How long do payments take to clear

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Check use is becoming less frequent, especially since more people are adopting electronic banking.

But there are still people who like to use these slips of paper to conduct transactions. For example, maybe you're a landlord whose tenant writes out a check for the rent each month. Or perhaps your dear old aunt still sends you a check for your birthday every year. Whatever the reason, you should be aware that you may not have access to the full amount right away when you deposit it into your bank account—even if your balance indicates otherwise.

If you try to use the funds right away, you may run into problems—even bouncing payments and getting charged by your bank. So it pays to understand the basics of checks and hold times. Read on to find out more about how long it takes for checks to clear and how you can avoid costly fees that may result from any misunderstandings.

When you open up a bank account, financial institutions always outline their policies about deposits, including hold times for check deposits. Banks place these holds on checks in order to ensure the funds are available in the payer's account before giving you access to the cash.

By doing this, they help you avoid incurring any charges—especially if you use the funds right away. It usually takes about two business days for a deposited check to clear, but it can take a little longer—about five business days—for the bank to receive the funds. How long it takes a check to clear depends on the amount of the check, your relationship with the bank, and the standing of the payer's account. Wait a few days before contacting your bank about holds on deposited checks.

Of course, the hold time often depends on the nature of the check. A bank may choose to hold a check longer if it's an unusual deposit if you've never deposited a check from that payer before, if the check is for a large amount, or if the check is from an international bank. The latter requires a much longer hold time because it can't be easily verified. Hold times for these checks depend on your institution, so you should check with someone about the policies.

Check hold policies vary between banks, so check with your institution about how long you have to wait to access the funds. There are several reasons banks hold checks.

Your bank may hold a deposited check if there are insufficient funds in the payer's account or if the payer's account is closed or blocked for some reason.

Banks usually resend checks with issues to the paying institution, but this results in a longer delay for the depositor. Some banks also issue holds for deposits on new accounts. Accounts that have no or little history may automatically qualify for holds on all check deposits until the time that the bank feels you have solidified your relationship with it.

Accounts that have negative history—that is, accounts that frequently bounce payments or go into overdraft —may also have checks held. The payer also has a lot to do with hold times as well. If you've never deposited a check from that person before—and it's a sizable amount—your banking institution may choose to hold it until it clears.

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