, ‘See paid in cheques’.

Select the account you paid the cheques into then tap on a specific cheque.

If you have any questions, visit our FAQs page.

And that’s it.

  • The cheque needs to be signed by the person or business that issued it
  • The cheque needs to be dated within the last six months
  • The words and figures for the amount shown need to match
  • If a cheque is made out to two people, it can only be paid into a joint account shared by both people
  • The name on the cheque needs to match the name on your account. We’ll accept initials for your first and middle names, but if it’s made out to a nickname, middle name or previous name, we might not accept it.

Yes, you can pay in most sterling cheques from UK banks. If we can’t accept your cheque by app, you’ll get a message asking you to take it to a branch or Post Office to pay it in.

You should keep cheques for at least ten days after you've paid them in by app in case we contact you about it. We recommend writing 'paid' on the back of each cheque along with the date you paid it in as a reminder.

You should check your account to see if the cheque was paid in or not. You can do this by going to 'Pay in a cheque' and selecting 'View cheques paid in'. If it's not there, you can try again.

It might be that the picture isn’t clear enough. Please make sure that:

  • The background is plain and darker than the cheque
  • The cheque is at least 15cm away from the edge of any surface
  • The lighting isn’t too bright or too dark
  • All four corners of the cheque are clear in the image
  • Your camera faces the cheque directly and not at an angle
  • Your camera is steady when you take the photo
  • Your device case isn’t interfering with the image.

If you keep having trouble, please pay in your cheque at a branch or Post Office.

Paying in at a branch

You can still pay in cheques at a branch as normal. We’ve recently upgraded all of our branches, which means your cheque will now clear by 23:59 the next weekday – as long as you’ve paid in the cheque by the branch’s cut-off time on the weekday before.

This means that all cheques now clear faster – so don’t get caught out when you write one. Make sure you always have enough money in your account to cover them. Learn more about the cheque clearing cycle and the future of cheques.

What else can your app do?

The Barclays app(2) is here to help you manage your money on the go – safely and securely. But there’s much more to it than that. 

Explore the app

Important information

  1. 'Working day' means Monday to Friday, except bank holidays. If you pay in a cheque on a weekend or bank holiday, it will take the same time to clear as if you paid it in before 4pm on the next working day.(Return to reference)

  2. You need to be 16 or over to access this product or service. You’ll need to be registered for the Barclays app and have the latest version to use this feature. Terms and conditions apply.(Return to reference)