Camera vs. banking app

[RASelkirk]

Hi All,

Been doing remote deposit checks since Covid a couple years ago using my LG G6 without any problems. Now I've got a 2 week old A54 that refuses to take proper photos of a check for RD using my credit union app. I tried a dozen times and while the pix looked clear, they would not auto-discern and populate the $$$ amount into it's slot. Typing it by hand means it might take a week to clear whenever a person has a chance to look at it. This app is by and for our local credit union and appears to have no developer or troubleshooting site.

I took the check and my phone by their local office today and let them try, same results. The person who verifies the RD says it's all garbled when it comes through, and doesn't even look like an image. Their app's photo button has no settings, but they'd likely be separate from the camera settings, right? Any ideas on what's next? It'll be a month before the next check comes in...

Russ

 

[Dannydet]

Sounds like a badly coded banking app is the culprit here...

 

[mikedt]

From what you described I think your banking app needs to be fixed by the dev.

 

[RASelkirk]

Yeah, it's a small outfit, only shows 5k downloads. I just had a thought (too late now), next time I'll try clearing app cache, then data, and if that doesn't fix it, uninstall the app, run a cleaner, then reinstall. Will post back but it may be awhile...

Russ

 

[ocnbrze]

So I had a check that my Wells Fargo app would not capture correctly. It came out all garbled and I could not deposit the check. The ATM machine would not even take it. I had to go in and wait on line to deposit. The teller told me that some checks with their paper and print are not agreeable with either the machine or the phone's camera.

 

[olbriar]

My bank will only take photo deposits less than $500. No clue why the limit. Never had a problem with lesser amount checks.

 

[AugieTN]

@RASelkirk Don't know if this will help you, but my Credit Union at first had a really bad app and photo deposits didn't really work. I did discover if I used the app outside with sunlight on the check it would make a real clear photo and would be accepted.

My Credit Union has since upgraded their app and photo deposits work fine now under normal inside light.

 

[RASelkirk]

So I had a check that my Wells Fargo app would not capture correctly. It came out all garbled and I could not deposit the check. The ATM machine would not even take it. I had to go in and wait on line to deposit. The teller told me that some checks with their paper and print are not agreeable with either the machine or the phone's camera.

The check's paper has a busily patterned background, but it hasn't changed. I think. I'll have to recheck that. Was this a one-off deal or pretty much all the time?

My bank will only take photo deposits less than $500. No clue why the limit. Never had a problem with lesser amount checks.

Ours has a $2k limit, my check was well below that. I've unintentionally tried one over $2k and got a nasty message that req'd me to go in and explain...

@RASelkirk Don't know if this will help you, but my Credit Union at first had a really bad app and photo deposits didn't really work. I did discover if I used the app outside with sunlight on the check it would make a real clear photo and would be accepted.

My Credit Union has since upgraded their app and photo deposits work fine now under normal inside light.

Interesting! I've experimented with different backdrops and varying indoor light, but never thought about the brightness of an out door day.

All good info, thanks!

Russ

 

[RASelkirk]

Following up.

October check came today. Neither my A54 nor the wife's new A54 would take pix clean enough to submit. Pulled out and fired up my old LG G6, connected to website via WiFi, and check went in w/o issue. Guess I need to take a trip to T-Mobile and have them explain how two new phones with a 50+ MP camera can fail so miserably.

Russ

 

[olbriar]

I've not done a photo deposit. Is it possible that there is a file size limit on the submitted check photo?

 

[RASelkirk]

Dunno. The banking app controls the camera and it appears there are no user settings in/for it. I can use the actual camera app to take a pic of the check and it's perfect, but of course, not usable by the app. Apparently the banking app software is scrambling the image. Something is muy different between the old phone and new. Wonder if it's a 'droid OS version thing...

Russ

 

[olbriar]

You might give your bank a call before making a trip to T-Mobile and see if they have a clue. I doubt it's the quality of the pic the app captures or the OS being a factor. The only thing I can imagine being different between the new and old phones might be the actual file size of the capture. You can't be the only member of the bank that has a high res camera. I'm short on guesses. Your bank should be able to advise if it's a camera setting that's the culprit. Good luck and I'm sorry I have so little to offer.

 

[RASelkirk]

Last check (that wouldn't deposit), I had to take in to explain that all the requisite writing for mobile deposit needed to be voided so I could deposit it in person. While there, their tech person tried several times to make it go, the person on the other end who actually "reads" the two images said the numerous attempts were too garbled and illegible. There's no developer contact option on the app page, so all I could do was leave a 2-star review stating that it was once a 5-star...

Russ

 

[ocnbrze]

Last check (that wouldn't deposit), I had to take in to explain that all the requisite writing for mobile deposit needed to be voided so I could deposit it in person. While there, their tech person tried several times to make it go, the person on the other end who actually "reads" the two images said the numerous attempts were too garbled and illegible. There's no developer contact option on the app page, so all I could do was leave a 2-star review stating that it was once a 5-star...

Russ

yeah went into my wellsfargo bank, they told me that the paper, color and type of print can have an effect on the app being able to read the check. most of the time it works, but for a certain type of check it does not.

so i have my doubts that it is the phone or hardware that is effecting this. it is most likely how the app can interpret the picture.