How Long Does It Take for a Check To Clear? (2024)

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Each bank has different policies for customer access to funds when depositing a check. However, the federal government has rules on the length of time a bank or credit union can hold your deposited money. Exactly how long does it take for a check to clear? Here are some things to consider when making future check deposits at your bank.

How Long Does It Take for a Check To Deposit?

You can deposit a check in person at one of your financial institution’s branches, or you can deposit a check digitally using your bank’s online or mobile deposit system. But, based on a bank’s practices, sometimes funds from deposited checks aren’t immediately available.

The deposit amount can make a difference in when it can be available to you. Federal regulations typically require banks to make the first $225 of daily check deposits available by the next business day. The average cutoff time for banks and credit unions is 2 p.m., so banks treat any time after 2 p.m. as if it’s the following business day. For example, if you deposit a $1,000 check at 4 p.m. on Monday, your money will be available sometime after your bank opens on Wednesday of that week.

Remember that bank business days do not include weekends and holidays.

How Long Can a Bank Hold My Funds After Deposit?

A deposit hold is when a financial institution holds your deposited check funds. Deposit holds are sometimes called “check holds.”

Banks may extend holds on check deposits for amounts exceeding $5,000. Suppose you deposit a $10,000 check at your bank. According to banking regulations and laws, the bank may extend the hold on your money for a reasonable time period of up to five business days.

Why Hasn’t My Check Cleared Yet?

Sometimes banks need to verify a transaction when you deposit a check, which could take longer for your check to clear. Here are some reasons why the verification process may delay your check clearing:

• There is suspicion that the funds won’t be collected from the paying bank.
• A large amount of money is deposited in a single day (usually over $5,525).
• The account has several recent overdrafts.
• A check is deposited into an account that is less than 30 days old.

Banks must notify depositors when they impose a more extended hold on a check. The notice must explain why there was a hold and a timeline when your funds will be available for withdrawal. A bank can impose a hold extension on a check deposit for different durations:

• Up to one business day for checks drawn from and deposited into the same bank
• Up to five business days for most checks
• Up to six business days for checks deposited into an out-of-network ATM

Important Reasons for a Check Hold

Banks may exceed the maximum hold period outlined in their availability schedule if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a deposited check is not collectible. The bank must disclose the reason for the extended funds hold.

Here are three reasons for a check hold:

• A check is predicted to be returned unpaid.
• The check has a stop payment order placed on it.
• There are insufficient funds in the holder’s account to cover the check amount.

Which Types of Checks Clear Fastest?

Some types of checks deposited at banks are usually fully cleared by a bank’s next business day, including:

• Cashier’s checks
• Federal and state government checks
• Certified checks
• Checks where the same financial institution holds both accounts

Depositing checks in person at a bank or credit union is usually faster than making mobile check deposits as long as you deposit before the bank’s designated cutoff time. You can withdraw the total amount of your money the next business day if you deposit a government check, a check from another account at your financial institution or a certified check.

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How Long Does It Take for Mobile Check Deposits To Clear?

Depending on your financial institution’s rules, you could access your funds within 24 hours. Some banks may immediately release a portion of the money; the standard amount is typically $200.

How To Make a Mobile Check Deposit

You can conveniently deposit checks to your bank account from nearly anywhere using your bank’s mobile app. Sometimes it can be tricky to get it right, so follow these steps to ensure success:

1. Log into your account on your mobile device. Secure login may require a unique password, fingerprint ID or two-factor authentication.
2. Sign the back of your check and write “for deposit only” in your bank’s name.
3. Use your smartphone or tablet to take photos of the front and back of your check. These are separate actions.
4. Choose the account to which you want to deposit the money.
5. Confirm your details and submit the deposit.
6. You will receive a notification via email or text message confirming when the bank receives your deposit.

You’ll typically receive a subsequent notification that the bank accepted, processed and deposited your check into your account.

Ways To Avoid Clearing a Paper Check

If you don’t like the idea of waiting for your bank to clear a check, here are some other ways to get ahold of your money faster:

• Choose a bank that has fast check-clearing times.
• Use peer-to-peer payment services like Cash App, Venmo and Zelle.
• Use your bank’s direct deposit feature to have your paycheck sent directly to your checking account.

Final Take

Be aware that some banks and credit unions may charge a fee to make your funds available quicker than the law requires. And just because you have a deposit receipt doesn’t mean that your money is available for use or withdrawal. Before depositing checks, consider your bank’s policies and deposit account agreement, and you can also ask the teller when your funds will be available.