How To Use Direct Deposit With Checking
Learn about the four ways you can direct deposit into Betterment Checking, our mobile-first checking account with a debit card for your daily spending.

The U.S. has significantly changed over the past few months due to Covid-19. Things we never knew could be remote became remote instantly: Our jobs, schools, celebrations, and even visiting the doctor can be done over video conferencing.
Now more than ever, it’s important to be able to do all of your financial tasks online. Betterment Checking has multiple transaction and depositing options to fit your financial needs, none of which include leaving the safety and comfort of your house.
4 Ways To Move Your Funds Into Betterment Checking
Link External Funding Accounts
The first—and fastest—way to bring your money into Checking is through linking your external bank. If you have an online portal, which most banks have, you can connect it with your username and password.
Once the external account is linked, you can select this bank to deposit into your checking account.
If for any reason you prefer not to link your external account electronically, or your bank doesn’t have an online portal, you can link your account via account and routing number.
This option can be found below the external sync button when you add a bank account. This kind of link can take 1-2 business days since Betterment will need to use the micro transactions in your checking account to verify the connection.
Directly Transfer Your Funds From Another Bank
You can use your Checking routing and account numbers to move cash into Betterment directly from another bank account. You can initiate this transfer by logging into your funding bank’s website and locating their “Transfer to another bank account” option. Please note that they may automatically register an nbkc bank account rather than a Betterment account, due to the fact that our banking services are provided by nbkc bank, Member FDIC.
Set Up Direct Deposits From Your Paycheck
To set up direct deposits from your paycheck, this will need to be done directly through your employer. Your HR/ Payroll department will typically give you a form to provide your new account and routing numbers.
If your HR department will accept it, you can fill out our black direct deposit form and provide it to them.
Make sure to ask your employer when they expect the direct deposit to take place.
Deposit Paper Checks With Your Mobile Device
You can deposit paper checks by uploading a photo of your check through the Betterment mobile app, ensuring that you’re using the most up to date mobile app version located in the App Store® or Google Play.
By searching for the “Deposit a check” feature, you will be prompted to take front and back images of the check, and then given the opportunity to review your check deposit before finally submitting it.
Funding Options We Do Not Currently Support
- Depositing via a wire transfer
- Depositing cash through an ATM
- Depositing paper checks through an ATM
A Checking experience that meets you where you are.
With Checking, you won’t have to worry about having a financial account that doesn’t meet your modern money needs. We set out to make our products evolve as quickly as the lives of our customers do, so keep an eye on all product updates via our Checking roadmap page.
Betterment Checking
Checking accounts and the Betterment Visa Debit Card provided and issued by nbkc bank, Member FDIC. Funds deposited into Checking will be eligible for up to $250,000 of FDIC insurance. Betterment Checking made available through Betterment Financial LLC. Neither Betterment Financial LLC, nor any of their affiliates, is a bank. Betterment Financial LLC reimburses ATM fees and the Visa® 1% foreign transaction fee worldwide, everywhere Visa is accepted.
Contributing authors
Senior Content Marketing Coordinator, Betterment
Original content by Betterment
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