Frequently Asked Questions

The Ingo Money service is provided to you by First Century Bank, N.A., a nationally chartered bank, so your checks and your money are always cleared and handled by a national bank regulated by the federal government until they reach your account issuer.

The service is enabled and facilitated by Ingo Money, Inc. Ingo Money provides the mobile app technology, check review, approval and guarantee services and other related services. Wherever we use the terms “We” or “us,” we are referring to First Century Bank and/or Ingo Money, Inc., depending on the context.

We’re a bunch of people who believe that you should be able to access your money right on your phone and put it any place you need it in an instant. You earned it. IT’S YOUR MONEY.

Paper check processing is slow, which makes it risky, but the money in checks—trillions of dollars every year—is really important to people. You count on it. You need it fast. We all do.

We thought, “Hey, we can do that.” So we put all of our 15 years of experience servicing banks and other financial services firms to work to serve consumers and small business owners directly, and in 2013, we launched the Ingo Money App with First Century Bank. Now hundreds of thousands of customers use our app to cash checks and get their money in minutes, and we serve more people every day.

What we do is a lot harder than it seems, but the reasons we do it are very simple.

1. We believe it should not take days for a bank to post a check deposit to your account.
2. We believe that when your bank makes the money from your check deposit available to spend, that money should never be taken back from you, even if a check ends up bouncing.

Ingo Money takes the delay and the risk out of checks. We use lots of sources of information to screen checks fast and most of the time, we approve them. If your check is approved, you can get your money in minutes, as good as cash and safe to spend, and put the money any place you want it.

No deposit holds. No returned checks. No take-backs. No worries.

You can submit most check types for funding approval in the Ingo Money App, from $5 up to $2,500. This includes payroll and government checks with a pre-printed signature, business checks, two-party personal checks, handwritten payroll checks, insurance checks, attorney checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, rebate checks and refund anticipation checks. All checks must be made out to you, endorsed by you and drawn on a bank account in the United States or a U.S. territory.

Please note that we generally don’t accept checks that aren’t made out to you, conditional endorsement checks, counter checks, credit card checks, customer appreciation certificates, gift certificates, starter checks, traveler’s checks or warrants.

Ingo Money will review most check types for funding approval from $5 up to $2,500. Your use of Ingo Money will be limited to $2,500 per check, $5,000 worth of checks per day and $10,000 worth of checks per month. The issuer of your bank debit card, prepaid card, PayPal or other funding account may impose additional daily, monthly, account balance or other limits. See your Cardholder or Account Agreement for more information.

Downloading the Ingo Money App is free. There’s no cost to sign up or have the app on your phone, but your wireless carrier may assess fees for data usage, depending on your mobile service plan.

To cash a check and get your money in minutes, the fee is 1% for payroll and government checks with a pre-printed signature and 4% for all other accepted checks, with a $5 minimum fee per check. We will review your check for approval in a few minutes, although in some instances it can take up to an hour. If your check is approved, we send your money in minutes to the places you selected. Most banks, prepaid card issuers and PayPal, will make your funds available in your account in minutes so you can immediately make purchases, pay bills or access cash at an ATM. Some banks may take up to 48 hours. Most credit card issuers apply credit card bill payments by the next business day though some do not post payments for two business days. If your check isn’t approved, your account will not be funded and no fees will be assessed.

Alternatively, you can choose to get your funds in 10 days for no fee and your money will be credited to one bank debit card, prepaid card or PayPal account you choose if your check is approved and is not returned unpaid during the 10-day period. This option can be good when time is on your side and you don’t need us to take the risk on the check. We cover the cost of check clearing and settlement as well as transaction processing to provide a no-fee option when that is all you need.

Other transaction fees and costs, terms and conditions may be associated with the use of your bank debit card, prepaid card or PayPal account. See your Cardholder or Account Agreement for more information on the terms associated with your accounts.

Because paying your credit card bills on time is important to keep your account active, avoid penalties and additional interest expense and build your credit rating, we added an expedited credit card bill payment service to Ingo Money. When you cash a check in the Ingo Money App as a Money in Minutes transaction and your check is approved, you can send all or part of the money from the check to pay a credit card bill. There is an additional fee for credit card bill payment of $3 per payment transaction.

If you choose to pay a credit card bill, we will submit your payment to your credit card issuer immediately following final approval of your check cashing transaction. Most credit card issuers will apply your payment by the next business day; some may take two business days. To avoid a late payment fee from your credit card issuer be sure to pay your credit card bill at least two business days before your payment due date.

Expedited credit card bill payment services are available on many, but not all, credit cards.

To provide this service to you, expenses are incurred in four primary areas:

• Check clearing and settlement costs: When we approve your check and send your money to your selected accounts in minutes, behind the scenes, the check is sent to the Federal Reserve to clear and settle it with the check writer’s bank. That process typically takes a few days, which means that we incur interest expense.
• Bounced and non-payment check costs: Sometimes, a check does not clear because there is not enough money in the check maker’s bank account. Other times there are problems with a check that prevent it from being paid. When checks do not clear we may never get the money, but we have already given you your money, and it is always guaranteed.
• Transaction processing costs: In order for us to send your money in minutes to thousands of accounts issued by banks all across the country, we have to use network processors like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Star, Pulse, Maestro and many others. The networks and various other third party processors we use to send your money depends on the account you choose, and all of them have associated fees and processing costs.
• Technology systems and servicing costs: Building and maintaining technology infrastructure, improving our app, processing checks, accessing third party information databases and serving our customers is the other primary area of cost.

We continue to invest to make our service better and more efficient so you can get your money quickly and conveniently, almost any place, at the lowest possible cost.

With Ingo Money, if your check is approved you can get your money in minutes.

When you submit a check in the Ingo Money App, review for approval typically takes 3-5 minutes. In some instances, review may take up to one hour while we work to verify sufficient information to approve your check. If your check is approved, we will send your money immediately to the bank account or prepaid account you choose using your linked debit or prepaid card account number. You can also send money to your linked PayPal account or make a payment to a linked credit card. If you want to send money to more than one place, you can split your check to send money to multiple accounts.

Most banks, prepaid card issuers and PayPal, will make your funds available in your account in minutes so you can immediately make purchases, pay bills or access cash at an ATM. Some banks may take up to 48 hours. Most credit card issuers apply credit card bill payments and adjust your available balance by the next business day though some do not post payments for two business days.

Ingo Money also offers a no-fee check cashing service. If time is on your side, you can get your money in 10 days if your check is not returned unpaid within the 10-day period and receive those funds in one of your linked bank accounts, prepaid cards or PayPal accounts.

Other transaction fees and costs, terms and conditions may be associated with the use of your bank debit card, prepaid card, PayPal account and credit cards. See your Cardholder or Account Agreement for more information on the terms associated with your accounts.

You can download the Ingo Money App either from the App Store℠ for iOS devices or from the Google Play™ Store for Android devices.

Ingo Money uses mobile geo-location services as an added risk management measure to confirm you are in the United States and to assess whether your phone is in an unusual location when submitting a check.

If you do not have geo-location services enabled, you will be prompted in the app to enable location services before you can cash a check.

To enable location services on an Android device:

• Close the Ingo Money App and tap Settings.
• Scroll down and tap Location.
• Turn on the Location Service.
• Tap Agree on the Location Consent screen.
• On the Improve Location Accuracy screen, we recommend you tap Agree to enable Google’s Location Service; it is not required that you enable this service, but it will provide a better user experience.
• Close Settings and re-open the Ingo Money App to continue.

To enable location services on an iPhone:

• Close the Ingo Money App and tap Settings.
• Scroll down and tap Privacy.
• Tap Location Services.
• Make sure Locations Services is enabled.
• Scroll down, tap the Ingo Money App and choose ‘While Using the App.’
• Close Settings and re-open the Ingo Money App to continue.

Enabling push notifications on your mobile device when you use the Ingo Money App allows you to receive immediate transaction status updates during the check review process, even if you close the app in the middle of a check cashing transaction. Push notifications will help you stay informed on the next necessary action to complete the review process and get your money as quickly as possible.

Your Android device will enable push notifications on the Ingo Money App by default. If you disable push notifications and want to re-enable the notification service:

• Close the Ingo Money App and tap Settings.
• Scroll down to the Applications tab and tap the Ingo Money App.
• Enable Show Notifications.
• Close Settings and re-open the Ingo Money App to continue.

To enable push notifications on an iPhone:

• Close the Ingo Money App and tap Settings.
• Tap Notifications.
• Make sure Allow Notifications is enabled.
• Set your notification options.
• Close Settings and re-open the Ingo Money App to continue.

Ingo Money takes the risk on the checks we approve and unfortunately, not everyone is honest. We use your Social Security Number and other personal information to verify your identity, comply with legal and regulatory requirements and help us identify and prevent potential check fraud.

The security of your user profile information and account information is very important to us. We know it is just as critical to you. We store your information in systems designed to prevent unauthorized access by others and we only share your personal information as set forth in our Privacy Policy.

You will not be able to register if Ingo Money cannot verify your identity—for instance, if your name and address don’t match or your name and Social Security Number don’t match. Please be sure to check, and double check, all of your information and confirm that your name matches the one on your Social Security card. If you’re still having trouble registering, please email us at help@ingomoney.com or call (229) 276-3990 for assistance.

Yes. To use Ingo Money, you must link at least one bank account, prepaid card, credit card or PayPal account to your Ingo Money user profile so that we have an account on record to which we can send your money. From the main menu, tap ‘My Accounts,’ then tap ‘Link a New Account’ and follow the screen prompts to add your account information. Tap the ‘Card’ tab to enter your bank debit card, prepaid card or credit card account information. Tap ‘PayPal’ and follow the screen prompts to link your PayPal account.

Ingo Money can be used to fund most active bank, prepaid card and PayPal accounts and to make payments to most credit cards. To link your accounts in the Ingo Money App, open the main menu and tap ‘My Accounts.’ Then tap ‘Link a New Account’ and follow the screen prompts. To link your accounts, enter your bank debit card, prepaid card, credit card and PayPal account information. In the event that your account is not eligible for funding in the Ingo Money App, you will be notified right in the app.

Absolutely! Simply download the app and link your eligible bank debit cards and prepaid cards, and your PayPal account. You can choose the accounts you want to fund on every check you cash, or you can split the funds from your approved check across multiple accounts to send money any place you need it.

You can add or edit your bank debit card, prepaid card, credit card and PayPal account information right in the app. Sign in to the Ingo Money App and tap ‘My Accounts’ to add, edit or delete a linked account.

Absolutely! Sign-in to Ingo Money, tap ‘My Accounts’ on the main menu and follow the prompts to link your bank debit cards, prepaid cards, credit cards or your PayPal account. When you cash a check, you can choose the places you want to send your check funds.

To cash a check and get your money in minutes, the fee is 1% for payroll and government checks with a pre-printed signature and 4% for all other accepted checks, with a $5 minimum fee per check. We will review your check for approval in a few minutes, although in some instances it can take up to an hour. If your check is approved, we send your money in minutes to the places you selected. Most banks, prepaid card issuers and PayPal, will make your funds available in your account in minutes so you can immediately make purchases, pay bills or access cash at an ATM. Some banks may take up to 48 hours. Most credit card issuers apply credit card bill payments by the next business day though some do not post payments for two business days. If your check isn’t approved, your account will not be funded and no fees will be assessed.

Alternatively, you can choose to get your funds in 10 days for no fee and your money will be credited to one bank debit card, prepaid card or PayPal account you choose if your check is approved and is not returned unpaid during the 10-day period. This option can be good when time is on your side and you don’t need us to take the risk on the check. We cover the cost of check clearing and settlement, as well as transaction processing to provide a no-fee option when that is all you need.

Other transaction fees and costs, terms and conditions may be associated with the use of your bank debit card, prepaid card, credit card or PayPal account. See your Cardholder or Account Agreement for more information on the terms associated with your accounts.

It’s easy! First, sign the back of your check and make sure the lighting in the room is good. Now, lay the check on a solid-colored background, front-side up, so that none of the check information is covered up. Then, sign in to the Ingo Money App and tap ‘Cash a Check.’ Tap the first check image field and position your mobile device camera at a slight angle so there are no shadows on the check. Be sure the check fits just inside the guidelines and that it is not wrinkled in any way. Then, tap the screen to take the photo of the front of the check. Turn the check over and tap the second check image field to take a photo of the back of the check.

The Ingo Money App will read the amount of the check. Simply confirm that the amount displayed is accurate or correct it, and tap ‘Next.’ Continue to follow the screen prompts to choose when you want your money and where you want us to send it and then submit the check for review.

Every time you submit a check, you choose the places you want to send your money right in the app. Don’t worry! It’s easier than you might think. The app will guide you through the process.

In order to fund your bank account, prepaid card or PayPal account, or to pay a credit card bill, you first have to link your accounts in Ingo Money. To do that, tap ‘My Accounts’ on the main menu, then tap ‘Link a New Account’ and follow the screen prompts to enter your bank debit card, prepaid card, credit card and PayPal account information.

When you cash a check, you will be prompted to take a picture of the front and back and confirm the check amount. After that you will be asked to choose whether you want your Money in Minutes for a fee or your Money in 10 Days for no fee. Then, you will be prompted to select where you want us to send your money by tapping one of the accounts on the screen.

If you choose Money in Minutes, you can send your money to more than one place. Simply choose each account and tell us how much to send to each one. You will be prompted to choose another funding account until you have allocated all of your check funds.

It’s possible that the check is not written dark enough or that some of the information, like the check amount, is not close enough to its intended area to be read properly by our software. Please return the check to the check writer for corrections or contact us at (229) 276-3990 for further assistance.

In order to prevent a check from being cashed or deposited twice, after Ingo Money has approved your check, you may be prompted to write ‘VOID’ boldly in blue or black ink across the front of your check and submit a photo of the voided check. Once we confirm that your correctly voided check image has been submitted, we will send your money to the place you selected.

Do not write ‘VOID’ on your check until you are prompted to, after you receive confirmation from Ingo Money that your check was approved. 

If we approve your check, we may ask you to void your check and send a picture of your voided check to us for review before we release your funds to your selected accounts. Hold on to your check until you receive confirmation in the app or via email that your accounts have been funded. You can also check your bank account, prepaid card, credit card or PayPal account balance to confirm that your funds have been posted to your selected account(s) by the account issuer. Remember that while most banks, prepaid card issuers and PayPal make funds available to spend immediately, some banks may take up to 48 hours to post your funds. Credit card issuers typically post payments by the next business day though some may take two business days.

All checks submitted to Ingo Money are subject to review for approval, and most of the checks we review are approved. There are times though when we are unable to approve a check due to inconsistencies in check images, limit-related issues, insufficient check verification data, or information about the check writer’s account. Unfortunately, we cannot always tell you exactly why a check is declined because privacy regulations prevent us from sharing a check writer’s account information with you.

Below are some examples of reasons we may decline a check:

• Check was not written to you, as your name appears on your Ingo Money account.
• Check was not endorsed.
• Amount of the check is less than $5 or more than $2,500.
• Amount of the check will cause you to exceed the daily, weekly or monthly funding limits for your selected account.
• Amount of the check will cause you to exceed the daily or monthly check cashing limits or the maximum balance allowed on your selected account. See check limits.
• Check images are illegible or do not pass authenticity screening.
• Check is a single-party check (drawn on another account you own), a temporary check, a credit card check or another unusual check type we do not support.
• A properly voided image of the check was not received. If you need to resubmit your voided check image, call Ingo Money at (229) 276-3990.
• Sufficient information could not be verified on the check writer’s account.
• Check was written on a closed or compromised account.

If your check is declined, you will be notified in the app, by push notification (if you have enabled this service for the Ingo Money App on your mobile device) and by email. Your account will not be funded, and no fee will be assessed. You may attempt to deposit or cash your check with another service provider, or alternatively contact the check writer and request a new check or a different method of payment.

Because paying your credit card bills on time is important to keep your account active, avoid penalties and additional interest expense and build your credit rating, we added an expedited credit card bill payment service to Ingo Money. When you cash a check in the Ingo Money App as a Money in Minutes transaction and your check is approved, you can send all or part of the money from the check to pay a credit card bill. There is an additional fee for credit card bill payment of $3 per payment transaction.

If you choose to pay a credit card bill, we will submit your payment to your credit card issuer immediately following final approval of your check cashing transaction. Most credit card issuers will apply your payment by the next business day; some may take two business days. To avoid a late payment fee from your credit card issuer be sure to pay your credit card bill at least two business days before your payment due date.

Expedited credit card bill payment services are available on many, but not all, credit cards.

Yes. If you choose Money in Minutes on your check cashing transaction, you will be able to send money to one or more of your accounts, pay one or more credit card bills or do all of those things. You tell us where to send your money and how much to send each place. If your check is approved, we’ll take care of the rest.

The time it takes for a payment to be applied to a credit card account depends on each credit card issuer’s processing technology. Some credit card issuers are able to receive and apply payments account-by-account in real time. Other issuers use a batch process to receive payments all at one time. Some issuers run their batch process every few hours. Some do it once each day. And some issuers have to run two separate batch processes, one to post payments and a second to update account information. It’s crazy. We know.

Making your credit card payments on time is really important and when money is tight, it can be tough to meet an issuer’s deadlines and posting limitations. That’s why, regardless of your credit card issuer’s processing technology, Ingo Money submits your credit card payment to your card issuer within minutes of your check being fully approved so that your payment can be processed and applied to your account as quickly as possible.

The Ingo Money credit card bill payment service is designed as an expedited payment service to help you pay your credit card bills on time to avoid late payment penalties and interest charges. Because we can’t confirm whether a delayed check cashing transaction will be approved for 10 days, we don’t want you to rely on us to make your credit card payment only to find out in several days that the check did not clear and the payment cannot be made as you planned.

A credit card issuer may reject a credit card bill payment because the issuer is unable to systematically match your payment to your account. This typically happens when the issuer has deactivated your account or placed it in collections. You may need to contact your credit card issuer for specific payment instructions.

Some credit card issuers accept payments even when they cannot systematically match a payment to a credit card account and post it normally. This happens rarely, but when it does it is typically because the issuer has deactivated an account or placed it collections. Remember too that most issuers apply your payment the next business day, and some may not post your payment for up to 48 hours after receiving it.

If your credit card payment was made by Ingo Money, but does not appear on your credit card paper statement or electronic transaction history and it has been two business days since your payment was made, contact Ingo Money Customer Service via email at help@ingomoney.com, phone at (229) 276-3990 or Twitter http://twitter.com/IngoCares. We can help you resolve the issue with your credit card company.

You can earn cash rewards from Ingo Money by referring us to your friends. Tap the ‘My Rewards’ button on the main menu and then tap “Invite Friends.’ We will generate a unique code for you that you can send to your friends almost any way you want. Post your code to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, send it in an email or as a text message. For every friend that registers using your referral code as a new customer in Ingo Money and submits an approved check, you will earn a cash reward.

Reward amounts change from time-to-time. You can always get information on the current campaign right in the app.

To keep track of your rewards, tap ‘My Rewards’ on the main menu. Your earned rewards and information about the current referral reward campaign are available there.

It’s easy! Cash a check in the Ingo Money App like normal. When you get to the Confirm screen, tap the ‘Reward or Promo Code’ button. If you have rewards available they will appear in a pop-up. Tap the reward you want to redeem and close the pop-up. The reward amount will be added to your transaction on the Confirm screen and funded to the account you selected, along with your check funds, if your check is approved.

To redeem a promotion code in the Ingo Money App, cash a check like normal. When you get to the Confirm screen, tap the ‘Reward or Promo Code’ button. Enter the promotion code in the Promo Code field and tap ‘Apply.’ The promotional value will be added to your transaction on the Confirm screen and funded to the account you selected, along with your check funds, if your check is approved.

Not a problem! On the Ingo Money sign in screen, tap ‘Forgot Password.’ Then, enter your email address and the last four digits of your Social Security Number and we will email a temporary password to the email address we have on record.

Your Ingo Money username is the email address you used when you registered. Have you tried that one? If it’s still not working, please send an email to help@ingomoney.com or give us a call at (229) 276-3990 and a Customer Service representative will assist you.

It’s easy! You can update your address and phone number right in the app. Sign in to the Ingo Money App and tap “More Information”, then “Edit Profile”.

We truly apologize for the inconvenience. Ingo Money may place your account on hold for a variety of reasons, like an inability to verify your identity or submission of a check that triggers a security review. If your account is on hold, we recommend you send an email to help@ingomoney.com so we can inform you of the reason your account is on hold.

We are sorry to see you go. Since Ingo Money does not require a membership, there is nothing for you to cancel. Simply uninstall the Ingo Money App on your mobile device and you’re all set.

If you have a question about the Ingo Money service and you don’t see an answer on this page, please contact us via email at help@ingomoney.com, call (229) 276-3990 or tweet to http://twitter.com/IngoCares.

No. Donations are never taken from your check value. Up to 8% of the service fees we collect from your transactions are donated on your behalf to the organization. Every time you cash a check and choose Money in Minutes and every time you pay a credit card bill, we make a donation. The more you use the Ingo Money App, the more funds are donated.

 

No. Ingo Money is providing you the lowest price in the marketplace for mobile check cashing. Our partnership with your organization lowers our costs of marketing the service, and we pass that savings on to support fundraising efforts for this important cause.

 

Ingo Money donates $0.25 of every check cashing and credit card bill payment transaction, up to 8% of the service fee revenue we collect for every customer referred by the organization.

When you install the Ingo Money App from this website, we tag you to your organization. Every time you use the Ingo Money service to cash a check or pay a credit card bill, we compute the donation amount.  We consolidate donation payments for every user referred by the organization and we make a consolidated donation payment every quarter.