5 Reasons You Need to Set Up Direct Deposit Now

The modern world affords us all sorts of luxuries, such as the ability to watch movies on our phones, stay connected with friends all over the world, or to get pretty much anything delivered to our doorstep.

And the ability to get our paychecks deposited directly into our bank accounts with direct deposit—even a day or two early, in some cases—makes life a lot more convenient.

Fun fact:

Eighty-two percent of U.S. workers get paid via direct deposit. The government uses it, too. Nearly 99% of Social Security recipients get their checks through direct deposit, for example, as do 80% of taxpayers receiving refunds from the IRS.

Read more: Direct Deposit: What it is, And How it Works

Direct deposit is a proven, efficient method for moving money. But despite that, some people still hold out, opting instead to deposit paper checks, which can eat up time and patience.

If you’re not convinced that you should set up direct deposit, here are some of the reasons that you should consider setting up direct deposit with your employer.

1. Direct deposit is fast, easy, and efficient.

Getting paid via direct deposit is probably the easiest, most efficient way to move money around. The banks are connected, there’s less time lag, and you don’t have to do anything other than checking your balance to make sure your account balance contains the expected amount.

That means no standing in line at the bank and no driving around looking for ATMs that allow for check deposits.

2. Direct deposit is safe.

Having a pocket full of cash is great feeling—except for worries that you’ll lose it, or that it’ll be stolen. The same goes for a physical check, which can get misplaced or destroyed.

Direct deposit eliminates the need to print a physical check, and reduces the risk that your money could be lost or stolen. Payments can also be made or received much faster, and an electronic record is created for transactions, allowing all parties involved to track funds.

3. Direct deposit can help you stay on top of bills.

You may not have trouble paying your bills on time, but many people do. In fact, as much as 25% of U.S. adults aren’t able to make timely payments, according to industry data.

If you fall into that bucket, there’s good news: Research shows that 73% of workers who are paid via direct deposit say that it helps them pay their bills on time, in contrast to 46% who are paid with physical checks.

4. Direct deposit can help you manage your money.

When you set up direct deposit, you can dictate where you want your deposits to go. For example, if you want to deposit half of your paycheck into a primary checking account and the other half into a savings account, you can.

This can be helpful for people who have trouble saving or properly managing their money. If a portion of your paycheck is saved automatically, you may not feel the “pain” of making the transfer yourself.

After a while, you might even forget that you’re building savings and focus only on managing the portion that hits your checking account.

5. You could get your pay earlier.

When you set up direct deposit with some financial institutions, you could get paid up to two days early.

Sound good? Sign up for Stash, get a bank account with direct deposit, and you might be able to pay your rent while your coworkers field angry calls from their landlords as they wait for their checks to clear.

Setting up direct deposit with Stash

Stash customers who wish to set up direct deposit with their employers in order to receive their paychecks generally have to fill out a form that gives their employers their banking information. That includes account information, such as the name of your bank and its routing number, and your account number and type,as well as whether it’s a savings or checking account. (You’ll find your Stash banking account information in your bank account settings.)

Stash can help you set up direct deposit quickly and easily with its technology. Simply answer a few short questions using a direct deposit form available here, or on the homepage banking screen in the app. We’ll send the information directly to your employer, or to your employer’s payroll provider. (You can also fill out the form electronically,  download it, and give it to your employer’s payroll department in person.)

What’s more, if you don’t feel like putting your entire paycheck into your Stash banking account, you can choose how much you want to deposit. Simply choose a percentage or a dollar amount, and we’ll take care of the rest.

You should receive your first direct deposit in one to two pay periods, depending on your company’s payroll policies, and the financial institutions involved. You can always reach to your employer or payroll provider for real-time updates.