No Deposit Slip for YOU!

Benjamin is so grown up.

He has his own bank account!

He was given some checks, and a small clutch of deposit slips.

This week, he received a reimbursement check from the College to cover the books he paid for but had the funds already set aside in his college account.    Yesterday I had my own deposit to take to the bank, so I tried to ready his deposit as well.  His deposit slips were gone!  We had used them all!

What to do?  Alison wrote on a sticky Benjamin's name and account number and said that should work.  Ok, I thought, if you say so.  I prefer a deposit slip, but maybe we can figure that out later.

I have been using deposit slips since Day One of having bank accounts.  I like to make out the slips for whatever checks I have, add them up, and then take out a small fraction in cash,  That is what I like.  That is the way that I roll.

I asked a fellow employee at the firm what he did for cash, as he did the mobile deposit thing (you take a picture of your check and then it gets magically to the right place).  He said
"Wally World!"  Yep, he goes to Wal-Mart (regularly, I guess) and opts for more than the purchase price.  I suppose that's ok, but I've never done that, and I'm not sure I could wrap my head around doing it.

Alison has direct deposit, which is cool, but it is not offered by my employer.  That makes me the family cash man.  Alison just takes what she needs from my wallet.  Sometimes that can be a surprise.

When I got to the bank and gave the teller the deposits, I explained that Benjamin had run out of deposit slips.  She was very cheery and said that he didn't need deposit slips, that Alison's prepared sticky with name and account number was all that she needed.  I didn't know what to say.  Deposit slips aren't needed? All I could thank of  was to blurt out, "I like deposit slips!" like I was Rain Man going, "I like Judge Wapner!"

I looked back to a center counter where they had slots for different items like deposit slips - ALL EMPTY!  They didn't even have the pen on a chain!  What was the world coming too?

I confirmed with another one of the bank staff, and yes, they weren't providing deposit slips anymore, not even the blank ones you could fill out at the bank.  It was something they were moving away from.  My employer had been to the same bank earlier and was told they were no deposit slips available.

In my business as a CPA, I had not noticed a reduction in the use of deposit slips.  Many of our clients have multiple checks to deposit, and I thank all that is blessed and holy that I can still see that information when trying to do their accounting.  I don't know how this change is going to affect small businesses, but I guess it won't be long before I find out.

I suppose I could use the ATM, but I don't much like that either.  I'd have to dig up whatever my pin number is somewhere.

I like doing banking the way I that I do it.  If some of you prefer mobile deposit, or direct deposit, more power to you.  The world (especially Wally World) lies at your fingertips.

Me?  I'm gonna hold out as long as I can, even if I have to discover bootleg sources for deposit slips.

Yes, I am officially old and stubborn, and will do whatever it takes to remain in the world of deposit slips!

UPDATE:  I'm getting a lot of advice as to how to get deposit slips, which I appreciate.  The point of the blog is more about how banks are starting to dissuade the use of deposit slips, moreso than as to whether consumers can finagle ways to get them and defy the growing trend away from deposit slips.

I'm down to about three deposit slips fro myself, and zero for Benjamin, so I'll let you know soon.