How long does it take for a check to clear? What you need to know about check processing times
- Banks typically make at least $200 of deposited funds available quickly (often the same or next business day), but the actual check clearing process – where the bank receives funds from the paying institution – can take one to five business days and is separate from fund availability. Funds from most check deposits are available the next business day, but this can vary depending on the bank's policies and the type of check.
- Several factors can delay check clearing or fund availability, including the check amount, depositor’s banking history, account balance, whether it’s a cashier’s check versus a personal check, and the bank’s cutoff times for deposits. Some banks offer same-day fund availability for certain check deposits, sometimes for a small fee.
- It’s crucial to understand the difference between “available balance” (funds you can use immediately) and “account balance” (total funds, including those still clearing), and to be aware of bank-specific cutoff times to ensure timely processing of deposited checks.
If you’re the sarcastic sort, you may have seen this headline and thought, “People still write checks?”
They do, of course. Grandparents sometimes write birthday checks, and companies still send checks through the mail. While we live in a digital world, paper checks remain a common payment method. However, direct deposit offers a faster way to receive payments, and wire transfers provide a quick, electronic alternative for moving funds, especially for large sums. Domestic wire transfers are an efficient option for sending money swiftly. Additionally, services like Zelle® enable users to send and receive money instantly between checking or savings accounts.
If you’ve recently deposited or received a check after some time, you might be wondering — how long does it take for a check to clear?
Here’s a refresher.
What does it mean for a check to clear?
When you deposit a check in your bank account, it doesn’t mean that all of the money is necessarily there from the moment you put it in. If a check needs to clear first, that means your bank needs to verify that the money is actually available for you to spend.
After all, a paper check worth $500 is just a simple piece of paper. Clearing a check means that your bank has verified with the other bank (where the check came from) that there’s definitely $500 to be taken from the other bank account. Once that $500 has been transferred to your account and the check has cleared, you can spend the funds on whatever you want.
How banks verify and process checks
There’s no single way that banks verify and process checks; it varies based on each bank’s policies and procedures. While much of the verification and processing is handled digitally and with artificial intelligence, human review still plays a role—especially when a check originates from an unfamiliar company or individual. Check processing typically occurs during business hours, so deposits made outside these hours may experience delays. Depositing a check involves submitting it to a financial institution for processing and fund transfer. It’s essential to understand your bank's policies regarding check holds and fund availability to manage expectations effectively.
A lot of the verifying time depends on what type of check it is. If it’s a check from the federal government, it’s probably going to be verified faster than a check from, for instance, your brother-in-law’s bank account. Government checks are typically available the next business day due to their secure nature. If the check you’re depositing came from a friend who has the same bank you do, it’ll likely be verified faster than if it’s from a friend who banks somewhere else. Cashier’s checks tend to be verified more quickly than personal checks because the issuing banks guarantee them and draw on their own funds.
Once the check is verified, it moves into the processing stage. This means the funds from the check writer’s bank are transferred into the recipient’s bank account. However, this transfer is not instantaneous. Your bank reviews the check’s details and initiates the transfer, during which the money is withdrawn from the payer’s account. The status of the payer's account can influence how quickly the check clears. Once the funds reach the payee’s bank account, the check is officially considered cleared. Throughout this check-clearing process, the financial institution oversees check deposits and may place holds on funds before releasing them. Checks deposited at a branch or ATM are processed according to the bank's schedule and policies. The payee's bank plays a crucial role in managing the check clearing and fund availability.
The role of the Federal Reserve and the Clearing House
If you’re of a certain age, you might remember a time when banks didn’t process checks so quickly. Back in the 1960s, the Federal Reserve and banking leaders began exploring ways to speed up check clearing. Imagine people thinking, if NASA could send a man to the moon, surely banks could transfer money faster than they did in the 1950s—when checks literally traveled by airplane from city to city, and bank to bank, sometimes taking up to a month to clear.
By 1972, that vision became a reality. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco pioneered its own Automated Clearing House (ACH) system in collaboration with several California banks. Soon after, other cities developed their own ACH networks, and as the Federal Reserve linked these systems together, a unified national ACH network was established by the mid-1990s.
As you can imagine, though, the first ACHs were pretty primitive compared to today’s digital magic. Payment information was stored on magnetic tapes and later floppy discs, so paper checks that were used with ACHs were generally predictable checks, like payroll checks and consumer bills.
The $275 next-day availability rule
Because a bank doesn’t know for sure that the money declared on the check is actually going to be available to you, banks will not give you the entire $500 or $1,000 or whatever dollar amount is on your check. That said, by law, your bank has to free up the first $275, so if you make a deposit, you’ll at least have that much in the account. The rest of the money, you’ll receive when your check has cleared.
This is a fairly new rule. The law used to be that you’d receive $225, but as of July 1, 2025, banks have been required to bump that number up to $275. Federal law requires banks to make a portion of check deposits available quickly. Federal regulations set the standards for check clearing and fund availability. Banks are generally required to make a portion of check funds available within one business day. Bank holds may be placed on deposited checks for various reasons.
How long does it take for a check to deposit on weekends?
Ah, the weekend, when the banking world sort of shuts down. If you deposit a check on a weekend, that first $275 will be available (and if your check is less than that, it’ll all be available).
But how long does it take for a check to deposit? As in, when will my money be there, so I can spend it?
Typically, the rest of the check will remain in “pending” until at least Tuesday morning, and it may take a day or two longer for you to get all of the funds, depending which bank issued the check. If a check is deposited late on a Friday, funds may not be available until the following week due to weekends and federal holidays. The difference between a calendar day and a business day is important in banking. A bank holiday can delay check processing, and Federal holidays can delay check clearing and fund availability.
What can delay your check from clearing?
There are a lot of reasons why your check may not clear quickly. Let’s tick off a few:
New accounts or frequent overdrafts
Just opened your account and you deposited a big fat check? Your bank is happy to get the funds, but for all they know, you’re some shifty con artist. They may need time to verify the check.
Or is your account always going into the negative? It may not be fair, but your bank may be a little suspicious of your good fortune and want to make extra certain the check you wrote has cleared.
If the bank believes a check may not be paid, it can place an extended hold. Banks verify each check written to ensure authenticity and prevent fraud.
Check amounts over $6,725
If you’ve received a large check over $6,725, you might find yourself frustrated to learn that it can take longer to access the full amount. Banks are allowed to extend the clearing time beyond the typical five business days for checks exceeding $6,725. This often means an additional five business days, so you may have to wait up to 10 business days before the entire check clears and the funds become fully available.
That’s a new rule as of July 1, 2025. Before then, banks were allowed to put a longer hold on checks that were $5,525 or more.
The good news is that if you, for instance, receive a check for $10,000, the first $6,725 will be available after at least five business days - the remainder could take another five days. These rules are designed to prevent fraud, and if your hefty check comes from a reputable, easily verified source, it may not take the entire ten business days to get all of your funds.
Foreign or stale-dated checks
A stale-dated check is one that was issued six months ago or longer. While banks are not obligated to honor such checks, many may choose to do so after verifying their validity, a process that can take additional time. Business checks may have varying validity periods and clearance times based on institutional policies. Both banks and credit unions might honor checks older than six months, but these practices differ, so it’s important to consult your specific bank or credit union about their policies. The institution’s policies significantly influence how long it takes for a check to clear, and credit unions often have distinct check hold policies compared to traditional banks.
However, if you're dealing with a check from a foreign country, be prepared for a longer wait. International checks involve not only the American banking system but also the banking system of the country where the check was issued. According to the Federal Reserve, it can take up to 20 business days or more before these funds become available. This extended waiting period is due to additional verification steps required for checks drawn from international banks.
Moreover, if an international check has any errors—such as a missing signature—expect even further delays in the clearing process.
Deposits made at non-network ATMs
If you deposit a check at an ATM that isn’t part of your bank’s network, you might face a longer wait—up to five business days—for the check to clear, instead of the typical two days. To access your funds more quickly, it’s usually better to deposit checks at an ATM within your bank’s network or use your bank’s mobile app for mobile deposits. For example, Bank of America has specific policies and cutoff times for mobile check deposits, and some banks even offer expedited check clearing for a small fee. Depositing checks through your bank’s mobile app offers the convenience of quick and easy access without needing to visit a branch or ATM.
Suspicion of fraud or insufficient funds
Banks really don’t enjoy being defrauded (and frankly, neither do customers). Because of this, financial institutions take great care to ensure they aren’t granting access to funds that aren’t actually available. Although check writing has declined, check fraud has increased, often involving stolen mail, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. If a check you’re cashing raises any suspicion of fraud or irregularity, processing may take longer than usual.
If the person or company that issued the check doesn’t have sufficient funds to cover the money on your check, that could also delay you getting your money. You also may have to pay a fee, even if it wasn’t your fault that you deposited a check that wasn’t any good. If a check is returned unpaid, the depositor may face fees or delays.
Check processing times
| Type of Check | Time to Clear | Fund Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Checks at an ATM or Branch Teller | Receive a deposit receipt with the date and time of when the check will be cleared and the hold time (if any) | Can expect funds in 1-2 business days unless it is an unusually significant amount |
| Cashier's Checks | Can clear on the next business day, unless a bank suspects there might be fraud, then it could take several weeks | Can be available on the next business day in most cases (expedited availability) |
| Money Orders | Can clear on the next business day | Often available for withdrawal on the next business day |
| Tax Refund Checks | Government-issued tax refund checks typically clear quickly, often within one business day | Funds are generally available the next business day |
| Money Order | Can clear on the next business day, unless a bank suspects there might be fraud, then it could take several weeks | Can be available on the next business day in most cases |
| Mobile Check Deposits | Receive a deposit receipt with the date and time when the check will be cleared | Similar to regular checks, you can expect funds in 1-2 business days unless it is an unusually significant amount (Note: you may be limited to the amount you can deposit through mobile check deposits) |
| Post-Dated Checks | Banks may accept post-dated checks, but there’s always the chance that they could begin to process them early, like they would for any other regular check (Note: because the bank may end up processing the check early, be aware of possible insufficient funds fees as the payer or returned deposit fees as the payee) | Similar to regular checks, you can expect funds in 1-2 business days unless it is an unusually significant amount |
The bottom line: How long does it take for a check to clear the bank?
Many checks clear quickly—in about two business days or even by the next business day. However, some checks take longer to clear. If you want your money fast, make sure to deposit the check promptly—after all, if you forget to deposit it, you’ve already lost valuable time. When the check is straightforward to verify—say, it’s from a well-established corporation with a solid reputation—you’re likely to receive your funds quickly.
On the other hand, if the check is unusual—perhaps from a distant country or a small startup—it may take several extra days or even weeks (especially for foreign checks) before the funds become available. Regardless, you can expect to access at least the first $275 of your check immediately.
Despite living in a digital age, paper checks remain common. Grandparents still send birthday checks, and companies often mail payments. Checks written as birthday gifts or for other occasions are frequent, and these typically take a day or two to clear, depending on your bank’s policies.
