If you’ve ever handed over a chunk of your own paycheck just to turn it into cash you can actually use, you know how fast that can add up. A few dollars here, a percentage there — and it’s money that was already yours.

The good news: if you have a Platinum smiONE™ Visa® Prepaid Card, you have two ways to get your money loaded directly onto your card, without a check-cashing stop in between.

Why the Check Cashing Cycle Costs More Than It Looks

Check cashing stores charge a fee every single time — and if you’re cashing checks regularly, that’s not a one-time cost. It’s a recurring one. Add in the time it takes to get there, wait in line, and get back to whatever’s next on your day, and the “convenience” starts to look a lot less convenient.

Direct deposit and mobile check load are both built to skip that step entirely.

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Direct Deposit

Direct deposit sends money — like your paychecks, benefits, or other recurring payments — straight to your card. Once it’s set up, it runs on its own. No trip, no fee, no waiting in line at the counter.

To set it up, you’ll typically need your card’s routing and account numbers, which you can find in your smiONE mobile app or online account. From there, you provide those details to your employer or the agency issuing your payment, and future deposits load automatically.

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Mobile Check Load¹

Sometimes a payment comes to you as a physical check — and that’s exactly what Mobile Check Load is for. Using the smiONE mobile app, you can:

● Snap a photo of the front and back of your check

● Submit it for a review

● Have the funds loaded onto your card, without stepping into a check-cashing store

It’s a way to handle one-off checks the same way direct deposit handles recurring ones — on your card, on your terms.

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Two Tools, Same Goal

Direct deposit and Mobile Check Load solve different situations — one for money that arrives on a schedule, one for your money that shows up as a check. Together, they cover most of the ways money reaches you, without a check cashing fee attached to either one.

If you’re ready to set up direct deposit or try Mobile Check Load, open your smiONE mobile app or log in to your account online to get started.

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¹Feature not available in all smiONE Card programs. See your Cardholder Agreement for details.

The Platinum smiONE™ Visa® Prepaid Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. Card may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.

smiONE is not a bank. Banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.