I found 6 ways to add money to a Credit Karma card easily, cheaply, and quickly.
To add money to your Credit Karma card you can:
- Make an external transfer from a linked bank account
- Use your account and routing information to set up Direct Deposit
- Use your account and routing information to set up an ACH transfer
- Transfer from your Credit Karma Money Save account
- Deposit a check using the Credit Karma mobile app
- Make a deposit at ATM
Credit Karma does not allow its users to send money to one another on their own app. They do, however, encourage their customers to use their debit card information and download popular P2P money transferring apps like Venmo, Paypal, or CashApp.
Besides it, with the AllPoint ATM Network, Credit Karma customers have access to just about every means of deposit as a normal bank customer.
If there is a means of making a deposit Credit Karma doesn’t provide, it would be through a teller. Credit Karma does not have any actual, physical branches and thus does not have any employees to make that transaction for you.
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1. How to Add Money to Your Credit Karma Card Through an External Transfer
An easy way to fund your new online bank account is through your old, traditional bank account. By linking the two accounts, you can add money into your Credit Karma card in a couple easy steps:
- Log into your Credit Karma app with the same login and password you usually use.
- Tap Make a deposit or transfer
- Tap External Transfer
- You can select Internal Transfer as well for accounts help by Credit Karma
- Enter the amount you would like to transfer
- Tap on the From field to select an account the funds will come from
- Tap Review to ensure the amount and account information are both correct
- Tap Confirm once you’re ready to transfer the funds
You should see a confirmation message saying, “Your money is on the way!” as well. If you’ve set up email alerts, Credit Karma may send you an email confirming the transaction too.
Credit Karma also tells their customers that deposits coming from an external account typically take one business day to appear in your Credit Karma account. While the funds may show up in your account after one day, Credit Karma will make you wait an additional three business days before you can access them. They do this to prevent fraud, returned transfers, and potential overdraft fees.
When you make your transfer, they’ll be sure to give you an estimate as to when the funds will arrive.
2. How to Add Money to your Credit Karma Account using Direct Deposit
If you want to make your Credit Karma checking account your primary account, you’ll probably want to link it to your direct deposit. Doing so is simple, all you have to do is get your account information and give it to your employer or benefits provider.
- To get your account and routing numbers, simply log into the Credit Karma app and tap the details and settings button.
- After that, tap Show on your account information.
- Give the routing number, account number, name as it appears on your account and bank name to your employer and they should be able to deposit your payday checks automatically.
Credit Karma allows multiple direct deposits into your Money Spend account. They will also allow you to split up your paycheck into multiple accounts, so if you still have a traditional bank and want to deposit a portion of your funds going over there you’re in the clear.
The fintech company also reminds their customers that it may take their employer a couple of payday cycles to catch up to the new bank in the system. While you may still get a paper check for a payday or two don’t worry, direct deposit will come.
3. How to Add Money to a Credit Karma Account Using ACH Transfers
Another easy way of funding your Credit Karma account is through ACH transfers. ACH, or Automated Clearing House, transfers are quick, secure, and a reliable means of sending money from one account to another.
ACH transfers are reliable because they take a generous amount of time to process, giving the Clearing House teams plenty of time to review your transactions. This may be a problem for customers who need to move their money quickly and can’t wait three to five business days for a transfer to clear.
To add money to your Credit Karma Money Spend account through ACH transfers, you’ll have to link your accounts following the same steps detailed above. Once your external account is linked with your Credit Karma account, sending money between the two is a breeze.
Before making your initial transfers, your bank may want to send a few smaller test deposits to make sure the accounts are linked correctly. Don’t be surprised if you see one to three transactions being made in amounts less than a dollar. Once the transactions are confirmed on both ends, you should be all set to transfer money between your two accounts.
4. How to Add Money from a Credit Karma Money Save Account
Transferring money from your Credit Karma Money Spend Account to your Money Save account is just as simple as the other options listed above. To do so, just follow the same steps listed under “How To Add Money Through an External Transfer” and when you get to the step asking if you want to transfer money externally, choose to transfer it internally.
That will take you to a screen where Credit Karma will ask you where you want your money to come from, and where you want it to go. Tap the accounts and the amounts you want. From there, tap send and your money should switch between accounts automatically.
While Credit Karma will allow you to withdraw an unlimited amount from your checking account, they have a limit of six withdrawals per statement cycle for their Money Save accounts. Any more than that and they may either convert the account to a Money Spend account or close it all together.
5. How to Deposit a Check Using the Credit Karma Mobile App
Like most banking institutions, Credit Karma allows their customers to deposit checks straight to their mobile app by taking pictures of them. To do so, simply follow this list:
- There are two places on the mobile app where you can make a deposit. First is the Money page, where you can go to Quick Actions and tap Transfer Money. From there, tap Deposit check. The second place to deposit your funds on the Credit Karma App is by selecting the account your wish to deposit to directly. Click on the account, click Add Cash, and finally click Mobile Check Deposit. That will finally open up the deposit screen.
- If it’s your first time logging into the mobile deposit portion of the app, they will ask for you to accept the mobile deposit terms and conditions. Once you do, tap Continue.
- Before taking a picture of the check, the Credit Karma app will ask for the amount. Enter it manually. It will then ask if you want to deposit the check into your Money Spend or Money Save account. If you only have one account, the app will select it for you.
- If this is your first time using the mobile deposit portion of the app, it will ask for your permission to use your mobile device’s camera. A tab called Tips for a Better Photo will then appear. If you click on this, you can get Credit Karma’s advice on how to ensure your deposits go through on time.
- Take a photo of the front of your check. Make sure it is negotiable as well; the date, your name, and the dollar amount all need to be written correctly for Credit Karma to accept it.
- The Credit Karma app will do a quick inspection of your check, making sure all print is legible and that all four corners are included in the picture.
- Take a picture of the back of your check. Make sure all four corners are visible and you write “Mobile Deposit for Credit Karma only” on the back underneath your signature.
- Enter the amount of your check a second time. Credit Karma wants to make sure they have the right dollar amount before you deposit your check. Normally, a teller at a bank would do this part.
- Credit Karma’s automated check reading system will then try to verify that the dollar amount matches the images you’ve taken. If there are issues with the mobile deposit, or they simply can’t read the images, the app may ask you to take pictures again. You may be able to submit the check for deposit with the issues, but it’s always best practice to try and take better pictures.
- If everything looks correct on your end, click Continue and do just that.
While the check may be on its way to your account, there are still issues that may arise. Credit Karma recommends keeping your check in a safe place for at least 60 days after making the mobile deposit for this reason.
6. How to Add Money to Your Credit Karma Card Through an ATM
Customers coming from a traditional bank may be used to the ATM — the trusty machine built to take small deposits and give out withdrawals. With an online bank, many customers coming from an old-school bank are asking themselves if an ATM is out of the picture.
It isn’t. Credit Karma has partnered up with AllPoint Network and their ATM system to provide their customers with over 55,000 ATMs to transact on. You can both deposit and withdrawal cash from any ATM in the system. You can find these ATMs at popular stores, including: CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, and Target.
Credit Karma and the AllPoint Network are working together to provide a network of ATMs free of charge. That doesn’t mean Credit Karma customers are excluded from ATMs outside their network, just that any non-AllPoint ATMs you use may come with a fee.
Are There Any Other Ways to Add Cash to my Credit Karma Account?
If you have cash and want to deposit it into your Credit Karma account, you have a couple of options. You can use the AllPoint ATM system like I mentioned above, or you can move money through an external account.
If you still do business with a traditional bank — one that has their own ATMs you can use — you’re always able to deposit that cash into your brick-and-mortar bank’s ATM. Once it’s in your external account, you can transfer it over to your Credit Karma account through their External Transfer feature.
It may not be instant, as Credit Karma must review the funds before they make them available, but it is a secure and reliable way of depositing cash into your online bank account.
Conclusion
The Credit Karma app and card are useful and accessible online banking options. Customers have five ways to add money to their Credit Karma Cards: through ACH deposit, direct deposit, transferring from their Credit Karma Money Save Accounts, through Mobile Deposit on the app, depositing money at ATM, and finally, transferring money from an external account.
