Pay in a cheque without paying us a visit

All you need is your smartphone

We're always looking for innovative ways to make your life easier. Getting to a branch in opening hours isn't always possible, so we're pleased to tell you there's a more convenient way to pay in cheques – anytime, anywhere.

How it works

Pay in cheques by using the Barclays app and your smartphone's camera1. Just take a photo of the cheque and submit it through your app, with the amount and payee details.

You'll get the money in your account by 23:59 the next weekday2, if you pay the cheque in by 15:59 the weekday before, so there's no more waiting around for your money to clear.

A step-by-step guide to paying in a cheque with your phone

Watch a video to learn how to use the Barclays app to pay in a cheque.

FAQs

  • If you pay in a cheque before 16:00 on a weekday (Monday to Friday, except bank holidays), it'll clear by 23:59 the next weekday. You'll see it on your account almost instantly, but the money won't be available until the cheque has cleared and the money appears in your available balance.

  • Yes. You can pay in most cheques from UK banks, but some issuing banks don't allow photo cheque clearing. If you try and pay in a cheque from one of those banks, you'll get a message telling you to take the cheque to a branch to pay it in.

  • You can use your app to pay in a set number of cheques every seven days, depending on the type of account you have

    • Personal current account – four cheques
    • Premier current account –  four cheques
    • Private bank account – four cheques
    • Private client account – four cheques
    • Offshore account – four cheques
    • Business account – twenty cheques
    • Corporate account – twenty cheques

    We may change these limits at any time. If you need to pay in more cheques than the limit, please visit a branch.

  • The day you pay in a cheque in the app for the first time. The count is reset every seven days after that.

  • The cheque might still have been paid in. You can check by selecting 'View cheques paid in'. If you can see your cheque there, it worked.

    If it didn't work, try paying it in again when you're in an area with better reception.

    And don't worry, you can't pay in the same cheque twice – we'll warn you if you try to do that.

  • It might be that your photo didn't collect all the information we need. Please take another photo of your cheque and make sure

    • The background is plain and darker than the cheque
    • The cheque is at least 15cm away from the edge of any desk or table
    • The lighting isn't too bright or dark
    • All four corners of the cheque are clear in the photo
    • Your camera faces the cheque – it isn't at an angle
    • You hold your camera steady when you take the photo

    Some smartphone cases interfere with the camera, so removing the phone from the case can make photographing your cheque easier.

    If you've tried this and the problem continues, please pay in your cheque at a branch.

  • Yes.

    • You must be registered for the app and use the latest version of it
    • You can only pay sterling cheques into Barclays sterling accounts
    • We don't support every sort code at the moment. If the sort code on your cheque isn't supported, we'll tell you when you try to pay it in
    • You can pay in cheques up to £1,000
    • There's a weekly limit on the number of cheques you can pay in using your app – four for personal accounts and 20 for business accounts

  • If we can't process your cheque through your app, we'll let you know what to do. You can also contact us to talk about paying in a cheque using the 'Call us' button in your app.

  • You should write 'paid in' on the back of the cheque and keep it for at least 10 days in case we need to contact you about it.

  • If you have both business and personal accounts with us and you use your personal account details to register your app, your limit will be four cheques every seven days.

    To change this to 20 cheques, you'll need to uninstall and reinstall your app, then re-register using your business banking sort code and account number. You'll need your business account debit card to register. For the first 10 days after registration, some features won't be available, such as mobile PINsentry. This delay helps us prevent fraud and keep your account safe.

    If you only have a business bank account, or if you're logging in with your business banking details, and your limit is four cheques, please call us on 0345 600 23233.

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.