Process deposits accurately before end of day

Start by separating your deposits into three piles: checks, cash, and mixed. Keep commercial deposits apart from retail ones -- they're often processed differently and it'll save you time later. Here's what to watch for as you sort: - Make sure every deposit has its slip attached and that it's actually readable. Smudged or torn slips slow everything down. - Anything missing proper documentation goes straight into the exception pile. Don't try to guess -- it's not worth the risk of posting to the wrong account. - Pro tip: If you're dealing with a high-volume day, sort in batches of 50. It's easier to keep your count accurate that way. Once you've finished sorting, record your total item count and note any exceptions you've set aside.

This is where accuracy really matters. Take each deposit slip and compare it against what's actually in the envelope or bundle. For cash deposits: - Count every bill and coin amount twice. Yes, twice -- it's the standard for a reason. A miscount here means your batch won't balance later, and you'll spend more time hunting for the error than it would've taken to count again. For check deposits: - Verify that each check amount matches what's listed on the deposit slip. People make addition errors more often than you'd think. - Encode each check with the MICR line info and dollar amount. Double-check your encoding against the check face -- transposed numbers are the most common mistake here. Flag these items for research (don't just set them aside): - Checks without endorsements on the back - Stale-dated checks (usually 6+ months old) - Any item where the written amount doesn't match the numeric amount Record your verified total, any encoding errors you caught, and the number of items you've flagged.

Now it's time to see if everything adds up. Total all your encoded items and compare that number against the verified deposit total from the previous step. If your totals match -- great, you're ready to post. If they don't: - Check for transposed digits first (e.g., $1,234 entered as $1,243). That's the most common culprit. - Look for items you might've counted twice or skipped entirely. - Re-verify any item over $10,000 since those carry extra regulatory weight. - Don't post until you've found and fixed the discrepancy. Posting an unbalanced batch creates problems that are much harder to fix after the fact. Once balanced, post the deposits to each customer's account and generate the posting report. You'll need the batch total, posting status, and batch reference number for your records.

You're almost done -- this last step gets everything ready to leave your hands. For image capture (most common these days): - Make sure all checks are facing the same direction and aren't folded, stapled, or stuck together. The scanner won't read them properly otherwise. - Remove any sticky notes or paper clips before feeding checks through. For physical clearing (if your branch still does this): - Package checks in the order they were processed, with your batch header on top. Before you wrap up: - Run your end-of-day report showing every deposit you processed today. This is your proof of work and it's what your supervisor will review. - File all documentation (deposit slips, exception reports, posting confirmations) according to your branch's retention schedule. Most banks require keeping these for at least 7 years. - If anything's still pending, note it clearly so the next shift knows what needs follow-up. Record the total items cleared and confirm your documentation is filed.