Your money may be unavailable because the deposit is still processing, arrived after the bank’s cutoff, or is subject to a check hold or another account restriction. The release time depends on the payment type, when the bank treats it as received, your bank’s funds-availability policy, and whether an exception applies. Check the hold notice and account agreement, then ask the bank for the specific reason and release date. The rules below describe U.S. deposit availability; they do not apply universally to banks in other countries.
First, identify what kind of deposit is delayed
A displayed balance alone may not explain why you cannot spend or withdraw the money. Start with the transaction details: identify whether it was cash, a wire, an ACH credit such as payroll, a paper check, a mobile check deposit, or an ATM deposit. The deposit type and how you submitted it can affect the schedule.
- Cash deposited in person: generally must be available by the next business day after the bank receives it.
- Electronic payments: qualifying wire and ACH credits generally must be available by the next business day after receipt. The Federal Reserve says an electronic payment is received when the institution has collected funds and the information needed to identify the account and amount.
- Paper checks: many ordinary checks follow a schedule that can extend to the second business day. Some of the deposit may have to be available sooner.
- Mobile or ATM deposits: a mobile deposit or a deposit at an ATM not owned by your bank may follow a different schedule than an in-person deposit or your bank’s own ATM. Check your bank’s policy for the method you used.
For qualifying direct deposits, the CFPB says a bank or credit union generally must make funds available on the next business day after it receives the deposit. Some banks make payroll available sooner. If a paycheck is missing, ask your employer or payroll provider to confirm it sent the payment, and ask the bank whether it received the ACH credit. CFPB direct-deposit guidance.
Check the cutoff, weekend, and holiday
A deposit submitted after your bank’s cutoff may be treated as received on the next banking day. The Federal Reserve defines business days as Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. A bank’s banking day depends on its cutoff and whether it is open for substantially all banking activities, so the time you submitted a deposit matters as well as the date.
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For example, a check submitted after a bank’s cutoff on Friday may be treated as received on the next banking day; a weekend or federal holiday can affect when that is. Review the transaction’s received date in the app and compare it with the bank’s stated cutoff and deposit policy. Federal Reserve Regulation CC guide.
How long can a bank hold a check?
For many ordinary checks, Regulation CC generally permits availability by the second business day after deposit. For many checks that are not subject to next-day availability, at least $275 generally must be available the next business day. These are federal minimums for eligible deposits; a bank can make funds available sooner under its policy.
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Some conditions allow a longer exception hold. Under current federal thresholds, these include a check deposit above $6,725 in aggregate on a banking day, certain deposits to a new account, and certain repeated overdrafts. Other exceptions can apply to a redeposited check, a check the bank has reasonable cause to believe will not be paid, or an emergency that prevents normal processing. A non-bank ATM deposit may also have a different schedule. OCC check-availability guidance and the OCC explanation of availability exceptions.
The $275 minimum and $6,725 thresholds took effect July 1, 2025, and are scheduled to apply for five years. A CFPB consumer page last reviewed August 28, 2026, still lists the previous-period amounts of $225 and $5,525; the current thresholds are reflected in the CFPB and Federal Reserve rule and OCC guidance. CFPB and Federal Reserve threshold rule.
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What an exception hold means for timing
An exception hold generally may extend the availability of most checks by up to five business days. OCC guidance says the funds generally must be available no later than the seventh business day after deposit under an exception hold. A longer delay requires the bank to establish that the additional time is reasonable. The bank generally must provide an exception-hold notice stating the reason and expected availability date. Ask for the notice if you did not receive it. Federal Reserve Regulation CC guide.
Other reasons money may still be unavailable
- The payment has not reached or been processed by the bank. A pending transaction or a payment sent after cutoff may not yet count as received for availability purposes.
- The bank is waiting on a check. A check may be held while it could still be returned unpaid. A paying bank releasing funds does not necessarily mean your bank must release its hold immediately, subject to applicable rules and the bank’s policy. See the OCC explanation of continued check holds.
- Your account is new or has a history of overdrafts. Regulation CC exceptions can apply to certain new accounts—generally accounts open fewer than 30 days—or repeated overdrafts.
- The deposit is subject to a separate restriction. A garnishment, fraud investigation, account closure, or other legal or account restriction is different from an ordinary deposit-availability hold. Ask the bank to identify the actual restriction; deposit-availability rules alone do not determine what applies to your account.
What to do when a deposit is pending or held
- Record the details. Note the deposit type, amount, date and time submitted, submission method, and any weekend or federal holiday that may affect processing.
- Look for a notice and check the policy. Search the app, email, and mail for a hold notice. Compare the expected availability date with your account agreement and funds-availability policy.
- Contact the bank through an official channel. Use the number on your card or the bank’s official website. Ask: “What is the specific reason this deposit is unavailable, what amount is held, and what date and time should it be available?” For a payroll deposit, also confirm with your employer or payroll provider that it was sent.
- Ask for the exception-hold notice if applicable. Request the stated reason and expected release date. If the funds remain unavailable past that date, ask the bank to explain why and keep a record of the response.
- Escalate if the delay appears to exceed the rules. First identify the institution’s regulator. OCC accepts written complaints about national banks and federal savings associations; other institutions may have a different regulator. OCC complaint information.
Do not assume an advance is the fix
Some banks offer advances against an expected deposit and deduct them from a later deposit; these can carry high fees. They are not a substitute for asking why funds are unavailable or checking the expected release date. The CFPB discusses this practice in its direct-deposit guidance.
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