QuickBooks check scanner not working: how to fix it

Which check scanner are you using?

• Mobile check deposit: you photograph a received check in the QuickBooks mobile app to deposit it into a QuickBooks Checking account. It is only available for QuickBooks Checking and is subject to eligibility.
• Receipt capture: you snap or upload a photo in the app, or upload a file under Receipts in the browser, and QuickBooks reads the details into a transaction for review. It is built for receipts and bills, not checks.
• A desktop check scanner: a USB scanner, usually provided by your bank for remote deposit capture. It sends checks to the bank through the bank's software, not through QuickBooks Online.
• A regular document scanner used to scan check copies, which you then attach to transactions in QuickBooks.

Fix mobile check deposit

Deposits made this way still need to be in your books. Once the deposit lands, make sure it is recorded against the right customer payment or income account and is not entered a second time from the bank feed.

1. Confirm you are eligible. If the deposit option does not appear in the app, Intuit says the account is not eligible yet. Your QuickBooks Checking account must be active and in good standing.
2. Update the QuickBooks app and your phone operating system.
3. Retake the photos: front and back, on a dark, well-lit surface, with all four corners of the check in frame and no shadows.
4. Make sure the amount you type matches the amount on the check exactly, and endorse the back as the app instructs.
5. Clear the app cache. On Android use Refresh data in the app settings, or clear storage for the app. On iPhone, offload the app in iPhone Storage and reinstall it.
6. If it still fails, note the exact error message and the step where it appears, then contact QuickBooks support from Help in the app.

Fix receipt capture uploads

1. Check the file type. Upload JPEG, PNG, GIF or PDF files. iPhone photos saved as HEIC may fail; set the camera to the most compatible format or convert the image first.
2. Upload one document per image. A photo with two receipts, or a receipt and a check together, may be rejected.
3. Check app permissions. After an update the app can lose access to the camera or photo library; turn both back on in phone settings.
4. Refresh or reinstall the app as above. Your data is stored in QuickBooks, not on the phone.
5. Try the browser. Go to Receipts (under Accounting or Transactions, depending on your layout) and upload the file from your computer, or try a private browser window.

Fix a desktop check scanner

Desktop scanners for depositing checks are almost always tied to your bank's remote deposit service, so the bank's support team owns the fix. Before you call, check these.

• Reinstall or update the scanner driver from the bank's or the manufacturer's site.
• Try a different USB port and cable, and avoid unpowered hubs.
• Check that the browser or deposit software is a version your bank supports.
• Clean the scanner rollers and image sensors as the manufacturer describes; dirty sensors cause unreadable MICR lines.
• If the deposit reaches the bank, record it in QuickBooks Online as a bank deposit, or match it when it comes through the bank feed.

What QuickBooks Online does not do with check images

QuickBooks Online does not read a stack of cleared check images and match them to the checks in your register. Receipt capture reads receipts and bills one document at a time, and it creates new transactions for review rather than matching existing checks. If you were hoping the scanner would clear your checks during reconciliation, that is not what these features are for.

To reconcile checks by hand, match each cleared check in Bank transactions, then tick it in the reconcile window and finish when the difference is 0.00.

Check images are still worth keeping. Your bank usually provides images of cleared checks in online banking or with the statement. Attaching an image to the check transaction in QuickBooks, through Attachments on the form, keeps the evidence with the entry for audits and vendor disputes.

Before you contact support

• Write down the exact error message, or take a screenshot of it.
• Note the step where it fails: taking the photo, entering the amount, submitting, or after submitting.
• Note your device, operating system version and QuickBooks app version, or your browser and its version.
• List what you already tried, so support does not repeat it.
• For deposits, have the check amount, the date you tried, and whether the same check was already deposited elsewhere. Banks generally reject an item that has already been deposited.
• For desktop scanners, have the scanner model and the name of the bank service it uses.

If the scanner was only a means to an end

• Need to record checks you received? Use mobile deposit, your bank, or a bank deposit entry in QuickBooks.
• Need to record checks you wrote by hand? Use the Check form with the check number.
• Need to clear checks against a statement? Use Bank transactions and Reconcile, or a reconciliation tool built for checks.

Clearing hundreds of checks at once

If what you actually need is to reconcile many checks against QuickBooks Online, Kyriq is built for that job. Upload the bank statement PDF, or check images in PDF, JPG or PNG, and Kyriq extracts each check, including typed and handwritten ones, with a confidence score.

It compares each check with your QuickBooks Online register, groups exact matches for bulk approval, and flags duplicates and discrepancies in Needs Attention. Nothing is cleared until an authorized user approves; then Kyriq clears the approved matches in the reconciliation, with an audit trail. Kyriq does not deposit checks; it reconciles them. The trial covers 14 days or 250 checks, no card needed.